Plenty to ponder for RDFL club Rupertswood over summer

WHEN Rupertswood was knocked out of the RDFL premiership race at the elimination final stage for the second time in as many years last season, it had a choice to make.

Rupertswood coach Kevin Fitzgerald calls the shots. Picture: Kylie Else

WHEN Rupertswood was knocked out of the Riddell District Football League premiership race at the elimination final stage for the second time in as many years last season, it had a choice to make.

Would the club start anew, changing its focus and processes, or maintain faith in what it had started?

“We had times last year where we played some really good footy, then we had the sudden-death final — do we throw the baby out with the bath water because we had a bad day, or is it endemic,” coach Kevin Fitzgerald said.

“We’ve gone through a lot and made our own decisions about where we went wrong and we will address that this year.”

Fitzgerald said his playing list “had a lot of work to do” after last year but that there had been “a really good response”.

“This year I asked for a bigger commitment and they’ve given it, so I can’t be disappointed,” Fitzgerald said.

Helping the Sharks will be returning former junior Sean Hetherington, who kicked 26 goals in 38 games for Williamstown and played in both of the Seagulls’ finals last year, and Keilor premiership player Jesse Wallin.

“Sean’s mates with 13 or 14 blokes who all came up in the same age group together, so it was just really lucky that things fell our way because I’d imagine he would go back to VFL next year,” Fitzgerald said.

“He has come back and added a hell of a lot. He has made a big difference to our core group of players, helping them lift.

“We are very excited to get (Wallin). He’s a player we expect to go really well. He is just a quality player.”

Former Richmond rookie Dean Putt (Keilor), Nathan Stevens (Woodend-Hesket) and Marc Young (Romsey) also joined earlier in the off-season.

Financial constraints because of the salary cap, which will be introduced this year, have had an impact on the squad, with Rupo losing ruckman Jorden Braddy to East Sunbury, while John Corso and Philip Kauffman have gone to Sunbury Kangaroos.

Fitzgerald said the club had also focused on retaining many of its juniors after its under-18 team won a third successive premiership — and fifth in seven years — in 2016.

“They are the future of our team,” he said.

“They are a really good group of kids with good potential.”