HOPPERS Crossing has acted swiftly in a bid to mend its shocking start to the Football Federation Victoria men’s state league 4 west season.
The Reds axed senior coach Joey Vella last Wednesday and immediately turned to his assistant Fonz Opazo to take over the role.
SEE: Our picture gallery of the big game.
SEE: Reds coach shown the door.
Following Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Williamstown in Opazo’s first game in charge, Reds president Peter Wilkinson told the Weekly that it was never going to be an overnight rebuild.
“I didn’t expect to lose a coach, sign a new coach and win tomorrow — that’s pie in the sky stuff,” he said. “The club is going through a rebuilding phase to find our mojo and it’s going to take time.”
The Reds’ onfield fortunes have fallen apart quickly. Only last year, they were celebrating a premiership in the provisional league 2 north-west.
After four rounds this season, they are pointless and sitting on the bottom of the ladder.
The gaps left by the departures of Alister Smart and Brett Gilmore, two of the Reds attacking weapons last season, have been hard to fill.
The Reds have managed a league-worst two goals as a result. The team has also been hit with injuries in the early rounds.
But Wilkinson is not using either the departures or injuries as an excuse.
“We lost some players, but we’ve also gained some players,” he said. “You can’t blame the losses of those players for our performances.
“We need to improve our confidence and attitude more than anything else.”
Opazo, who only two years ago was playing for Hume City in the VPL, has been entrusted to make the wide-ranging changes.
The committee wants to see improvements made from a number of structural viewpoints, including game-day tactics, fitness base and training methods.
“We’re 0-4 and that’s not a good place to be in. There’s a lot of work to do to find our cutting edge. The players will turn it around and the club will turn it around,” Wilkinson said.
FFV SCORES
SL4: Williamstown 3 Hoppers Crossing 1
SL5: Point Cook 1 Altona North 3; Truganina 1 Sebastopol 5
