News

From The Mercury
Reported by Brett Stubbs

AFTER the train wreck of this VFL season, the Devils will begin pre-season for 2008 barely a month after playing their final home-and-away game.


Following another dismal second-half fade out on Sunday, which saw the Devils go from a point up early in the third term to 109-point losers against North Ballarat, Devils coach Daryn Cresswell said talks had already started for next season's preparations.

To top off Sunday's horrendous performance, it seems Geelong recruit Paul Koulouriotis (hamstring) will join fellow former AFL player Cameron Thurley (hip) on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

And Kangaroos-listed Leigh Adams (shoulder) and possible AFL draftee Brodie Moles (knee) could spend close to, if not all, the remaining three games on the injured list, resulting in -- if it is possible -- an even bleaker finish to the season.

It appears the first casualties of the dismal season could be the Devils' fitness staff, with AFL Tasmania already looking at new personnel.

"Obviously it is an area that we need to look at in terms of we need someone who has got the knowledge and who's very much qualified in getting players fit so they can play at a higher level," Cresswell said.

"We are in discussions at the moment with some people who might be looking after our fitness department, so we see that as very important.

"We will be starting (pre-season) relatively early, four or five weeks after we finish playing, so it is important we get those guys in place."

Cresswell said the loss just before half-time on Sunday of Koulouriotis and Adams had a huge effect on a team that contained 10 18-year-olds and two 19-year-olds, but was still no excuse for the abysmal second-half fade out.

"It was a totally unacceptable second half and we apologise to all our fans out there," he said.

"We take responsibility for it and we will be doing our best this week to make sure we can rectify things. It is my job as coach to make sure that doesn't happen again and we need to be more competitive."

Cresswell said up to 11 players from Sunday would not be in the Devils' round-one team next season.

"We need to recruit five or six players, quality VFL players, and I'm talking of the likes of Timmy Hazell, if Barry Brooks was available or Sam Lonergan was available, or Todd Grima, Nathan Grima, Ian Callinan," he said.

"I've had a discussion with former Geelong forward Matt McCarthy last week and he is assessing the situation."