HOPPERS Crossing can take plenty out of their return to the Western Region Football League division 1 finals stage, according to senior coach David Mitchell.
The Warriors bowed out of the premiership race on Saturday with a 48-point loss to Spotswood in the preliminary final, but not before shaking up the finals with stirring wins over Sunshine Kangaroos and Port Melbourne Colts.
“We’re a young team and we gained a lot out of finals experience this year,” Mitchell said.
“You can’t buy that experience. It’s something to build on now.”
The Warriors have the right foundations in place to have a sustained period of success.
They had a bevy of raw, inexperienced players holding down important positions in the September spotlight.
Scott Greenhough took on the No.1 ruck position, Thomas Jehle was a second tall option inside forward 50; Jarryd Ramsay, Jason Giaini and Aaron Williams offered run-and-carry in the midfield; and Murphy Watt shut down one of the Woodsmen’s dangerous small forwards.
“I started building the team last year with some of these blokes,” Mitchell said. “They’re younger guys, we’ve given them chance and, to their credit, they’ve taken their game to another level.
“We’ve got some fantastic kids coming through with our under 18 A’s and B’s in the grand final. I’ve played seven or eight of them this year.”
The Warriors have the right leaders in place to fast-track the development of the young guns.
Brad Murphy is not only the team captain, he also coaches the under-18s, devoting many hours each week to ensure the teenagers are preparing their best for match days. In first-year big-name recruits Kade Carey and Aaron Ramsay, the Warriors have two seasoned campaigners who will do everything in their power to see the club succeed.
You only had to watch Carey’s remarkable courage to return from a serious jarred knee and have an impact with four goals on “one leg” to see how much it means for the mercurial forward.
And the unbelievable ferocity with which Ramsay throws his body into the contest without fear of injury sets the benchmark for his team.
“Our five or six recruits who have come into the footy club have been absolutely outstanding,” Mitchell said. “I can’t praise them enough.
“A lot of players left last year and to the boys’ credit, it was fantastic we played in a prelim. We jumped four spots from last year and we can build on that for next year.”
