Young Bombers continue promise
If there was ever a club poised to emerge from the Horsham District league wilderness, it must surely be Noradjuha-quantong.
Noradjuha-quantong rates as one of the most successful clubs in the competition for the past few years.
But it is success measured from an overall club perspective and not at a senior football level – something of which the Bombers faithful are acutely aware.
Bombers president Tim Kelly acknowledged that regardless of how well the club was travelling at various levels, people would only gauge a club on senior results. He said consistent high rankings in the league’s club championship, measured across all levels of football and netball, told a broader picture.
“As a whole club, it’s been going very well, but we’re just missing out on senior footy,” he said. “But in saying that, we’ve been blooding and sticking with youth and they will eventually come through and take the next step.”
Mr Kelly said the approaching season loomed as promising and exciting under new non-playing coach Gareth Hose.
“He was appointed late last year and since he has come on board has presented new ideas and great leadership skills,” he said.
“Everyone is excited with the standard
he brings. He’s young, enthusiastic and he’s getting good numbers on the track.”
Hose has forged a considerable reputation in Mallee, Ballarat and north Queensland football, having experienced premiership success with Beulah, Redan and Cairns Saints teams.
As a player he missed playing finals in only one of 17 years.
“That senior result has been eluding us, but with Gareth on board and our retention of youth we don’t think that is far away,” Mr Kelly said.
“On a weekend camp the message was that we would be striving to be in the finals and we would then build from that.”
Mr Kelly said the club was busy on the tough recruiting trail, and while ‘no real big names’ had yet joined the list, the club had ‘a couple of things in the pipeline’.
“I’m happy to have a very good committee of directors and over the past three years I have been more than happy with the direction we’re taking,” he said.
Hose said being in charge of a ‘very’ young list, a primary goal of his for the group, as well as building fitness, was to establish on-field structure.
“It is also obviously about getting a lot more games into these young guys. And I’m working with them on the style of footy I want them to be able to play,” he said.
“A lot of guys coming up from juniors haven’t previously needed to be organised and therefore can be unsure of where to position themselves on the field – this might include what to do at kick-outs, kick-ins, stoppages and so on.
“It’s about trying to get those types of things in place without restricting their natural games. That’s where improvement can come.
“Obviously working on fitness with ball work under fatigue is also important, as is a need to improve on the five wins from last year.
“Being new to the club I also need to learn, but what I’m pursuing is what I’ve gained through experience and that’s what I’m try to implement.
“Jason Kerr is assistant coach and I’ve been picking his brain a fair bit in getting an understanding of the playing group.”
Noradjuha-quantong has solid and growing financial support with Horsham’s White Hart Hotel and SMS Rural back as major sponsors.