While many footy clubs have only just started training in the past week, the Young Cherry Pickers have been up and about since early January, proving their dedication as a Club to being the best they can.
It will be a jam-packed two months for the Cherries, starting on February 14’s Shenanigans Punters Day at the Aussie Hotel. The boys will surely be ripe and ready for February 27 and 28 when they attend the West Wyalong Knockout. The Women’s Tackle Carnival at Alfred Oval is also something to look forward to on March 14, then the trials for all grades start soon after on March 21.
Daniel Barclay, co-coach of first grade, spoke to the Young News about what other things the Cherries have been up to.
“Preseason training started about five weeks out from Christmas, bringing the boys together and a couple of new signings and blowing the cobwebs out, ready to rip in in January,” he said.
“That five-week block before Christmas was a bit of fitness and team bonding, cardio and stuff. Now we have started back again in early January from the Christmas holidays and have been training pretty hard since.
“The boys have been ripping in, whether it’s on the field, fitness, ball work and those types of training.
“We’re taking a real local approach while we’ve still got some travellers and they’re returning travellers, the majority of them. We’ve taken a real approach to local connections and local players, and looking at bringing those players through and being a part of the committee and the conversations leading into this season and coaching decisions was really positive to get Jayke Hogan on board as a co-coach with myself.
“He’s the player-coach, and I’m running the bench and training, that sort of organisation. Nathan Stapleton’s also on board as an assistant coach, bringing his NRL experience and outside backs experience there as well.
“We are working really well as a team, as a coaching group with a focus on building the culture, and the whole theme of it has been connection and club culture.
“We want to focus on consistent footy, that club culture and connection, playing that sort of football that spectators want to travel for and be involved with the club, making the club proud and the town and community proud. Of course, we’ve got that goal in the back of our minds that every club has, that we want to win it. Hopefully, that’s a byproduct of the processes and programs we are putting in place.
“We did a workshop with Lewis Bird from Amend Project. That’s been part of that connection and growing. We are full steam ahead for West Wyalong on the 27th and 28th of February, that’s our first challenge, and we are looking to win that.”
– Jack Murray
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