EDFL: Coburg Districts coach Tom Gleeson eyeing move out of Division 2
Coburg Districts are yet to claim a senior premiership in the EDFL, but coach and former VFL player Tom Gleeson has set some lofty expectations long term.
Local Footy
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Coburg Districts coach Tom Gleeson has declared his desire to lead the club out of the Essendon District Football League’s bottom division.
The former VFL-listed player is yet to take charge in an official match due to the coronavirus crisis but he said the break presented an opportunity to look longer term.
Coburg Districts qualified for the Division 2 grand final in 2017 and advanced to finals in 2019 before suffering a first-week finals exit.
The Lions are yet to claim a senior flag in the EDFL, with their sole premiership coming in 1988, when they were affiliated with the Western Region league.
“I don’t see this as a short stint – I’m in this to take the club from Division 2 to striving to get into Division 1 after next year and further post that,” Gleeson told Leader Local Footy.
“The club needs to get out of Division 2. The club’s good enough to do that and the supporters and the guys who have been there for so long, they deserve that.
“I’m hoping not to just get close but to go to that next level.
“That’s my goal and hopefully I can make it happen.”
The standard of the EDFL’s third tier continues to improve, with Moonee Valley, Burnside Heights, Oak Park, Hadfield and East Sunbury set to be among the contenders in 2021.
In a boost for Coburg Districts, Gleeson said the club expected to keep their senior squad intact after players signed two-year deals after the 2019 campaign.
The classy Hayden Wright, a best-and-fairest winner at White Hills and Heathcote District league interleague representative, is set to give the Lions’ midfield an injection of class next season.
He was set to be sidelined this year because of a broken wrist.
Ben Storer (Oak Park), Ryan Evison (Trafalgar) and Cooper Keogh (Therry Penola) also arrived after last season.
Gleeson said there were a “few things in the pipeline” to bolster the list and praised the club’s senior group for the way they’ve tackled the unusual circumstances.
“The club’s been great and all the players have still dug in and had a crack with their training,” he said.
“We’ve tried to make sure we’ve stayed as tight-knit as we possibly could.”
The Lions have also secured East Keilor stalwart and former Coburg VFL development coach Adam Patterson as an assistant.
Patterson is close friends with Gleeson and comes with a “great footy brain”.
Gleeson said he was keen to make more additions to his coaching team.
“We want to have a plethora of experience, guys who can really motivate the boys and just give them a different voice,” he said.
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