THERE is little doubt that there is an air of excitement and expectation around the Cohuna Kangas ahead of their first match of the season, with their eight game winning streak last year, coupled with strong recruiting over the summer seeing them regarded as one of the teams to beat in 2025.
But it’s the return of a much loved former Kanga that really has the town buzzing, with midfielder Tom Toma set to once again pull on his home town’s beloved purple guernsey.
For Toma, tomorrow can’t come quick enough, with his last game for the Kangas their 2022 grand final loss to Kerang – a result he will be aiming to reverse later in the season.
“We’re not shy in saying we want to win the flag, that’s the ultimate prize,” Toma told The Guardian this week.
“We want that first premiership in the Central Murray, we’re desperate to win one and bring some silverware home to the club.
“The club is in a really good position and that was a big reason for me wanting to return.
“We want sustainable success and to make sure that the club can keep going in the future. There’s a good junior program with both the boys and the girls, we’ve had a good start to our Auskick program and the junior numbers are really healthy right through the netball as well.
“I just really wanted to get back to the club and give something back and hopefully have some success and to be back in the purple and for our first game to be at home. I can’t wait.”
Much has changed for Toma since his last stint in purple, with the damaging onballer having played seven VFL games for Essendon last season following a successful 2023 season with Bendigo Football League side Golden Square, where he won a premiership.
That victory came alongside current Cohuna coach Jack Geary and new Kangas recruit Ricky Monti, with Toma keen to join forces with his premiership teammates to hopefully deliver his home club that elusive title.
“He (Geary) found his feet with regards to coaching last year and the way he’s tackled this year has been pretty impressive,” Toma said.
“The way he goes about it, obviously he’s a really close mate, but I hadn’t seen him go about coaching his own team and it’s actually really exciting to be under him.
“I’ll be there for him throughout the year to lean on and hopefully we get some success together, but I’m really keen to see the way he goes about his coaching while still dominating on the field as he did down in Bendigo when I played with him a couple of years ago.
“As for Ricky (Monti), he’ll bring a bit of class to us this year. I was lucky enough to play at Golden Square and in the VFL last year, and up in Darwin this season just gone.
“He’s going to bring some class and hit the scoreboard, but he’s just a ripping fella to have around the club, just with the energy he brings, it’s quite contagious and I think he’d be a good fit for Cohuna.”
While Toma’s main focus this season will be on delivering the Kangas that flag they so desperately crave, he was also happy to reflect on his time with both Golden Square and Essendon in the VFL, with Toma hopeful of imparting some of his learnings onto his new teammates back home.
“I really enjoyed my time down at the Bombers and I was lucky enough to play under some awesome coaches and play with some very good teammates,” Toma said.
“I had a bit of a run with the few of the AFL intra-club games and just the professional standard that they set down there at Essendon really left an impact on me.
“They (Essendon) are off to a bit of a slow start this year, both the AFL and VFL boys, but it was awesome to learn a heap from my time in the program and hopefully I can bring some of that skill set back to Cohuna and share what I can with the lads here.”
