By Trevor Jackson
SOUTH Gambier Football Club will look to utilise the development from recent season of the young players coming up through the ranks when the Limestone Coast Football League kicks off this weekend.
Under the coaching of Peter Duncan, along with assistant Brett O’Neil, the Demons are set for an improved season to 2023, where they finished fourth on the ladder but were knocked out in the first round of finals by North Gambier.
According to Duncan everything is on track at this stage.
“We have had a good pre-season, full of learning,” he said.
“We are trying to implement a bit of a system and a method in how we play the game.
“The boys have been positive and brought the right mindset and are willing to learn, so it has been really positive.”
Mason Hein returns to the Demons which will bode well for the ruck contests, but Duncan said the list this season was more a bit of organic growth from last year’s playing group, with a few juniors coming up.
Duncan said his side was at times tricky to play against, with the run and our speed troubling for opposing teams.
“It is more about being able to harness that and use it at the right time and understand moments in the game where we can run and gun or defend well,” he said.
Last season saw a bit of daylight between the top two sides and remaining teams, but Duncan was not too concerned about that.
“I think it is a pretty even competition,” he said.
“You will have to play well every week regardless of where anyone is on the ladder.
“West and Millicent have been strong for the last few years and North is around the mark, so we just want to bring our best each week.
“We have plenty of work to do.
“The competition is really strong and you have to be good to win it.
“If you are a bit off the ball you can fall away pretty quickly.”
Duncan said he was under no illusions about where his side stands, but believes the growth in recent years will place the Demons in good stead.
“We know where we are at, we know we need to get better in a few different areas,” he said.
“Hopefully with a good pre-season under our belt and building on it throughout the year, we can trouble the top sides.”
