Coburg Lions news

From the Moreland Leader
Reported by Chris Cavanagh
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IT IS a sight that has not been seen for some time.

Coburg — a club that has struggled for success since its golden days in the late 1980s — currently sits in the top-five on the VFL ladder in a clear sign that significant improvement is being made.

The Lions took care of Frankston on Saturday to make for a 2-1 start to the season, their other win coming against Richmond in Round 1 and their only loss coming to 2014 runner-up Box Hill in Round 2.

This time last year, the story was much different.

“We’re certainly not getting ahead of ourselves, that’s for sure,” Coburg coach Peter German said.

From the Herald Sun
Reported by Paul Amy
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THE 2015 VFL season kicks off on Friday with Werribee hosting Geelong under lights. Leader sports editor Paul Amy rounds up each club’s ins and outs.

BOX HILL HAWKS

Coach: Marco Bello

Last year: runner-up to Footscray Bulldogs

In: Cadeyn Williams (Richmond), Jack Sandric (Hobart City), Lochie Adey, James Handley (Blackburn), Matthew Burt, Chris Jones, Liam Kidd, Matthew Traynor (Eastern Ranges), Billy Murphy, Sam Switkowski (Northern Knights), James Sullivan (Tatura), Patrick Dillon (Donvale), Xavier Dimasi (Assumption/Calder Cannons), Ben Fitzpatrick (Korumburra/Bena), Dalton Graham (Sandringham).

Out: Luke Andrews, Callan Burns, Corey Cassidy, Sam Cust, Jackson Eade, Tom Goodwin, Jake Kalanj, Tom Miles, Xavier Murphy, Matt Northe, Nick Papadopoulos, Kalem Post, Michael Thompson, Brandon Wood.

The verdict: the Hawks have lost top-line midfielders in Xavier Murphy and Luke Andrew as well as the emerging Brandon Wood. But they’ve picked up former Tiger Cadeyn Williams and have good young players coming through in support of senior men Sam Iles, David Mirra, Marc Lock and Liam Tobin. Premiers in 2013 and runners-up last year, there’s no reason to think there will be a slackening of standards.

Player watch: Mitch O’Donnell. He’s as hard as a coffin nail and he’ll be granted more opportunity after an excellent pre-season.

Celebrating season 2014 with the Casey Scorpions and A Positive Move

Click on read more for a full club by club report.

From the Moreland Leader
Reported by Chris Cavanagh
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COBURG coach Peter ­German has revealed the club’s list could change by as much as 50 per cent as the Lions shift their focus ­toward season 2015.

During an in-depth interview with the Moreland Leader, German said the success Coburg enjoyed in its return to being a stand-alone club this season meant that players from across the region were now knocking down the door looking for a senior VFL opportunity.

“Last year it was like, ‘who wants to play for Coburg footy club?’,” German said. “We spoke to a lot of players and they pretty much dismissed us.

“Our brand was tarnished and I’m not sure if people saw there was a direction or possibly even a future.

“But 12 months down the track we’ve actually got really good players ringing us up wanting to come and play at Coburg. Our list could quite easily change by 30, 40, 50 per cent.”

Some punters questioned whether Coburg would survive one season alone after its 12-year alignment with Richmond ended after the 2013 season.

Read more:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/major-list-changes-expected-at-...

From the Moreland Leader
Reported by Chris Cavanagh
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COBURG has its sights set on a strong finish to the Victorian Football League season as it looks to create a springboard into its second pre-season as a stand-alone side under coach Peter German.

The Lions still have just three wins to their name but see the last month of the season as a prime opportunity to add to their tally of victories.

A home match against North Ballarat kicks off the run home this Sunday ­before the Lions round out the season with clashes against Sandringham, Frankston and Casey.

“The last four games are all winnable,” Coburg ­general manager Craig Lees said.

“We’ve got four opportunities to play sides that won’t play in the finals and we could potentially finish the year off well. People are actually starting to look at Coburg now and see how they’re going and take ­notice of their ­results. Even our sponsors are really thrilled at how competitive we’ve been. But what we’ve got to do in the off-season is maintain the momentum that we’ve built but look to build on that next year.”

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Chris Cavanagh
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REWIND to August last year.

Coburg Football Club had just played its last game of the 2013 season in the VFL, marking the end of a 12-year alignment with AFL club Richmond.

The Lions were yet to name a coach for 2014, had some stability issues off the field and many in VFL circles raised the possibility they might not see out one season as a stand-alone club.

But amid the bleak forecast, the man who has been considered the heart and soul of the club over recent years — courageous captain Nick Carnell — was the first Coburg player to sign a new contract with the club and did so without hesitation.

Like every year there were offers to go elsewhere, but the ever-loyal Carnell never seriously considered leaving.

Reported by Chris Cavanagh
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A LAST quarter fade-out saw Coburg suffer a hefty loss to Port Melbourne in the opening round of the 2014 VFL season on Saturday.

In their first stand-alone match since ending an 11-year alignment with Richmond, the young Lions side were brave for three quarters but succumbed to a more experienced Boroughs outfit in the end as they eventually went down by 73 points.

While the final scoreboard of 19.15 (129) to 8.8 (56) suggests a lopsided affair, Coburg had been remarkably competitive in the opening three quarters at Piranha Park.

After a Matthew Clark goal at the six-minute-mark of the third term, the Lions trailed by just a point as they took it right up to a side which played off in a semi-final last year.

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Patrick Lane
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COBURG Football Club will welcome bumped senior coach Adam Potter back to the top job in 2014.

Coburg president Bill Balakis said Potter, who has been advised he will not be senior coach in 2013 when AFL affiliate Richmond takes control of the coaching structure, has been offered the job as Development League coach in the interim.

Coburg and Richmond will end its alignment at the end of next season, with Richmond to field an independant reserves team in the VFL in 2014 and Coburg to stand on its own in the state league.

Balakis has previously stated the decision to demote Potter from the senior job was due to "financial constraints", but on Sunday told Leader the club had offered Potter the senior position in 2014 after a year in a lesser role. "If he doesn't take the development role, there will be a position available for him," Balakis said. "He's been offered the senior job (in a year's time) as well."

From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Patrick Lane
Full Story Click Here

COBURG legend Phil Cleary has condemned the club's decision to bump senior coach Adam Potter to a development role next year.

In his Inside Football column last Wednesday, Cleary said the VFL club would be coached by a Richmond identity for the last year of Coburg's alignment with the AFL Tigers and Potter had been offered the Development League coach's role.

The AFL club and its VFL affiliate originally planned to maintain their alignment until the end of 2014, but have mutually agreed to bring forward the termination of the agreement.

Richmond will field a stand-alone side in the VFL in 2014, following the likes of Collingwood and Geelong, while Coburg will again stand on its own in the state competition and revert back to the Lions.