NFL 2019: Montmorency banking on under-19 premiership stars to fill roles in senior side
A revolution is underway at Montmorency as new coach Garry Ramsay backs the club’s rising stars to make a seamless transition to senior football.
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A revolution is underway at Montmorency as new coach Garry Ramsay backs the club’s rising stars to make a seamless transition to senior football.
The former Macleod mentor has been running the eye over players who were part of the Magpies’ under-19 premiership team last year, intent on blooding young talent from Round 1 this season.
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Montmorency triumphed against Macleod by 44 points in the under-19 Division 1 decider and Ramsay said that side would form the backbone of “sustainable success” for his new club.
“Our focus from the start was to really focus on what we have got, rather than what we haven’t got,” Ramsay said.
The Magpies have waved goodbye to a group of senior players headlined by Luke Collins (Bundoora), Ben Kennedy (Williamstown) and Jake Potter (South Morang).
Dashing halfback Jai Robinson (Whittlesea) is the most notable arrival, with Ramsay prioritising building from within. The return of Billy Jenkin will add further class, while Ramsay said Stephen McCallum, Matthew Hunt and skipper Jesse Donaldson would be other key figures.
Blake Murphy is one of the emerging talents who has impressed the coach in his first pre-season at Montmorency Park.
“The training habits are really good, plenty of enthusiasm,” Ramsay said.
“I suppose they are probably going to have the confidence knowing they are going to get a go, when they look around and they don’t see a heap of external recruits.
“Their confidence starts building that they are going to get a game and that’s up to me to be able to put pressure on them.
“So it’s not just enough to get a game, we have got to win.
“As their confidence builds with what is going on around them, then I put the pressure on to say, ‘OK, we get a go, but we need to win as well’.”
Ramsay said he had confidence most of the club’s under-19 talent was “ready to play senior football”.
“(With) an under-19 group that has just won a premiership, I would anticipate that we might even be able to fast track things,” he said.
Montmorency finished seventh last year under ex-coach Ben Haynes, last figuring in finals in 2014.
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