Aldinga Sharks looking forward year after SFL coach sacking

ALDINGA president Danny Wilde reckons he gets stopped in the street these days, a year on from the Sharks sacking its coach two matches into the Southern Football League season.

Aldinga president Danny Wilde with John McGarry (team manager) and Steve Flintham (football operations) at last week’s clash with Marion. Picture: Noelle Bobrige

ALDINGA Sharks president Danny Wilde reckons he gets stopped in the street these days.

“People talk to me about how the club’s going and are interested,” Wilde says.

That was not common a year ago – before the Sharks made national headlines for sacking their coach two matches into the Southern Football League season on the back of a 300-point loss.

Twelve months ago this week, Messenger Community News and The Advertiser launched the Spark the Sharks campaign to get behind the embattled club.

Inaugural Crows coach Graham Cornes took a training session, North Adelaide mentor Ken McGregor gave the Sharks a pre-game rev up and, within a month, Hawthorn champion Shane Crawford come out of retirement to lead Aldinga to a breakthrough win.

“It’s put us on the map,” Wilde says of the attention.

Aldinga finished last year with a 3-15 record and has started the new SFL season with losses to fellow strugglers O’Sullivan Beach-Lonsdale and Marion.

But Wilde is confident the club is heading in the right direction under new coach Damian Smith because promising juniors are emerging in senior ranks.

Angus Stangewitz, 16, led the ruck against Marion on Saturday.

“(Last year’s publicity) has helped with kids wanting to be there,” Wilde says.

“That’ll pay off in years to come.

“But it’s a slow process – it’s not like the AFL where you can throw money at it or get draft picks and turn things around.”

Wilde says six to eight wins will signal a good season.

Off the field, he hopes the Sharks can keep their volunteers and sponsors, most of whom are from the local community, get a net behind the northern goals to stop the ball going on the road and eventually upgrade their bar to include a balcony.

The club’s long-term goal is to play night football at Shark Park, though Wilde concedes that is a pipedream for now.