EFL: Wantirna South coach Steve Cochrane hoping to take Devils back to Eastern Football League finals
New Wantirna South coach Steve Cochrane believes the Devils have the nucleus of a side that could contend for Eastern Football League finals.
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Steve Cochrane was a coach in demand.
Cochrane’s CV was one of the best on the local football market, last steering Vermont to the 2016 Eastern Football League Division 1 grand final.
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He also led the EFL to the No.1 ranking in the AFL Victoria Community Championships for the first time this year.
But Wantirna South won the race for Cochrane’s services, proudly unveiling the interleague boss as its new coach last month.
Cochrane said there was interest from rival clubs about his coaching plans for 2019.
“There was a few calls but I felt as though I could have an impact on Wantirna South and help them grow as a club,” Cochrane said.
Cochrane said family links at Wantirna South convinced him to resume his coaching career.
“I grew up in the area and played cricket there as a junior and a bit of seniors,” he said.
“My uncle has been associated with Wantirna South for 45 years and he’s been asking me to come down for a while.
“Everything worked out that it fitted in at this point in time.”
Versatile key position player Jackson Freeman will return to Walker Reserve next year after just one season at Donvale, while Vermont reserves ruckman Matthew Barnard has signed at the Devils.
Wantirna South also announced the signing of South Croydon premiership midfielder David Del Papa last week.
Cochrane said there was an established group of players that could take the Devils to finals in 2019.
“I haven’t got any grand expectations of wanting to be in Premier division in the next year or two … I suppose it’s more about building sustained success and building the foundations for the club moving forward,” he said.
“We lost five games under a goal … so we don’t feel we’re that far away from competing in finals, albeit it’s going to be a lot harder this year with a couple of Premier division clubs coming down.
“Like every side we’ll be aiming for finals but that’s probably where it stops.”
Cochrane said he was undecided about the interleague coaching position next year.
“I haven’t even really thought about it,” he said.
“A lot of it will depend on what the league is looking for, when the game is, where it’s at, the timing and if they want me to do it.”
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