EFL 2019: South Croydon coach Luke McCormick re-signs for a further two years
South Croydon coach Luke McCormick will be supported by former East Ringwood mentor Marcus Buzaglo in a significant off-field appointment.
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
South Croydon coach Luke McCormick will have an East Ringwood premiership teammate by his side in 2020.
Marcus Buzaglo, who played in the Roos’ 2002 flag alongside McCormick, will serve as a senior assistant at Cheong Park next year.
Buzaglo stepped down from the East Ringwood role last month after a five-year stint.
EAST RINGWOOD UNVEILS NEW COACH
GALLERY: LOCAL FOOTY GRAND FINAL PHOTOS
STAY IN THE GAME WITH A LOCAL FOOTY SUBSCRIPTION
“We’re really pumped about it,” McCormick said of Buzaglo’s appointment.
“We haven’t had that key off-field support, to an extent, in a senior role for the last couple of years, so I’m really excited about that and so is he.”
McCormick has also re-signed for a further two years, extending his tenure until the end of 2021.
He took over from Leigh Adams ahead of the 2018 season and took South Croydon to the top-tier grand final last year.
The Bulldogs added Box Hill Hawks quartet Chris Jones, Max Warren, Jordan Walker and Nick Evans in the off-season but bowed out in the semi-final against Blackburn.
“We’ve had some pretty good results in the last two years but we weren’t happy with this year’s result knowing we’ve got a list that can go further than we did,” McCormick said.
“It was just making sure it was the right thing for the club and everyone was happy.
“Ultimately, all local football coaches put in a hell of a lot of time, but if you want to go further you’ve got to put in even more time.”
MORE EASTERN FOOTBALL LEAGUE NEWS
EFL CLUBS SHUT DOWN BERWICK APPLICATION
RYAN MULLETT RETIRES ON PREMIERSHIP HIGH
BLACKBURN DIGESTS GRAND FINAL DEFEAT
LOCAL FOOTY CLUB UNDER FIRE FOR MAD MONDAY STUNT
SENSATIONAL EAGLES CLAIM BACK-TO-BACK FLAGS
Jones and Liam Cox missed large parts of the season through injury, and spearhead Jake Tucker ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in Round 2.
The Bulldogs started 0-3 but recovered to finish and the top five before being knocked out in the second week of finals.
“It’s hard to say we were happy with the year because of where we finished and felt we had more to give, but given where we started in the first half of the year, I felt we finished really strongly,” he said.
“We showed a lot of resilience … but ultimately weren’t happy with where we finished.”
WHAT A LEADER LOCAL FOOTY SUBSCRIPTION GIVES YOU ACCESS TO
— Match reports, features, player and coach movements and analysis of all the leagues across Melbourne.
— Unprecedented AFL coverage.
— All the latest football news from across the country including Herald Sun, Daily Telegraph and Courier-Mail.
— Latest news and videos from the world’s leading leagues.
— Exclusive digital stories and videos before they go to print.