AFL Outer-East: Olinda Ferny Creek recruits well and boosts fitness ahead of debut season

Olinda Ferny Creek has adopted a mantra ‘control the controllables’ this pre-season as it sets itself for the opening bounce of the inaugural AFL Outer-East season.

Olinda Ferny Creek has adopted a mantra ‘control the controllables’ this pre-season as it sets itself for the opening bounce of the inaugural AFL Outer-East season.

Beyond the customary pre-season excitement, the prospect of taking the field in the newly created league — AFL Yarra Ranges and the South East Football Netball League joining forces last year — has added a sense of anticipation to the summer months.

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Olinda Ferny Creek coach Brendan Donovan. Picture: Stuart Milligan

“There is a certain excitement,” Bloods coach Brendan Donovan said. “Most of the guys want to test themselves against the new challenge.

“It’s a nine-team comp so every game is going to be hard at it. If you don’t do your homework and look after your fitness and injuries, you can be out the back door pretty quickly.

“We felt last year we didn’t control the controllables and left too much to chance.

“If we can get fit and stay fit and look after our injuries (we’ll be better in 2019).”

Donovan said, with an odd number of teams, clubs would need to adapt to having weeks off for a bye, noting there’d be four weeks off this season — two regular season byes and weeks off for interleague action in May and the VAFA v Vic Country clash in July.

The Bloods will have a fortnight off with their round 5 bye on May 25 following hot on the heels of the interleague bye of May 18.

Olinda Ferny Creek finished the home-and-away season in second place last season before bowing out of the finals with defeat at the hands of Wandin (qualifying final) and Healesville (first semi-final).

Belgrave champion Peter Gough has signed on at Olinda

While Donovan would not use injuries as an excuse, there’s little doubting a heavy toll cruelled the Bloods’ finals campaign.

In the qualifying final against Wandin, Olinda Ferny Creek was down to one rotation on the bench after losing Dylan Troutman (hamstring), Callum Eade (broken finger) and skipper Marcus Hottes (hamstring).

“I’m really strong on my players’ self-assessment,” Donovan said. “And we said ‘sure injuries were an issue but it wasn’t the overriding factor’. We got beaten by some really good teams in finals. Our pre-season wasn’t great and that contributed to our injuries.”

Much of the pre-season chatter has busied itself with suggestions the bigger grounds of the SEFNL clubs will make life difficult for the former AFL Yarra Ranges sides.

Preparing for that has seen another factor moved into the ‘controllables’ column by the Bloods coaching staff.

Olinda Ferny Creek coach Brendan Donovan and captain Dylan Wilson celebrate the 2017 premiership win. Picture: Robyn Kuys

“We’ve been training at Mount Lilydale College in the pre-season and that’s as big as Healesville,” Donovan said. “Training on a big ground with the expectation of playing on those bigger grounds. But it is what it is and you have to be ready for anything.”

Halfback James Belli has come across from EFL club Mooroolbark while seasoned Bayswater campaigner Matt Cunningham is also on his way to the Olinda Recreation Reserve. As a physical training instructor, Cunningham will also work with Donovan and the Olinda coaching staff in boosting the Bloods’ fitness levels.

Belgrave’s Peter Gough, who showed plenty in a scratch match against Montrose earlier this week, will be a handy addition while the Surrey Park pair of Daniel Toma and Andrew Rodger will also bring EFL experience.

“We’ve lost a couple,” Donovan said. “But we’re really happy with who we’ve picked up.”

Olinda Ferny Creek will open its AFL Outer-East campaign with a home clash against Narre Warren on Saturday, April 13.

League best and fairest Marcus Hottes will be back for another season Picture: David Crosling

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