NEW Moonee Valley coach Shanon Carroll wants to make sure Ormond Park is no happy hunting ground for visiting teams in 2018.
The Fog’s facility is being re-built from the ground up and for the entirety of the 2018 season, Ormond Park is going to be surrounded by portable changerooms and facilities.
While he’s not necessarily counting on it, Carroll told essendondfl.com.au those less than ideal conditions could increase the Valley’s home ground advantage.
“The boys have adapted to it really well already and really accepted it, but opposition clubs, when they come here are going to, I think, be thrown out a little bit because of the portable setup,” Carroll said.
“I really want that home ground advantage and I know when I played against Moonee Valley years ago, you’d go to the ground and it’s not a traditional type of ground.
“It can throw your preparation out a little bit, so you add that to portable changerooms and a portable canteen and it could really throw the psyche of other sides out.”
The new coach has brought a lot of enthusiasm to a club that has been a regular finalist in Strathmore Community Bank Division 2.
But the Fog hasn’t had a grand final date at Windy Hill since 2013, and Carroll is hoping a solid list of ins that includes Cory McGrath (who came across from Airport West with Carroll) will complement an existing list that has only lost the Gleisner brothers and Luke Micallef.
While the new game plan will take time to adjust to, Carroll is confident about the club’s future, with eventual promotion to Essendon Ford Division 1 the end goal.
“We’re not just trying to recruit and build a game plan for immediate success,” he explained.
“We want to have that success but be able to sustain that in a higher division.”
The Valley’s new game plan is going to be put to the test early with last year’s runner-up Coburg Districts, who Carroll thinks should be the premiership favourite, first up at Ormond Park.
The draw then eases up, but Carroll expects his side to take its time getting used to a new and evolving game plan.
“Don’t expect all guns blazing from the start – and definitely don’t write us off if we drop a couple (of games) early in the season,” Carroll said.
“The boys understand that it is going to take some getting used to and some time, but their enthusiasm and their want to learn – I just can’t fault.
“The effort is phenomenal, I go home and think to myself that I’m such a lucky coach to get a hold of this group.
“It is such a great young group that want to learn and there are no egos there, so I'm lucky and I’m really looking forward to the season.”
Key Ins: Cory McGrath (midfielder, Airport West), Jordan Adkins (forward, Rennie), Liam Killey (ruckman, Reservoir), James Octigan (midfielder/defender, Mansfield), Daniel Viola (utility, Greenvale), Ryan Archer (key position, Garfield TBC) & Malik Noor (forward, West Coburg)
Keys Outs: Rhys Gleisner (Yarragon), Trent Gleisner (Reservoir) & Luke Micallef (Tullamarine)
First Month: Coburg Districts (home), Keilor Park (away), Northern Saints (away) & Burnside Heights (home)
