VTCA 2018-19: Glenroy to ease reliance on spinner Steve Goodwin
GLENROY hopes to ease its reliance on veteran tweaker Steve Goodwin after the leg-spinner toiled through more than 450 overs in the past two VTCA seasons.
North West
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GLENROY hopes to ease its reliance on veteran tweaker Steve Goodwin after the leg-spinner toiled through more than 450 overs in the past two VTCA seasons.
Goodwin has collected an incredible 130 wickets since the start of 2016-17, including 15 five-wicket hauls.
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Despite his dominance last summer, Glenroy missed out on finals after it was docked 10.8 points as a result of a protest from Royal Park-Brunswick.
While Goodwin will have a key role to play again during the coming season, new co-coach Nathan Pappin said the onus would be on the Roys’ other bowlers to shoulder more of the load.
“Steve is a wonderful bowler with his leg-spin,” Pappin said.
“We’ve relied on him a bit. This year we are trying to hopefully take a bit of load off him and even it out with the bat. Give our guys some more runs to defend.”
Glenroy (1594 runs) had the stingiest bowling attack in North-West A1 last season, conceding 68 less runs than grand finalist St Francis De Sales (1662).
But it was ranked sixth for runs scored, a statistic Pappin recognises it must improve to push for a top-four finish again.
“Everyone plays for finals, don’t they? Wouldn’t be too unhappy if we made finals, that’s for sure,” he said.
“Once you make finals, it’s up to yourselves where you progress after that.”
Pappin has joined the Roys from DVCA club Old Paradians and will share coaching duties with Anthony Greaney.
He said the return of all-rounder Jacob McKinnon, a member of the Roys’ grand final side in 2016-17, would be a significant boost.
McKinnon made 262 runs and took 17 wickets that season, when Glenroy went down to Craigieburn in the decider.
The Roys will be one of the favourites to claim the McNamara Shield in 2018-19.
After a reshuffle of the VTCA’s divisions, Altona Roosters are the only club which finished above Glenroy last year which it will face again.
Kingsville, Pascoe Vale Hadfield and Werribee Centrals have also been retained from North-West A1, while St Andrews Pascoe Vale, Williamstown CYMS and Newport-Digman have been promoted to Division 2.
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