Tea Tree Gully Football Club set for big season with three recruits and new coach

A TRIO of key recruits and the memory of a former coach are spurring Tea Tree Gully Football Club on ahead of the new amateur league season.

A TRIO of key recruits and the memory of a former coach are spurring Tea Tree Gully Football Club on ahead of the new amateur league season.

The Gullies have signed former Port Adelaide Magpies big man Adam Cockshell, ex-North Adelaide utility Steven Pollock and Gepps Cross division one medallist Josh Hand since last year’s seventh-placed finish in the top tier.

Their arrivals have boosted the squad on the field but off it the death of assistant Steve Connelly in November has motivated it this ­preseason.

The words “RIP Steve Connelly” are written on the club’s new summer training singlet, ensuring he has remained at the back of players’ minds.

Gullies football director Brodie Forbes said Connelly was a strong advocate of preseason, attending as many trainings as possible.

“When he was the club’s under-18s coach he’d train with them all and beat them all in the running ­punishments,” Forbes said.

“We really wanted to honour his memory in something he loved, which was the preseason, then obviously we’ll honour him during the season accordingly as well.

“The senior players in the group really appreciated it to keep his legacy going.”

New Gullies coach Mitch Sandery said new players Cockshell, ­Pollock and Hand had fit into the team well and would improve its finals prospects.

“Two have got league experience and Josh is at league level,” he said.

“I think if it goes to plan they’ll help us step up and we’ll be in the (finals) mix.”