Corowa-Rutherglen and Portland primed for big surges up ladder

Corowa-Rutherglen and Portland are poised to make a charge up the ladder, but talk of finals is premature by those at the helm.

Incoming Corowa-Rutherglen coach Daryn Cresswell has tempered expectations of the Ovens & Murray club climbing from wooden spooners to finalists this year.

Cresswell previously coached Wodonga Raiders and Wangaratta Rovers in the O&M and sees similarities between lifting Rovers from a winless 2018 to the edge of finals in the space of 12 months.

Corowa-Rutherglen went down to Albury by three goals in a practice match last Saturday in a positive pointer to its prospects.

But Cresswell said there were more pressing priorities for a new look team than eyeing finals.

“I’ve got respect for the competition and the players in the competition,” he said.

“We’re coming from a long way back.

“We’ve got some talent, but there is going to be some inconsistency in our game until we start to gel.”

Cresswell’s former Sydney teammate and Swans premiership coach Paul Roos was on hand again for the weekend practice match after taking the club for training recently.

Roos could be a regular presence at matches with his son Tyler among more than 15 Corowa-Rutherglen recruits.

South Cairns won the flag last year under Daryn Cresswell, who has returned to O&M coaching ranks. Picture: Brendan Radke

Roos also helped out last year at South Cairns where Cresswell coached a flag.

“The players love having him around,” Cresswell said.

“They know he was such a big figure in the AFL world and to have him speak to the group is priceless.”

Cresswell conceded being without reigning best and fairest winner Ryan Eyers for most of the season after joining VFL reigning premier Werribee.

Other Corowa-Rutherglen juniors Jedd Longmire and Kaelen Bradtke and Queensland recruits Jaiden Butson and Liam McCarthy are also on VFL lists.

Corowa-Rutherglen won one match in its return season from recess.

Tanner Lovell finished runner-up in the Geelong league best and fairest count last year. He will play for Portland in 2025. Picture: Mark Wilson

Also eyeing a jump up the ladder is Portland, which went winless in the Hampden league last year.

Lochie Huppatz enters his second year as coach and has been able to attract some key players who were part of Portland’s first finals appearance in the Hampden league in 2022.

They include Maskell Medal winner Daniel Jackson, Geelong league Mathieson Medal runner-up Tanner Lovell and prolific goalkicker at junior level, Jay Moody.

Former AFL player Jeff Garlett will also play the first six matches of the season.

“Being where we are, we rely heavily on locals because for any recruit to get to us they have go past every other club,” Huppatz said.

“Retention was the No. 1 priority coming off a year when we didn’t win a game.

“(The Hampden league) is slowly becoming probably the premier country football league in Victoria.”

Originally published as Corowa-Rutherglen and Portland primed for big surges up ladder