EDFL: Strathmore eyeing Premier Division flag, says coach Matthew Horne
A candid Strathmore coach Matthew Horne addresses his team’s hopes of rebounding from consecutive preliminary final losses next season and explains why he is opposed to recruiting heavily after salary caps were slashed statewide.
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Back-to-back preliminary final defeats and a cancelled season have left Strathmore as hungry as ever to atone in 2021.
The Mores, who boast an enviable mix of prime movers and young talent, have fallen at the penultimate hurdle in the past two Essendon District Football League campaigns by a combined margin of five points.
While the Premier Division outfit has earned plaudits for coming agonisingly close to toppling powerhouses Keilor and Aberfeldie respectively in sudden-death finals, coach Matthew Horne declared the time had arrived for his team to take the next step.
“More than ever now, we don’t want to be considered a young and developing team,” Horne said.
“We want to be considered a team that wants to win a premiership. We’re not afraid to talk about that being what we want.
“The guys missing this year are going to be another year older, a bit stronger … if we can retain our group I’m extremely confident that we can be right around the pointy end.”
Stars Adam Iacobucci, Nick O’Brien, Luke Jarrad and Andrew Horne headline the re-signings as Strathmore chases its first premiership since 2014.
Horne said the Mores had not lost any players of note and expected to roll out a similar line-up next year.
They have recruited impressively since the end of 2019, landing former state league-listed players James Sullivan, Arion Richter-Salter and Jesse Johnson, while Tierone Cuffe and Tom Denning were other signings of note.
Coburg VFL-listed duo Floyd Bollinghaus and William Donaghey were also set to be aligned players.
“A lot of our young guys are good Strathmore people and they’re all really good mates,” Horne said.
“A lot of our older guys have been at the club for a long time or really bought into the club and they just want to try and win a premiership in all honesty. A couple of them are getting a little bit older and that’s their main goal.
“Everyone’s been pretty receptive to taking significant pay cuts to try and keep everyone together. That’s our plan and hope.”
The EDFL has slashed the Premier Division salary cap to $100,000 next season, which is in line with rival leagues.
As clubs focus on retaining their players, Horne said he was opposed to recruiting heavily after reducing existing players’ pay.
“It’s not a great look for anyone to ask the majority of your playing list to take half, if not less, of what they were on and then go out and recruit,” Horne said.
“I don’t think culturally it’s the right thing to do.”
Horne said football had taken a backseat during the coronavirus shutdown, with player welfare his priority.
“Once we get the green light to go ahead, we can catch up for a beer, put down some plans and have a crack,” he said.
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