EDFL 2018: Strathmore coach Matthew Horne discusses recruiting

STRATHMORE has significant salary cap room after the departures of some key personnel but the club’s commitment to build for the future has not changed.

Adam Iacobucci is one of Strathmore’s stars. Picture: Mark Dadswell

STRATHMORE has significant salary cap room after the departures of some key personnel but the club’s commitment to build for the future has not changed.

The Mores, who progressed to this year’s preliminary final, have waved goodbye to star midfielder Jaryd Cachia (Aberfeldie), while former coach Nathan Grima will lead Central District in the SANFL after moving to live in South Australia.

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Hamish McIntosh and Nick Lower have also retired, meaning four former AFL players have exited the club.

But new coach Matthew Horne declared Strathmore is “not going to overpay anyone”.

Matthew Horne has taken charge at Strathmore. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“The recruiting strategy’s been to get more young guys in the age bracket we’ve already got a lot of guys in, so they can build together and we can develop them and they can be long-term players at the club,” Horne said.

“If the right player comes across our desk at an age outside that bracket, we’ll still obviously look at them, but we want 80 per cent of the guys in that bracket if we’re bringing them into the club.”

Strathmore has bolstered its defence with the signing of former Box Hill Hawks VFL player Liam Cavanagh.

Cavanagh arrives from Sunshine and was named in the WRFL Division 1 Team of the Year in 2017. He has also been appointed coach of the Mores’ under-18 girls’ team.

“We’ve been speaking to him for a while,” Horne said.

“We sort of locked him away nice and early and thought we needed another key defender because we’re pretty young in that area. Although they’ve done a good job, we just thought he’d really help us back there.

“He’s been a good player for them for the last couple of years, especially the year (2017) where Sunshine just went down in the grand final.

“He seems like a really good character and is originally a country boy, so looking to buy in to the club and you can see that with him coaching the under-18 girls’ team. They’re the people we want around our club.”

Horne said the Mores were in talks with “four or five” prospective recruits.

He said the departure of last year’s best and fairest Cachia to premier Aberfeldie “wasn’t a great shock”.

“We knew a little while out,” Horne said.

“He’s been good for the club for two years and all the best to him.”

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