Coburg only won three VFL games but showed plenty of improvement
SEASON REVIEW: Despite just three wins in 2021, Coburg showed it is ready to jump up the VFL ladder in 2022 and the stats prove it.
Victorian Football
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Coburg coach Andrew Sturgess is adamant the club has made big strides in 2021 despite just three wins.
The Lions had set their eyes on a drought-breaking finals appearance this season but fell well short, finishing 16th in the expanded 22-team VFL-East Coast competition.
Five losses by under a goal and just three games at Piranha Park were major turning points.
However, Sturgess revealed three telling stats that show Coburg is on track to jump back up the ladder in 2022.
The Lions’ scores-for rose from an average of 67 points per game in 2016-2019 to 77 in 2021, scores against dropped from 97 to 81 and their percentage jumped from 70 to 95.
“The easy and immediate (season review) is frustration and disappointment but I’ve done a fair bit of reflecting over the last lockdown on the growth we’ve had as a group,” Sturgess said.
“From 2014 to 2019, I used those years compared to this season … we’re a four to five-goal better team.
“In many ways it shows the trajectory we’re on and I’m really optimistic if we can get some continuity and more games into the guys playing together.
“We made a big emphasis on playing finals football, that was our aim, and we fell short of that.
“We can say it was a failure or we can look at the process and the way we went about things, we did a lot of work on creating the Coburg brand and I think we’ve got the foundations set now.”
The 2021 season delivered Coburg’s first win interstate when they defeated Brisbane in Round 2 and a first win over Port Melbourne since 2015.
The Lions debuted an incredible 19 players in 2021, including ex-AFL recruits Tom McKenzie, Jack Maibaum and Corey Ellis.
Marcus Lentini was again one of the VFL’s leading ball magnets, collecting 345 touches (second overall) at an average of 34.5 (third overall).
Luke Bunker was No.2 in the competition for tackles and Maibaum finished ninth overall for marks.
Sturgess said several players had taken their games to new levels this season and were capable of stepping up to the AFL.
“Luke Bunker is someone who’s really consistent … he’s averaged the most possessions across his three or four seasons in the VFL and is number two for tackles in the competition,” he said.
“Some our recruits, Charlie Thompson has absolutely blown us away.
“We knew what we were getting as a person but his output has probably exceeded our expectation and he’s put himself up there come draft time to have his name called out.
“Jack Maibaum, coming off Sydney’s list, he’s been super and he’s probably one of the best key defenders in the VFL and nationally in state leagues. He’s certainly got the attributes and character to succeed at AFL level.
“Tom McKenzie has had a fantastic second half of the year and I think he’s got a lot of AFL attributes – speed, decision making and good ball use.
“Then you’ve got guys that have done it consistently for years, Marcus Lentini is among the leading disposal-winners for the third year in a row and Sam Lowson showed he can play really well against AFL-listed defenders.”
It’s been a tumultuous time since Sturgess was appointed Coburg coach with the 2020 season cancelled and the 2021 season unlike any in the competition’s storied history.
Dealing with lockdowns and interruptions has been difficult but Sturgess has enjoyed leading his men and watching them grow on and off the field.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it, the most challenging thing – and this isn’t just me – isn’t the football side of things,” he said.
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“When the football’s on there’s a level of routine – you prepare, you review, you give feedback and do your training sessions – it gives you a level of confidence.
“The hardest thing when we’re in lockdown and disconnected is knowing how you’re players and people are – that’s coaching team, staff members and volunteers – and constantly questioning are you doing enough.
“That’s something you don’t learn at your Level 2 or 3 AFL coaching course.
“The coaching side of it, I’ve absolutely loved it, it’s my passion, it’s what I want to do in the future and hopefully we get a more consistent run at it.”
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