Lancefield coach Ryan O’Meara discusses the Tigers’ expectations, recruits

After a winless season, Lancefield got busy over the off-season, bringing in as many as 15 new faces to help the club make a fresh start.

Ben Sankey flies high for Lancefield. Picture: Hamish Blair

Lancefield has quickly moved on from last year’s winless season, getting busy in the off-season.

Outside of newcomer Gisborne Giants, no RDFNL club has brought in more players than the Tigers with at least 15 new faces arriving at Lancefield Park.

There’s also a new coach in Ryan O’Meara and it’s allowed the club to focus solely on 2025.

“We set a pretty low-bar, we were competitive at times last year so it wasn’t all doom and gloom,” O’Meara said.

“With a lot of new faces I don’t want to keep reiterating where we’ve come from, we’re trying to re-enforce we’re a new group with a new process.

Lukas Fellows in action for Lancefield. Picture: Hamish Blair

“We’ll go out and, it will sound like a cliche, judge each game on its merits, we’ll find out in Round 1 against Romsey where we’re at and after three or four games you get a gauge of what you need to do.

“We don’t just want to be competitive, everyone playing sport wants to win, so that’s the first step and hopefully putting a couple together.

“That will be a challenge, the league is only getting stronger, so we know we’ve got work to do.”

Of the new faces, several will immediately strengthen Lancefield’s senior team.

Imposing ruckman Zach O’Halloran comes across from Geelong District club Werribee Centrals and has premiership experience from his time at high-flying VAFA club St Bernard’s.

Noah Smallacombe is a big get out of Essendon Doutta Stars, Tom Jackson and Jack Thomson arrive from Tullamarine, Max Taylor jumps across from Strathmore, while Will O’Connell is a young gun out of St Bernard’s.

Ben and Ollie Bryant are also back to strengthen the attack and defence.

With so many new faces, O’Meara concedes it will take time to connect as a team but has seen positive signs at training and in the club’s first practice match.

Leroy Ristevski in action for Lancefield. Picture: Hamish Blair

“Connection is going to be the interesting part of it but the boys seem to getting along well,” he said.

“Now it’s about understanding how each and everyone of them play and fitting in, it’s going to be a challenge early but we’ve got some quality young men.

“We’ve only had the one (practice match) at the moment, we’ve got another this weekend against Lockington

“We played Trentham and there were some good signs, there were some nice link-up plays and understanding. You could see they started to work out the how and why.

“They were definitely rusty, needed the hitout, and we’re looking forward to this weekend too.”

There has been a somewhat changing of the guard at the Tigers with club legend Tom Waters hanging up the boots.

It has seen the baton officially passed to the club’s young brigade.

Riley O’Meara will captain solo this season and be supported by vice-captains Adam Miles, Jimmy Falcone and Leroy Ristevski.

After a breakout season in 2024, Ristevski has been a standout over summer.

“We’ve had some young kids like Leroy, he’s a junior that’s come through and 19 turning 20, we’ve put him in the leadership group,” O’Meara said.

“I think he’s ready to go to the next level and has been thriving.

“In the practice match last week, we had Will Wright and Noah Smallacombe, they both look like their going to add strength to our midfield and Zach O’Halloran, our ruckman, will give us first use of the ball.

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“Riley has won the best-and-fairest the last two years at the club and there’s a little more onus this year to take on more leadership.

“He’s 23, turning 24, so he’s ready to take the next step. It will be a big growth year for him on and off the field.”

After one last practice match this weekend against Lockington Bamawm United, Lancefield will kick off it’s 2025 campaign against Romsey at Lancefield Park.

It then has the dreaded double bye with a Round 2 bye followed by the Easter weekend, returning to action against Kyneton and then facing Wallan in a difficult opening month.