SOUTH Gambier dives into the new decade with Bronson Saffin taking over the A Grade coaching role from Brett Exelby for the upcoming Western Border football season.
Saffin will continue to be a vital part of the Demons’ midfield and will juggle his coaching and playing commitments.
It is not a new challenge for him, after a two-year stint at Kongorong as playing coach, while he was also assistant coach to Exelby at South in 2015 and 16.
With those experiences under his belt, Saffin is excited for the year ahead.
“I am looking forward to it – it is going to be a good challenge,” he said.
The departing Exelby is off to Adelaide for work commitments, but leaves behind plenty of tools for Saffin to work with.
The pair had won a premiership together five years ago and formed a strong relationship.
Saffin said he has learnt many lessons from his time with Exelby and others during his career, which holds him in good stead ahead of the new role.
“I have had a reasonably long relationship with him (Exelby) and I learnt a lot from him,” he said.
“A lot of my game is probably based around what he has taught me over the years.
“Between him and a few other coaches, I have had the opportunity to pick the parts I like and think work.”
The convenience of a familiar face taking over the A Grade side will make life easier for everyone at Blue Lake Sports Park.
None more so than Saffin, who will lead a group he already knows inside and out will help him take the step up.
“It does make it a bit easier knowing the group that you have,” he said.
“With the transition of the coaching role, it is good to keep the core group together.
“We will play a similar style of footy, so the switch is not going to be hard at all.”
Saffin will lead a relatively unchanged squad this season with the same names set to feature prominently.
The stable side will maintain its speed through its young brigade, while a number of experienced heads will lead the way.
Brett O’Neil will continue to captain the team, while Brayden Kain and Jack Tentye will be assistant coach and vice captain respectively.
The team is hungry for a finals berth after it fell just short last year.
The Demons bounced back from a slow start with an impressive back end of the season.
It included a win against eventual premier North Gambier, which saw South become a dark horse in the race towards September.
But the red and white fell short after going down in a do-or-die showdown against Casterton Sandford in the final minor round.
That defeat left a sour note on a promising run home by the Demons and Saffin believes the season-ending defeat has left his men with unfinished business.
“I think there was a lot of disappointment in the rooms after the Casterton game,” he said.
“We felt as a group we could have pushed a few sides in finals.
“We knew we were a lot better than what we showed up on the day.”
With this extra motivation, South has already hit the track in strong numbers during the summer.
A high objective for the Demons will be the continued development of their emerging talent at the top level.
A series of youngsters breathed new life into South last season, with their speed and fearless approach.
They were a vital addition to the Demons’ game plan and could be an even bigger force with another year of tough football experience behind them.
Saffin hopes he can help the juniors to new heights this season.
“Most of them have been in and out of seniors for the last couple of years and have now managed to cement their spots,’ he said.
“We are looking for them to take the next step and bring their football to another level.
“Once we can get a little bit more consistency out of the young guys week in, week out, then I think that will make a difference.”
On a personal level, Saffin is under no illusions of what lies ahead of him.
In his first year back in the red and white for two seasons, he was the side’s most consistent performer with 10 best-on-ground appearances in 2019.
Despite the added responsibility of the playing-coach role, Saffin feels confident he can continue to meet his high expectations on the the field, with strong support from the bench.
“You would be kicking yourself thinking there will not be any extra pressure coming in as a coach and player,” he said.
“But I have a good support base around me within the club, so they will take a lot of pressure off me.
“I have full faith and confidence in the guys to help me on the bench and let me play to a certain extent.
“There is definitely extra pressure, but we will cope with it.”
With the 2020 Western Border season fast approaching, the Demons will now look to a solid run of pre-season prior to the opening round.
