EDFL 2021: Airport West locks in Trent Rogers as coach

After being without a coach pre-Christmas and losing two key players, EDFL outfit Airport West has locked in its mentor for 2021.

New Airport West coach Trent Rogers. Picture: Facebook

Expect Airport West to be fast and fit under new coach Trent Rogers this season.

Rogers will call on his vast experience in strength and conditioning to have the Essendon District Football League outfit primed for the first bounce of 2021 in less than three months.

Using fitness as their foundation, the Eagles are set to unleash an attacking game style in what promises to be a hotly-contested Division 1 campaign.

Rogers has worked with players at AFL, VFL and NAB League level and Airport West can expect some testing sessions in coming weeks after a cancelled season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“By the time Round 1 comes around, every local footballer would have had 18 months since their last game of footy, so they need to be physically and mentally prepared for a new season,” Rogers said.

“I want to build a team that doesn’t stop running, is physical and they bring all the fitness attributes to the table.

“At the same time, because they’re physically and mentally fit, they’re disciplined in regards to decision-making, hitting our targets, skill efficiency … to make sure we’re one of those teams that don’t give teams an inch.”

Airport West celebrates its 2018 EDFL Division 1 flag. Picture: Mark Dadswell

The 32-year-old is embarking on his first senior coaching job and last played for Airport West in 2015.

He then moved to VAFA club Prahran Assumption, where he featured in a Division 2 premiership in 2017.

But Rogers’ eldest son has been a member of the Eagles’ Auskick program, while three of his nephews are junior players.

“Even though I haven’t been playing there, there’s always been that strong connection,” he said.

Jimmy House was set to steer Airport West last year and secured a line coaching position at VFL side Sandringham in November, creating the vacancy.

The Eagles were rated among the leading contenders before the season was canned but have since lost league best-and-fairest winner Tyson Young (Greenvale) and star 2020 recruit Dean Limbach (Tullamarine).

Tyson Young has left Airport West for Greenvale. Picture: Hamish Blair

They are on the hunt for an inside midfielder and key forward, but expectations remain high.

Before it was relegated from Premier Division two years ago, Airport West contested back-to-back Division 1 deciders, hoisting the silverware in 2018.

“The club’s definitely had a lot of success in Division 1,” Rogers said.

“Since I was playing senior footy there, basically every year they’ve been in Division 1 they’ve always been very strong, so expectations are going to be no different this time around.

“(Airport West is) going to be that high risk, high-octane type team that will break the lines and take some real positive risks.

“It might not always come off, but if it comes off more often that it doesn’t, it will go a long way to making finals and then giving it a shake from there.”

Rogers tipped his side “to be very fast, especially in the front half”.

He is also enthused by the talent in the club’s under-18s program and hopeful his senior squad will have enough depth to allow him to focus solely on coaching.

Daniel Maclean, a reserves premiership coach at the Eagles and close friend of Rogers, took charge of training before the Christmas break.

“I’ve got full faith in what Macca’s done,” Rogers said.

“We’ve communicated really thoroughly in regards to what has to be done and we’ll no doubt get the guys ready to go for our first practice match, which comes in early March, and then for an April start.”

Airport West will face the EDFL’s newest club Rupertswood away from home in Round 1 on April 10.