Years of experience has walked out the door at Hoppers Crossing.
Big-name players Brad Murphy, Kade Carey, James Mulligan, Brodie Moles, Aaron Ramsay and Terry Knight will not return to the Western Region Football League club.
In a calculated move by the Warriors, the rebuild will largely occur from within.
Steven Kretiuk, one of the best development coaches in the west, has been entrusted to oversee the list rejuvenation.
There will be no war chest of cash to splash, but he will bring in a number of experienced players to point the way for the youngsters.
What he does have at his disposal is access to talented youngsters already at the club.
The Warriors have won the past four under-18 division 1 flags.
“We want to rebuild this club and rebuild it in the right way,” Kretiuk said.
“We don’t want to be successful on the back of unrealistic spending and recruiting players for short-term success. We want long-term sustainability.”
Kretiuk and the Warriors are a perfect match.
Kretiuk worked for the Brisbane Lions, doing opposition analysis for 12 months.
But the 41-year-old missed the thrill of the coaches’ box on match day.
Kretiuk played at the top level with the Western Bulldogs. He’s a former coach of the Western Jets in the TAC Cup – the kind of credentials clubs set on rapid development for young players will always find attractive.
Kretiuk sees parallels between where the Warriors’ list is at this season and the Spotswood of the early 2000s when it claimed four straight under-18
division 1 flags.
“We want to do something similar to what Spotty did,” he said.
“In the early 2000s, their under-18s won about four flags in a row and a lot of those guys have progressed up to the seniors and have played in the grand final in the past seven years.
“Hoppers are in a similar position … their under-18s have won four flags in a row.
“Now we need to put a program in place to be able to develop these guys.
“That’s more rewarding than going out and buying 10 players and spending up big.
“But it’s a lot harder to do; it takes a lot more effort, a lot more patience and commitment to be successful from within.”
Kretiuk will unveil a new game plan and new structures when pre-season training begins on November 13.
