EFL 2019: Robin Nahas discusses North Ringwood coaching aspirations
North Ringwood coach Robin Nahas has outlined how he plans to get the Saints moving up the EFL Premier Division ladder after signing on as playing mentor for 2020.
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Robin Nahas will expect elite standards from his playing group in North Ringwood’s bid to climb the EFL Premier Division ladder and retain its status as a top-flight club.
Nahas, 31, was last month unveiled as the Saints’ new coach, signing a one-year deal with an option for a second.
It will be his first senior coaching gig after serving as an assistant under Gary Ayres at Port Melbourne for three years.
ROBIN NAHAS TO COACH NORTH RINGWOOD
PARIS HARVIE TO MOVE ON FROM NORTH RINGWOOD
The former Richmond and North Melbourne small forward will be a playing coach and will provide important experience at Quambee Reserve after a 117-game AFL career.
He also played in Port Melbourne’s 2017 premiership and made 93 appearances for the Borough, retiring from the VFL at the end of 2018.
Port Melbourne teammate Dylan Van Unen put him onto the coaching job vacated by Paris Harvie.
Nahas said he would use the experience from his eight-year AFL career as a learning tool for his players.
“I think I’ve got a lot of young kids there so the preparation and professionalism is something I want to bring on,” Nahas said.
“I’ve never played at a lower level asides VFL — I did play three games for Pines — but my expectations are from elite standards.
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“That’s probably what I’m going to expect, obviously with a bit of grace period with guys working … but I think I can pass on professionalism and knowledge, not just from myself, but what I’ve learnt through players I played with.”
North Ringwood has finished in the lower reaches of the top-tier ladder since claiming the 2014 Division 2 premiership.
It’s highest finish since has been eighth.
But Nahas declared he wanted to take the Saints back to finals.
“I want to play finals football,” he said.
“I think if we have aspirations to be the best we can possibly be, why not?”
Nahas played three games with Pines in the Mornington Peninsula league this year and conceded he had a limited knowledge of the local football landscape.
“I’m going in there as a novice really of the competition and local football but what I’ve got around me is great support staff that are going to allow me to settle in nicely,” he said.
“My knowledge at the moment is not great, I’ll admit that, but my football knowledge is something I can pass on.”
Nahas said the chance to “challenge myself and coach my own side” were the appealing factors about the position and he hoped it would provide a “stepping stone” in his coaching journey.
“Obviously Eastern footy league is a quality competition … I knew I’d have my work cut out and they stand for a lot of good things at North Ringwood,” he said.
“Hopefully I can continue that.”
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