CASTERTON Sandford Football Club has announced its new coach for the 2020 Western Border football season, with Tom Renzi ready to guide the club forward as a playing coach.
Club president Nathan Fidler said it was “fantastic” for the club, after 2019 coach Hamish Jarrad announced he would depart at the end of the current season.
“Our coach for the past three years Hamish Jarrad indicated early this would be his last year,” Fidler said.
“We have been on the lookout since about round three.
“We tried to find someone from out of town to come into the club with a fresh perspective.”
Fidler said the club was pleased with what Jarrad had brought in the last three years, after the side lost seven players from the 2018 roster, but still managed to reach the preliminary final.
Renzi said he was happy to take on the role after guiding Mount Burr to two premierships as a coach, plus claiming another as a player.
He also took the Mozzies to runners-up in another grand final in the Mid South East league and represented the MSE at interleague level.
“It is a bit of a change, something different and a new challenge,” Renzi said of the new appointment.
“After watching a few games I saw the way Casterton hunts the footy.
“I like it – that is hard to teach.
“It has been a while for Casterton (to win a flag) so it will be good to go there and hopefully help them out.”
The last three seasons have seen the Cats knocked out in the preliminary final, unable to break that hoodoo and reach the last game of the year.
For Renzi that particular statistic will be a major focus for his tenure.
“I just think the expectation of what the club wants needs to be lifted,” he said.
“In terms of the players, they seem to be happy with second or third.
“I am the opposite to that.
“Unless you win you might as well not do it.
“Only one team at the end of the day wins and no one remembers anyone else.
“I will ask for a lot of commitment from the lads and bring a lot of discipline too.
“I think that is the difference between winning the flag and being second or third.”
But Renzi said he was happy with the group he has to coach at Island Park.
He said it was a matter of bringing it all together, insuring the players understand the commitment required to win a flag.
Fidler said it was clear Renzi was driven to take the club to the next level.
“Just talking to him you can sense the drive in him for success,” he said.
“For us, three finals series in a row is good, but it has been 30 years since we won a flag and about 20 since we played in one.
“The drive Tom has will hopefully drive our group forward.”
Fidler said the club was currently looking at other players to bring into the fold, with a clear focus on success in 2020.
For Renzi there was one simple goal for next year.
“To win,” he said.
“If you do not go out with the mindset you want to win, you have already lost.”
