SFNL: How Lyndale has spun from bottom feeder to contender in 12 months

In the space of a year Lyndale has gone from barely getting by to a chance of a top-two finish. Club captain Corey Reeves takes us inside the “unrecognisable” transformation.

Lyndale belt out the song.

Lyndale captain Corey Reeves would look around at training this time last year and see no more than nine other faces.

The Pumas held a 3-11 record, had just lost their coach and were scraping together wins.

But fast forward 12 months and Lyndale is “unrecognisable”.

The Pumas have flipped their record (11-3) and have locked away their first finals berth in over a decade.

Now the club is daring to dream.

“It’s pretty special but hopefully it’s just the beginning,” Reeves says.

“I think anything is possible with what’s happened in such a small period of time.

“It (10 on the track) was pretty disheartening, for myself, not knowing what’s going on, it felt like there was no future.

“I like to know what’s in the future stakes and what next year is going to look like, so this time last year I wouldn’t ever have thought we’d be playing finals.”

From left to right: Corey Reeves, Luke Johnson (assistant coach) and Brendon Groenendyk

Brendon Groenendyk took the reins of Pumas as a playing-coach and appointed Luke Johnson as his right-hand man.

Groenendyk fights out of his weight class in either the ruck or at centre-half forward — a little like the Pumas, who are surrounded by top local clubs Rowville, Noble Park and Springvale Districts.

Reeves says the Pumas’ transformation has a lot to do with the “incredible” work from Groenendyk, new president Adrian Neil and volunteer Rob Stratton.

“With what he’s (Groenendyk) been able to do we’ve been averaging 45-50 on the track every session,” he says.

“To be in the position is just incredible, it’s a credit to Brendo and Butch as president, the vice-president, it’s started at the top and worked its way down.

“Last year we were in a position where the twos were happy to play twos and they had no interest in playing ones.

“The culture now around the club is that everyone strives to play ones, it creates more want, more people on the track, more people busting their ass.

“The club is just unrecognisable compared to where it was last year.”

Lyndale at a full-club training session last year. Picture by Wayne Taylor

Last weekend’s win over Moorabbin Kangaroos locked the Pumas into a top-four finish.

Lyndale now hosts Hallam this Saturday in a match that will have a big say in the top two.

Reeves says Lyndale harbours big ambitions of a mighty finish to the Division 4 season because they’ve already achieved the unthinkable.

“Sometimes it comes down to whichever club wants it more on the day,” he says.

“I think what keeps the boys motivated is having great wins, knowing your spot isn’t set in stone … there’s other guys on your tail wanting your spot — it’s pretty promising stuff.

“I truly believe only our own capabilities stand in our way and depending how much we want it, we’ve got everything in our fingertips.

“We’ve done a massive pre-season, the boys are fit and now we’re coming into round 15, we’ve spent 14 rounds together.

“It’s exciting for future seasons to come.”