For Wyndhamvale footballers, there will be no shock about getting a handle on their new senior coach for next season – long-time assistant Daniel Bunworth is stepping into the role.
After serving as a senior assistant at the Falcons for the past six years, Bunworth has signed on as senior coach for the next two seasons and says he is ready to lead the club into another WRFL division 1 season.
“I wanted to keep the club going in the strong direction that we’ve been going for the past few years, so stepping up to a senior coach role made sense,” Bunworth said.
“I’m pretty excited that next season we can keep moving on the upward curve. We’re well set up for the future.”
Wyndhamvale is one of the big winners out of the WRFL restructure, with the move towards a 10-team division 1 meaning the Falcons avoid relegation despite finishing on the bottom of the 2016 ladder.
Bunworth, who will continue playing for the Falcons, said the chance to have another crack at division 1 was an exciting challenge for his side.
“We’re one of the first teams in a long time that hasn’t been relegated after finishing on the bottom, so I feel like we’ve got a bit of a free rein and a free crack at it to see where we can get to next season,” he said.
“We’ve got a pretty young list … I think we blooded about seven guys under 20 years old last season, so they’ve had a taste of it and now know the expectations of what it takes to play at that level.”
The Falcons have been busy on the recruiting front in the off season, with a number of new signings announced in recent weeks.
Midfielders Daniel Cross, Majok Ngong, Brodie Meadows and Tito Nyawela have all been named, along with key defender Mitch Gough, ruckman Anthony Daw and key position player Bol Kalang.
Ngong, Meadows, Daw, Gough and Nyawela are all former players at the Falcons, with Bunworth saying they all bring something different and exciting to his developing group.
“We’ve added some size and speed, I guess, and some extra depth through the midfield, which we probably lacked a bit at times last season,” he said.
“It’ll be exciting to see some of the guys who played juniors with us return – guys like Anthony Daw, who’s playing in the Werribee development league. We’re excited to see what he can do …
“Tito Nyawela is coming off a fantastic season for Werribee Centrals, so we’re excited by what he can bring.
“Bol Kalang is one of the better known taller fellas in the region – he’ll bring a lot of leadership and skill to the group.
“All I can ask of the group is to get the most out of themselves over pre-season, give their all and that should see us continue to improve throughout the season.”
Wyndhamvale starts its pre-season on November 16.
