Connor Buttigieg
After missing out on a finals appearance for the first time in 20 years, Spotswood has appointed Tom German as its new senior football coach, confident that his experience can return the Woodsmen to the top.
German comes to the club with a stack of experience, including being rookie-listed at Essendon, playing at Victorian Football League level with Williamstown and the Northern Bullants, and recently his player-coaching role at Bacchus Marsh for the past three seasons.
After being unsure about whether or not he’d return to coaching, German made the commitment to the Western Region Football League division 1 club and is ready to get stuck into things.
“Spotswood reached out and I had a few sit downs with them and they seem like a really good club and a good fit for me,” he said.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about them.”
The confidence in German from Spotswood’s committee after an extensive search gives him extra comfort as he settles in to his new role.
“It’s exciting to be part of the club,” he said.
“Spotswood have been one of the best local sides in metro Victoria for the last 20 years. They’ve got a good support base and their football department are fantastic.”
While being well aware of the fact the club missed out on finals success last season, German said he isn’t looking too far ahead yet.
German’s time as a playing coach at Bacchus Marsh has helped him further his knowledge of the game from another perspective and he’ll bring a load of experience to the strong Woodsmen outfit.
“It has its challenges, and I’m still learning what to do and what not to do,” he said. “The beauty of football is you can never learn enough.”
While German was overseas when he accepted the job and he hasn’t had any real chance to interact with the playing group yet, he touched on a few players he’s particularly looking forward to coaching.
“You’ve got your David Iaccarino, who now is a bit of a stalwart of the club and he comes with a good reputation as well, and then there’s the Walshe boys,” he said.
“Across the board I’ve been running through the list, it’s an exciting one.
“There’s some good youth coming through as well, so there’s plenty to work with in terms of local homegrown players.”
German is confident the club will be able to recruit strongly over the off-season to strengthen its squad even further. He said they will target players to fill some needs.
The club announced that Sam Cross had signed with them on Saturday. He joins the club from the Albury Tigers.
