Corowa Rutherglen’s new coach Daryn Cresswell took the club’s first pre season session at John Foord Oval last Wednesday which followed the previous Saturday’s training session in Melbourne.
An hour before training started last Wednesday, Cresswell was placing markers in three different areas with precise measurement on the immaculate-looking oval.
Speaking to The Free Press at the time, the 53-year-old, 244 AFL gamer with Sydney from 1992 to 2003 which included the best and fairest award in 1994, said: “It’s an intense one hour 15 minute drills set up and a 10 minute education session.
“It’s high intensity session – just as the game is played. It’s really important, something employed by John Longmire (Sydney coach) and Beau’s (Beau Longmire) across it too.”
It’s business from day one at JFO. The new coach understands the monumental task ahead for him in season 2025 but he is throwing himself right into the job and has strong beliefs towards the Roos being competitive again.
“It’s a great challenge but I’ve had clubs before that have been down the bottom,” Creswell said.
“It’s about getting the foundations right and clearly to get the players on the same system, to get the club successful.
“We had a training session in Melbourne last Saturday (Nov 16), in Craigieburn with our Melbourne-based players. It was good and we hope to have this another four times before the season starts.”
The man popularly known as ‘Crezza’ said everyone at the club has a role to play and is mindful of some footballers playing cricket. “I want to keep the ones who have been through the hard times and done the hard work,” he said.
“We’ve talked about Matt Wilson and Patty Lavis, and we have a program where they can play their chosen summer sport and footy-train once a week.”
Club president Graham Hosier was impressed with the new coach in action and “the good numbers at training considering the other sports on at present”.
“There are exciting times ahead for the Corowa Rutherglen Football Netball Club,” he said.