RIVERINA FILES: CGP DEMONS
2015 Result: Premiers (finished regular season 5th on ladder)
Home and Away: 9 wins, 7 losses
Finals Form: Won elimination final against Coolamon
Won minor semi-final against Leeton-Whitton
Won preliminary final against Wagga Tigers
Won grand final against Mangoplah-CUE
Club Best & Fairest: Jayden Klemke
Rookie of the Year: Zac Billingham
Rising Star: Joseph Banks
Snapshot:
Collingullie-Glenfield Park defied the odds in coming from fifth position to another Riverina League flag. Coach Brett Lenon reckons it was the only way they could’ve won it, such was the way they built momentum during the finals. But by the same token, he doesn’t think they can expect to do it that way again in 2016.
After two straight flags and a seniors-and-reserve-grade double, Gullie are well and truly top-of-the-heap but – as always – staying there is the hard part.
It’s not exactly a changing of the guard but there’s a significant enough turnover to make things more than interesting… Brad Aiken (retired), Matt Kennedy (GWS Giants), Chris Jackson (home to Queensland) and, of course, premiership-winning-co-coach Chris Gordon (EWK, probably). The two-time Jim Quinn Medallist had re-signed to play, but then decided he needed a fresh start and is sweating on a clearance to join the Hawks in the Farrer League. So Lenon will direct the club’s campaign for a hat-trick knowing that there’ll be challenges within the camp as well as the challengers lining up outside.. The signings of a handful of Hume League players helps. Tom Keogh (Holbrook), Matt Klemke (Osborne) and Mitch and Josh Pilon (Lockhart), plus Pat Noonan from Wagga Tigers, will offset some of the damage done at the departure gate but the Demons will be closely watched to see how they stack up in the absence of some big names.
2015 Highlights:
There’s winning a grand final. There’s defending your title. And then there’s the backstory… the drama of digging yourself out of a hole mid-season to make the finals; the thrill of winning sudden death finals three weeks running to make the decider; the excitement of having a grand final day go as close to perfect as you can imagine; and the satisfaction of drumming home that you belong in the Riverina Football and Netball League, with consecutive senior premierships, and a firsts-reserves double to top it off.
“Oh, big,” is how Lenon describes it.
“It was good. That’s the second flag that the seconds have won (since the club came back to the RFNL).
“For us to get two when we’ve only been in the comp for five years – I think we’ve had a pretty good impact on the competition. Not just first grade but as a whole club. Our netballers have featured in finals as well and also the 17s. To get the icing on the cake with firsts and seconds, it was massive for the club.”
Lenon has spoken of the emotion he felt at the eleventh hour, as he jogged on to Narrandera Sportsground behind his team but was looking for the reserve grade coach, Shane Gow.
“He’d lost his brother only a week or two before. For him to front up… well he actually grabbed them boys and pulled them together and he just dragged them across the finish line,” Lenon said.
“I think it was one of the most inspirational things I’ve seen from an individual.”
The first grade grand final was a fitting send-off for two Gullie names at different stages of their lives, who both played telling roles that had them worthy of consideration for best-on-ground:
Matt Kennedy – who only returned during the finals from a four-month lay off due to a knee injury – dominated early. It was a stunning display of skills that told why an AFL career at the Giants beckons.
And Brad Aiken, who said goodbye after one of the most impressive careers in local football. That the Demons put the game beyond Mango’s reach in the third only made it more special as the veteran – and the Gullie crowd – could savour his every touch.
Lenon says Gullie owe something to luck, too. How else do you describe a day that went off so perfectly, including a third quarter in which they delivered almost faultless footy.
“Things just fell into place for us you know and that’s what happens when you stick together and continue to work hard. Eventually something has to work for you.”
The individual highlight of the season was Jayden Klemke. The club best-and-fairest winner was invariably the man to dig them out of holes. His effort throughout the season was summed up in a couple of minutes in the tight preliminary final against Tigers – screaming to the bench for a spell, he still managed three or four significant touches and tackles in a couple of minutes, all the while trying to make his way to the bench for a break. And on the last day of the year he was among the votes for the Ron Hutchins medal.
2015 Lowlights:
All’s well that ends well, they say. But there were plenty of times to doubt the Demons. A premiership hangover seemed to have hit as they struggled to string strong performances together.
The start to the season was very patchy… after six games, Gullie were only three-and-three, having been beaten by the Goannas, Narrandera and Griffith. And it didn’t get much better than a 50% win record as the year went on; they finished the home-and-away season with nine wins from the 16 games.
They lost both games against Mangoplah-CUE, including a horror performance away in round 10 when thumped by 60 point. They kicked just three goals that day and within a fortnight were out of the five, having also slipped up at home to Wagga Tigers.
And when they did make the finals, they went in shaky – off back-to-back losses to GGGM and Coolamon (although there was nothing on the line in the final round).
It was a season that tested their resolve and, looking back, Lenon says it’s clear that they were only ever going to be able to do it the hard way.
“I’ve told a few fellas, we needed to finish fifth,” he said. “If we’d have finished third, we wouldn’t have made it. We needed that extra time together. With the way that the injuries and all that stuff went, we had blokes coming back, they needed an extra run under their belt, and everything just fell into place for us.”
The other disappointment is the departure of Gordon. After four seasons, including two league medals and two premierships, he’s keen for a change. But it’s become a sticky situation given his re-signing was confirmed and announced at the presentation night. The Demons say they’re ready to move on but are clearly unhappy with the turn of events after the star player – and premiership-winning co-coach, had signed a contract to stick around as a player.
Surprise Packet:
Zac Billingham was CGP’s rookie of the year; Jack Turnbull most improved; and Joe Banks the club’s nomination for the rising star award. But the effort of Lachie Moore earned him special mention:
“He struggled for form the first probably 12 matches. But we turned it round against Leeton at Leeton and he didn’t look back,” Lenon said.
“He was excellent. He was like getting a new recruit, that’s how good I thought he was, and he alone had a big part to play in our turn in form in the finals.
“He’s just got a lot of leg speed and he knows how to find space. And the other side of his game, with is pressure and spoiling, is excellent too. For a bloke who’s only five-foot-nothing, he’s a ripper.
“He really stood up when he needed to and I was over the moon with his performances.”
Areas to improve:
If the path to the 2015 flag was a far cry from the year before (when they set the benchmark throughout the season and were a model of consistency), Gullie are aware that this year needs to be different again.
The patchy performances need to go, Lenon says.
“It is consistency. What we did last year, the chances of that happening again are nil. You can’t think – well we did it last year, we can do it again.
“We’ve just got to be consistent, we’ve got to get the early wins on the board.”
Now, it’s just a matter of how… how they cope with the high profile departures and manage with the loss of some serious experience in Aiken and Gordon, and raw talent in Kennedy.
And the decision of ruckman Chris Jackson, who beat a crack field to win best on ground in the grand final, to head home to Brisbane will put the pressure on.
“Well, a fella like him – I worked out last year he had three quarters off for the whole season, out of the ruck. And there’s not many people that can do that,” Lenon said.
“We could just put him in the ruck and leave him and there’s no-one that can do that.”
But the Demons have full faith that they’ll manage, believing the changes mean opportunity.
“We’ve recruited well. Tommy Keogh – he’ll play a part in the ruck. He’s six-feet-three or four and he’s athletic so he’ll fill that spot. Along with Jimmy Morris might do a bit of rucking. (Jackson’s) obviously a loss but at the same time it’s exciting to see someone else step into the role.”
But there’ll be pressure on the midfield to deliver, in the absence of established guns Gordon and Aiken, as well as the ruckman.
What to look forward to in 2016:
Sometimes an opponent can see things as well as anyone, and returning MCUE coach, Nathon Irvin had this to say when asked about their rivals:
“The thing with strong clubs like Gullie – rarely do they get impacted when the good players leave. It’s like when Gep (Marc Geppert) and (Ben) Absolum left – I thought they were big losses but other players step up. And they love hearing that they might drop off – it’s perfect for them.”
Lenon believes that, similar to last year, and the season before, the Demons have the right sort of players emerging, ripe for development.
“We’ve got another good crop of young fellas coming through and they’re all doing good pre-seasons and a lot of them are showing ability,” he said.
“They look like they might have what it takes to play firsts, so I’m really looking forward to that.
“And there’s a group of four or five young fellas that came through in the last two years. I’m excited to see them take the next step.”
Brayden Ambler and Joe Banks are in that category of player, who will have key roles to play in the team this season. But after two flags, there’s no doubting the self-belief at Gullie and it’s a handy advantage for young players looking to become mature, senior members of a team.
And Banks – brilliant at times against Mango at Narrandera – gave a glimpse of his future.
“Joe Banks from a back pocket probably had 30-plus touches,” Lenon said.
“To do a job like that was unbelievable. We’ll be bringing him out a bit further up the ground this year, hopefully give him a run through the midfield. He just wins the footy. He’s a class act.”
With Gordon gone, Chris Gow and Kal Sykes have taken on the jobs of assistant coaches.
“They’ve both got the respect of the boys and they’re training with the group,” Lenon said.
“They’ve been excellent so far – with fresh ideas they’ve given me and we’re working together really well so it’s good to have them on board.”
In terms of style, expect more of the same with Lenon keen to see them again exploit leg speed and open up opposition. The coaches are also ready to take a tough line to keep minds on the job – and eyes on a hat-trick – with a promise that any signs of complacency will be swiftly knocked out.
