Sorrento coach Luke Tapscott recommits for season 2021
Luke Tapscott talks about “unfinished business’’ after signing on to coach Sorrento again in 2021. And he reveals the affect those two heartbreaking grand final defeats in the MPNFL had on him.
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Luke Tapscott admits Sorrento’s successive grand final defeats of 2018 and ‘19 defeats have played on his mind.
But he says they were also valuable learning experiences that will make him — and the club — stronger.
The former Melbourne midfielder has recommitted to coach Sorrento again in 2021, declaring he has “unfinished business’’.
Tapscott joined Sorrento in 2015 straight out of the AFL and was best-on-ground in the club’s 2017 MPNFL Nepean league premiership.
He took the coaching reins in 2018 and looked set to become a premiership coach in his first year at the helm until Pines won a memorable grand final by a point with a kick after the siren.
There was more heartache the following season when Dromana edged the Sharks by seven points in the 2019 flag decider.
“I feel as though I have a little bit of unfinished business, playing and coaching,’’ Tapscott said.
Tapscott admits he’s thought a lot about the lost grand finals, and where it went wrong.
“A lot of times I look back on it and I definitely found that it was playing on me…just decision making, and I was trying to take the full brunt on my shoulders for most of it,’’ Tapscott said.
“And then I realised that wasn’t the correct way to deal with it and I’ve got to start giving out some responsibility to help myself and share that load and I suppose blaming myself…it was holding me back a little bit.
“So that’s what I was most excited about in my coaching development this year, I’d delegated a whole lot of responsibility out to other people and we had a great game day plan and so I was really looking forward to seeing how that would go.
“To try and take some pressure off myself, some pressure I didn’t need to place on myself. Share the load a little bit.’’
Sorrento’s new way forward included the appointment of former Edi-Asp coach Greame Yeats as assistant coach. Part of his job would be to help carry the coaching load on match day and allow Tapscott to concentrate on playing and leading the side on the field.
Tapscott said last season’s loss to Dromana, especially, highlighted the need for changes, on and off the field.
“I suppose a few players and whatever else got labelled selfish or front runners or whatever,’’ he said.
“When we came up against Dromana, who were an amazing side and they really played for each other, we got caught a bit short and weren’t sure which way to look.
“Having no individuals…and everyone was as important as each other on the footy field was going to be our focus this year, and really share the responsibility on field.’’
Tapscott said he’s proud that Sorrento has continually contended for the title.
“We’ve given ourselves a shot at it,’’ he said.
“A lot of people don’t even get to grand final day.
“You want the result to go your way at some stage.’’
Sorrento vice president Anthony Ring says Tapscott is driven to succeed.
“The work he’s put in this year has blown me away, really,’’ Ring said.
“Unfortunately he’s gained a lot of experience in losing two grannys and he’s just identified all the areas we fell over and made sure that’s not going to happen again.
“We had a talk after last year and he said, ‘I’m going to sort it out’, basically. And he has – he got Yeatsy and a full-time trainer to take all the running and conditioning. He really did set the place up.’’
Tapscott joined Sorrento in 2015 after being delisted by Melbourne at the end of the 2014 season.
“It does seem a long time ago, a lot of water has gone under the bridge,’’ he said.
“I don’t know if I thought it would eventuate to something that it has — to be coaching the place.
“It’s a great place and that’s exactly why I’m still here, mainly because of the people who are around.’’
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