Local footy: WRFL club Caroline Springs re-signs Brodie Holland as coach
Brodie Holland opens up on his future at Caroline Springs, explains why the club is poised to become a “threat” in the WRFL and how two ex-Collingwood teammates have helped him develop his coaching.
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Brodie Holland says it was a straightforward decision to re-sign as coach at Caroline Springs.
The former Collingwood and Fremantle player admitted he could have departed the top-flight Western Region Football League outfit if he landed a role at a higher level.
But, ultimately, an overriding sense of FOMO has resulted in Holland staying put.
The Lakers have been building since their 2016 Division 2 flag, claiming two wins in 2017, four in 2018 and six in 2019.
“In the back of my mind, I was thinking if I didn’t stick around at Caroline Springs … things might happen without me,” Holland told Leader Local Footy.
“It was a bit of a fear-of-missing-out scenario for me.
“We’ve put a heap of effort in over the last three years and it would be nice to see the reward for the effort.”
Holland, who took over the top job in 2018, has extended his tenure for one year but said he was “probably keen to do a couple more to be honest, next season and the one after”.
Caroline Springs has a talented group of young players coming through, headlined by the likes of Cody Raak, Steve Kyriazis, Zen Christofi, Tyler Gysberts, Jesse Cavanagh and Tate Wood.
The Lakers have handed senior games to some players before they were ready in recent years, but their commitment to development is set to pay dividends.
With salary caps cut by 50 per cent for next year, clubs will need to rely on their homegrown players in coming seasons as they regain their financial footing.
There is no doubting Holland’s enthusiasm for the list at his disposal.
“We’ve probably got the best under-18 group we’ve had since I’ve been at the club – and since the club’s existed – coming through at the moment,” he said.
“They’ll all be under-19 players, which means they push up to the reserves next year. It was unfortunate they didn’t get to play because I think they would have been clearly the best side in the comp on paper.
“They come up into the senior grades, and there’s probably four or five players there, or more, that can potentially player senior footy and maybe four or five that can play every week. It’s a really exciting group.
“In the landscape at the moment, you’ve got to have those quality young blokes coming through as one-point players to fill roles and take your club to the next level.”
While Deer Park, Spotswood, Werribee Districts, Hoppers Crossing and Altona have filled the finals positions in recent years, Holland declared Caroline Springs was not far away.
Best-and-fairest winners Stephen Brewer and Keenan O’Shea are the club’s prime movers, and it recruited impressively after the 2019 campaign.
Former Adelaide-listed player Will Young signed on from Ballarat league club North Ballarat City and will give the Lakers firepower up forward.
Midfielder/forward and former QAFL player Jakob De Winter was another noteworthy in, while young gun Jy Lambley arrived from Wyndhamvale after he was named in the Division 2 Team of the Year in 2019.
“I genuinely think we’re going to be a threat from next season onwards,” Holland said.
“I don’t think we need a lot (of recruits). That might sound funny because we only won four games two years ago but based on the fact we’ve got six or seven recruits from last year who haven’t played and are still here, we probably only need two or three players to top us up.
“Obviously you get a couple organically as they come through as well.”
Thomas Brownbridge is the only major departure.
Holland, who led Maribyrnong Park to back-to-back flags in the Essendon District League and has coached the WRFL and EDFL at interleague level, continues to work hard to broaden his knowledge.
He has spent time learning the craft under ex-Collingwood teammates Nathan Buckley and Josh Fraser in recent years.
“I do think you get better as you get older, more experienced,” Holland said.
“Some coaches get a little bit stale as they get older. The game goes past them.
“I’ve had a bit of experience doing some stuff with ‘Bucks’ down at Collingwood for a couple of weeks the last couple of years. I’ve done some voluntary coaching with Josh Fraser in the VFL.
“I’m just trying to keep my eye on the modern game as much as I can. Obviously there’s a lot of stuff you can’t do at local level because of obviously the facilities, the quality (of players) and not being with the players as often. From an education point of view, you can’t throw too much at these guys, but you do pick up some good tricks that you can use.
“We’re really working hard on our culture, values and principles around the club, as well as trying to improve to win more games.”
Sunshine is the only WRFL Division 1 club yet to lock in a coach for next season after Adam Contessa’s exit.
MORE LEADER LOCAL FOOTY NEWS
HOW POINT COOK CENTRALS ARE BUILDING FOR DIVISION 1
DUAL LEAGUE BEST-AND-FAIREST SWITCHES CLUBS
TARNEIT APPOINTS NEW COACH FOR TWO SEASONS
PROSPECT OF DIVISION 1 NO LONGER FRIGHTENS PARKSIDE
GLEN ORDEN COACH REVEALS WRFL CLUB’S LOFTY AMBITIONS
EX-AFL PLAYER EXITS COACHING JOB AT WRFL CLUB
WHY BARLOW IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR YARRAVILLE-SEDDON
WYNDHAMVALE APPOINTS NEW COACH FOR TWO YEARS