From the Record: Marrar Bombers

MARRAR BOMB TOWARD A CENTURY OF FOOTBALL

Junior Development the Main Aim as Marrar Look to 100 Years

Douglas Connor – April 22nd 2017

 

The year is 2004, it’s three quarter time in the Riverina Football League grand final and GGGM captain/coach Shane Lenon is dishing out a now infamous inspirational speech to his enthralled playing group.

 

‘Remember the marathon runner? The whistle went, he runs? Doesn’t he? And he runs and he’s focused and he keeps running, and when it gets hard he pushes through it, and he pushes through it when he gets to the winning wall he faints because he’s that rooted. That’s what we’re going to do! Right? Like the boxer! We fight one more round, we get up there and we get up! WE FIGHT ONE MORE ROUND!’

 

Fast forward to 2017, and Marrar Football and Netball club will be hoping new coach Lenon’s raw charisma and fiery motivational ability will be the boost they need to break their 21 year first grade title draught. The club certainly has eyes on the future, and with 2018 marking the club’s centenary year, it’s hard not to be positive. One such optimist is club President Terry Langtry, who believes the 2017 season will see a coming together of various factors leading to overall club success.

 

“This year is a culmination of a lot of things, the under 17s, the netball club building in strength, a building in momentum, getting Shane in to the club.”

 

Speak to anyone connected to the club and it becomes quickly clear the emphasis that Marrar has been putting on junior player development in the past few years. Netball President Sophie Mcrae indicated that creating a 17s side was a major aim for 2017, as well as recruitment and player development.

 

The Football clubs under 17’s were narrowly defeated by North Wagga in last year’s grand final, and had two young talents in Jack Reynolds and Jed Jenkins take out the League Under 17’s Best and Fairest and Runner Up Best and Fairest awards respectively. Even more impressively, this was all achieved without a regular junior club to draw from. Seven times premiership winning new Coach Shane Lenon, was quick to praise the club for providing a quality development pathway for junior players.

 

‘It’s a credit to the committee to get the 17s up and going, we had young Rhys Mooney playing first grade in the first round, and there’s 3 or 4 boys in that side pushing first grade, which is a huge positive’. Its hard not to be impressed with Marrar as a club, especially when one considers the achievement of existing for a century, as Langtry explained.

 

“It’s something special being a bush club standing alone for 100 years while a lot of country clubs have had to amalgamate with their neighbours.” “We have managed to stand on our own two feet.”