SFNL: New Skye co-coach Ben Walker speaks on what to expect from the Bombers in 2024
New Skye co-coach Ben Walker sees room for a bolter in Division 2 of the Southern league and explains how he thinks his Bombers can capitalise on the opportunity.
Southern
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If new Skye co-coach Ben Walker can promise one thing from his Bombers in 2024, it’s that they will be able to physically match it with anyone.
Walker – co-coaching alongside Paddy Cooke – takes over from Aaron Pacey, who took the Bombers to sixth last year.
Unlike 2023, Walker thinks the competition is open for a big improver this year and believes fitness will be the defining factor.
“We want people to come and watch us and you do that by some pretty ferocious scoring and, it’s high intensity, high fitness, high scoring,” he said.
“That would be our ideal scenario because that puts bums on seats, makes you exciting, a good place to play and something to be a part of.
“I love Southern Division 2 at the moment, two years ago it was spread where only two to three teams could win it.
“I think it’s really open this year, Aaron did a power of work to take us from second bottom to being competitive every game aside from East Brighton.
“Maybe this is the old school in me, if you don’t have the high-end talent that East Brighton had or Murrumbeena’s shooting for, you get there by fitness. If you can execute skills under fatigue, it goes a long way to being able to execute a game plan.
“You might have a lot of players who can kick the ball well under no pressure or when they’re not tired, but when it comes to the last quarter, 15 minutes in and there’s a goal in it, we want to make sure they’re strong enough to run and then hit those targets.”
After being one of the lower-scoring sides in the competition, Walker said the delivery let the Bombers’ developing forwards down.
Walker expects the delivery to be cleaner come Round 1 and is putting more emphasis on his midfielder’s hitting the scoreboard.
“Benny Evans has the ability to chip in with three or four goals but he needs help,” he said.
“Jarrod Sullivan is a real key for us, he’s a young guy that’s super exciting to watch and I think if we gave him more opportunity with better delivery last year, he would’ve got himself up to 50 or 60 goals.
“We need goals from the midfield, goals from the wing, everyone contributing. Division 2 has improved so much, gone are the days where you have one solid back and that’s all you need to overcome.
“There’s rebound footy, Doveton a really good example of it as a high-scoring sides, we know it’s going to be an all-in approach – it’s a lot harder to stop 22 than one.”
Skye will be put to the test immediately with Murrumbeena in Round 1.
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