Aaron Bradley will have a blank canvas to work with in his first year as coach of Manor Lakes in the Western Region Football League.
Bradley, a former coach of Thomson in the Geelong District league and the Marin Mavericks in the San Francisco arm of the USAFL, arrives at the Storm with no pre-conceived notions of players and will just let them sort it out among themselves in a spirited pre-season.
“That was my main selling point to the group,” Bradley told Star Weekly.
“I don’t know what you’ve done in the past, whether you’ve been in the seconds or the firsts or you’ve been borderline, but if you come to training and you do everything right, you play well and you do what I want you to do in the practice matches, you’re putting your hand up to play round one.”
Manor Lakes was next to bottom in division two last season because its depth was lacking compared with oppositions.
The Storm lost players in the off-season, but Bradley got on the front foot to find replacements and perceives the side will be no worse off.
Focusing on improving players on the fringe of the senior team, he says he’s witnessing hot competition from the bottom six players in the seniors to the top six in the reserves for spots in the top side.
There will be some disappointed individuals at round one selection, which he says is not a bad thing.
“Round one selection is going to be a bit tough between players 16 to 26,” he said.
“The only way this club is going to get better is if players between 16 and 26 get better. We have to have depth to compete.”
Bradley has really known only two homes in his football career. He’s a Thomson boy through and through with his time at Godfrey Street Oval having spanned 21 years.
The 36-year-old’s only time away from Thomson was with the Mavericks, where he played for four years.
He said he was “little bit daunted” walking into Manor Lakes and meeting a new playing group for the first time, but a warm welcome from the leadership group of captain Nathan Montague, vice-captains Cam Baker, Ty Priest and Ethan Henley and assistant coach Adam Petterwood had made it a smooth transition.
“The core leadership group from last year have been massive,” Bradley said. “They’ve bought into everything I’ve been coaching and shown leadership among the group.
“They’re well respected so when they were saying stuff early on the boys were listening. It’s been a faultless transition, which makes the job easier.”
Manor Lakes will face Caroline Springs, one of the most hyped sides of the summer, in the season opener at Howqua Reserve on Saturday.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Bradley said. “Almost off the bat, we’ll get a gauge of how we’re travelling.”
