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Tullamarine Entering 2019 With Extra Sting In Tail

Preview 2019 - Tullamarine


YOU’D be hard-pressed to find a Division 1 team hungrier for premiership success than Tullamarine.

The Demons are perennial finalists and since 2014 have played in three losing Division 1 Grand Finals.

Last year’s 13-point loss to Airport West was a heart-breaker.

In one stunning quarter, the Demons went from trailing by 53 points to leading by six going into the last change but couldn’t hold on in the final stanza, missing crucial opportunities at goal late.

“It definitely stung the group,” coach David Connell said of the grand final loss.

“But there’s a positive vibe around the group at the moment (and) the vibe is positive because of how much last year stung.

“The group is keen to make amends on what happened last year.”

All three of Tullamarine’s recent grand final losses were under different senior coaches.

Connell returned to his former club at the start of 2018 with the hope of instilling some long-term stability.

He hasn’t been afraid to go on the record with his intentions of returning the Demons to Premier Division and with that comes increased expectation and pressure to go one step better in 2019.

“Externally, I think it’s absolutely reasonable for there to be pressure,” Connell admitted.

“There’s no pressure on me as senior coach from anyone inside the club and I’m sure none of the boys feel pressure internally, but I can understand that externally, there’s pressure.

“The challenge for the group is to do enough throughout the year to potentially put ourselves in the same position we were in last year.”

The retirements of Russell Laurie and Craig Steele have been offset by the arrival of Oak Park quartet Cam Hare, Travis Anderson, Nathan Sciberras and Blair Cronin, while the return of Anthony Liberatore is a huge boost for the Demons’ midfield.

Overall, Connell has prioritised depth as the key area for improvement and the current balance of the list has everyone down at Leo Dineen Reserve feeling buoyant about 2019 and beyond.

“Where we need to get better is expanding that list of players that can play senior footy,” he said.

“Everyone talks about Tullamarine externally as being an old side but with losing Russell Laurie and Craig Steele and brining in, say, Cameron Hare and Joel Bonnici, I think we’ve only got three players over 30.

“Our core group is between 20 and 24.

“At the pointy end of the season we want to have 30 to 32 players to pick from, not 24 players to pick from, so that’s probably been the biggest part of our recruiting and list management.”


RECRUITING

In: Anthony Liberatore (midfielder, Launceston), Cameron Hare (midfielder/forward, Oak Park), Travis Anderson (forward, Oak Park), Nathan Sciberras (defender, Oak Park), Blair Cronin (forward, Oak Park), Joel Bonnici (defender, Hillside), Oliver Klemm (forward, Maryborough) & Ethan Hope* (forward, Airport West)

Out: Jack Kennedy (Oak Park), Russell Laurie (retired), Craig Steele (retired from seniors), Angelos Sidhom (St Albans), Jake Gatto (Keilor Park) & Luke Hampshire (Hillside)

*Transfer pending


2019 DRAW

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