Barba returns home to Werribee City

(Supplied)

Tara Murray

New Werribee City coach Domenic Barba wants to help the club get back on track in the National Premier League 2 competition.

The Bees narrowly avoided relegation this season, with an up and down season that included a couple of coaching changes.

For Barba taking on the Bees coaching role is something that is really special to him.

“It’s a club dear to my heart,” he said. “I played here and my brother was captain 30 years ago and saw them through a period in state league 1 before being promoted to the old VPL [Victorian Premier League].

“I’ve coached at other clubs for the last 20 years, but never had the opportunity to coach here. It has come at a perfect time.”

Barba said the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the club this year and the squad that they could put together. He said the club was in good position moving forward.

He said there was history of the club taking a number of steps forward with performances, before taking steps back.

“There’s a lot of help from a lot of good people who are already there,” he said.

“People want the club to be where it should be, in the NPL. We want to reinvigorate the club which is really important.”

Barba is quick to look at the results from this year and see it as a way they can get better. He said the group would take a lot out of them.

“People can focus on them not being great and the turnover of coaches,” he said. “The doom and gloom which a lot of Werribee people are thinking.

“People have to realise they could have got relegated and they didn’t. They had to win that that to stay up and they did.

“They were capable of doing that and at the end of the day if you work hard enough there will be little wins.

“They will have learned lessons and know that they don’t want to be in that position again.”

Barba said he know many of the existing squad, but there were others he didn’t know.

He said while he would look to bring in four or five players, the current playing group will be given a chance

“I want every player to have an opportunity to try play for me,” he said. “Some might not have been able to show their wares previously and could become a successful players.

“Sometimes circumstances didn’t foster that development.”