AFL OUTER EAST: New Tigers coach begins work for 2021
He played under an outstanding line-up of coaches during his EFL days, and now incoming Upwey-Tecoma mentor Stuart Hill is looking to put past influences into practice as he embarks on his coaching career...
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Preparation for 2021 has begun at Outer East Premier club Upwey-Tecoma under new senior coach Stuart Hill.
The premiership defender made the move to the Tigers at the end of 2019 as a playing-assistant after a distinguished career with EFL Premier club, Norwood.
He succeeded outgoing coach Adam Parker who has returned to Vermont, and will pull the boots on again next season in a defensive role.
The new Tigers mentor has commenced work off the field ahead of shoring up the existing stocks.
“The first thing I really wanted to do is build up a good coaching team around me, and in the last couple of weeks I’m a bit bullish about the guys we’ve got into the club and the coaches we’ve kept there too,” Hill said.
“I’ve got a really strong team around me, and I’ve got a bit of a spring in my step.
“The next thing I want to do is bridge out to all the players. They’re keen to go as soon as we get the green light, and I’m in exactly the same boat.
“We’ve got an excited, dormant playing list that’s ready to go which has us pretty excited.”
Upwey-Tecoma finished eighth in the top division last season with a 3-13 record.
Up to “four to five” key recruits are said to be in the pipeline, with a key focus on forwards and midfielders to support the existing talent at the club.
“I’ve really put the feelers out and the follow-up calls are kind of in the process now and there’s a few formalities coming in that sense too,” Hill said.
“We’re probably just targeting one or two experienced players who will really complement our young list as well.
“We want good people first and foremost, and some players that can provide some leadership qualities as well – it doesn’t have to be in the formal sense but in terms of their actions and how they go about it as well.”
Hill has cited his former Norwood mentors as key influences in his coaching style, hoping to implement the lessons learnt from each of them as he embarks on his coaching career.
“They all impart special parts of their coaching and they all have aspects that resonate with you,” he said.
“I was so fortunate at Norwood to have ‘Knighter’ (triple EFL premiership coach Denis Knight) for five years, Kevin Tibaldi before that who was a very underrated, impressive coach in his own right, and Patty Bowden and Marty Pask.
“I’ve got aspects of all of them – Knighter’s contest work and spread and lateral movements was a massive highlight that really propelled us at Norwood, and his leadership style was really impressive.
“Patty Bowden and Marty Pask … the aspects they set up at the club culturally were amazing and did wonders for us, so I’d look to emulate some of those aspects too.
“And you’ve got your own spin on things too, coaching always evolves and I doubt it ever stops, so I’ll certainly be taking a lot of the aspects from my Norwood days, for sure.”