New Lalor coach Jarrod King aims to lift club back into Northern Football League finals
LALOR coach Jarrod King says he would not have accepted the role unless he felt the club could rebound from a horror season and mount a premiership tilt.
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NEW Lalor coach Jarrod King says he would not have accepted the role unless he felt the club could rebound from a horror season and mount a premiership tilt.
King has succeeded Steve Marshall in the Bloods’ hot seat after five years as an assistant coach at North Heidelberg and Lalor.
The experienced on-baller, who plans to be a playing coach, said he was confident the Bloods would challenge for finals next year.
“I wouldn’t have taken on the role if I didn’t think I could get them back up there,” King said.
“We had some good players, some blokes that have been around the club for a long time, leave.
“There’s probably about six or seven of those old blokes (that are) going to come back.
“Probably three or four new recruits have committed to us, which is awesome.
“After this year, as bad as it was, we haven’t lost anyone.”
Jason Kelly, Nick Sandy and Spencer Christopher will return in 2017, while King said the club was hopeful midfielder Ben Curtiss would be re-registered.
Curtiss was handed a life ban after being given an eight-week suspension when he was found guilty of striking in the club’s Round 6 win over Panton Hill.
The 33-year-old said the club would consider appealing Curtiss’ ban to AFL Victoria.
“If he plays his cards right and does everything right, maybe we could re-register him,” King said.
“He was a big part of our footy club.”
Bloods president Rod Lowry described 2016 as a “year from hell” after the club finished seventh on the Division 2 ladder with only three wins.
“We’re going to do better than we did this year just gone,” Lowry said.
“(King has) had plenty of experience, a couple of great years under Stevey Marshall.”
King is the older brother of former Richmond player Jake King, who featured in 107 AFL games for the Tigers.
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