INGLEWOOD
PROFILE
INGLEWOOD faces a serious test when the season kicks off – fourth in 2023, a first finals appearance in 20 years, and a first-time senior coach trying to help them go deeper into the season.
He is also trying to mesh 10 or so new players into a side which lost several of the Melbourne contingent that did the hard yards for the club last season.
But Fergus Payne, who joined as a playing assistant coach last year from Strathfieldsaye, is now the man at the helm of the Blues and held high hopes for 2024.
“I think the one thing which showed in the finals was our youth, and lack of experience – at 26 I was the oldest player in the side,” Payne laughs.
“And now as playing coach at 27, I still am.”
The resurgence of his team has been reflected by the club’s strong pre-season and Payne’s push for more structure on and off the field.
He said they regularly had 30-plus players at training, a serious step up from his first year at the club, when there were nights in the single digits.
“We want everyone to play well, but we also want smiles on everyone’s faces, and that’s what we are seeing this year,” Payne said.
“One of the things I have been keen to impress on the players is from No.1 to No.22, everyone has a role and unless they do it to the best of their ability, the team doesn’t function properly.
“It’s all part of building a whole club where everyone fits – players, family, friends.
“And it’s is going to be a real luxury having more players than spots, so everyone will have to compete just to make the side, that always lifts the standard.”
So will recruits such as Mitch Conlan, a centre half-forward from Jerilderie, Liam Marciano, a dashing “high IQ small forward”, and Will Allen, a tall centre half-back from South Bendigo.
Or rising star Gabe Nevins, a half-back/midfielder coming up from the 18s. In 2023 he played complete season in 18s and seniors and on one memorable weekend got best-on-ground in both on the Saturday and then turned out for the 18s interleague on the Sunday and was BOG again.
With Payne on the field, that also means assistant coaches Nathan Angelino and Shaun Morgan playing key roles running game days.
At the same time he will return to the backline this year – where he has played most of his football – after being slotted in as a mid-forward in his first year with the Blues.
“It will also let me see the whole field during the game, so that with the key pointers and feedback from Shaun and Nathan at the breaks, I’ll have a good grasp of where we are going.”
FROM THE COACH
“When I look around the club in 2024 I see a new era for Inglewood. Twenty years between finals, but for this group it’s only been months since they got a taste for what the game is all about and that’s where they want to be again at the end of this season. We are young but everyone learnt a lot in 2023 and will be bringing it with them this year.”
KEY PLAYER
Mitch Conlan: Mitch will be an older head on a young team and play an important role in the forward structure. He is a big fella and will provide a focal point going forward, and he will be able to work alongside younger midfielders and forwards and give them support and options.
INS & OUTS
INS: Mitch Conlan, Liam Marciano, Will Allen, Nathan Twigg, Zac Myers, J.Vinnicombe, Kia Coatsworth, Alex Lloyd, Jayden Mathews, Jake Price, Bryce Laird, Liam Shiell, Ryan Duncan, Jayden Talbot.
OUTS: Ross Turner, Duncan Proud, Jay Reynolds, Doug Thomas, Liam Jones, Tom Campbell, Jacob Carracher.
