New Lower Plenty coach Travis Stephens discusses expectations for 2024

New Lower Plenty coach Travis Stephens has heard the rumours but is confident his squad will “surprise a couple” next season.

Lower Plenty coach Travis Stephens.

Lower Plenty coach Travis Stephens has heard the whispers, no one rates the Bears.

Rumours that rivals were lining up to play the club in Round 1 and it’s in the gun for relegation are only fuelling the fire in pre-season.

Lower narrowly avoided the drop this year, winning two NFNL Division 2 games, to finish ninth.

It saw Phil Plunkett relieved of his coaching duties and Montmorency assistant Stephens brought in.

With another year of development for its young squad and the addition of some promising recruits, the first-time senior coach is bullish about what the Bears can achieve in 2024.

“Expectations, as me and (assistant) Chris Daw said, our aim is to make finals but it’s a step-by-step process with this group,” Stephens said.

“On paper I think our team is quite competitive, we’ll surprise a couple of sides.

“You hear the word around that they don’t really rate us and we’re happy to prove teams wrong.

“There’s a few sides, you put in the requests to the league for fixtures, who wanted to play us in Round 1 probably for an easy kill.

“It’s been going really well, we’ve had good numbers at training, that’s been the most impressive part from past years.

“It’s a young group, compared to what I’ve had in the past, but enthusiastic and looking to learn and bought into what we’re trying to implement.”

Depth will be critical to Lower’s aspirations of jumping up the ladder next season.

The return of key players from injury and the addition of Nick Uzelac and Lewis Tsourou have the Bears in a stronger position.

Jon Zapantis was limited to four games, Porter played just seven and Rory Alexander nine.

And Stephens is hopeful of adding a few more new and old faces to the mix.

“Injuries this year, obviously some players left, but we’ve been able to drag a couple of those kids back,” Stephens said.

“We’re still working on that area, there are still blokes umming and ahhing, so it’s still a work in progress.

“A lot of blokes are busy with work at this time of year and haven’t committed to anything yet, we’re still hopeful of getting a couple back and a couple of outside as well.

“I had a pretty close relationship with Nick (Uzelac) over three years, so he was one I head-hunted as such.

“It’s probably a senior opportunity for him, he was on the fringe a little bit in 2023, so it’s a chance to play regular senior footy and carve his own way rather than follow his brother.

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“Nick is a Research junior so he comes as a one-pointer and having him jump on board has opened avenues to blokes that he played juniors with and we’ve had four come back.”

Uzelac played five senior games at Montmorency this season, kicking four goals, after a breakout 2022 which saw him play 17 matches and kick 25 goals.

Best-and-fairest top-three Jordan Sacco, Patrick Flynn and Josh Turner have all re-signed for 2024.

Meanwhile, Northcote Park premiership player Shaun Lorenzini has come on board as an assistant in another off-field boost.