Former AFL Hawk and lifetime Buffalo Cameron Stokes the new man in charge at Darwin
A LOT of people at the Darwin Buffaloes knew Cameron Stokes would coach the 103-year-old club one day
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A LOT of people at the Darwin Buffaloes knew Cameron Stokes would coach the 103-year-old club one day.
Yesterday the former Hawthorn small forward and Sturt assistant coach scaled those heights when he was confirmed as the NTFL club’s senior coach for the next two years.
The Stokes family has been synonymous with the double blue Buffalo for several years and now another generation is in charge.
“Obviously we’re a family club that’s been around for a few generations and I’m really excited to take on a challenge like this,’’ 30-year-old Stokes told the NT News.
“Matty Campbell, Jarrod Stokes, Timmy Eldridge and Joey Anderson are all going around again.
“And Michael (Hagan) has indicated he wants to come home, so we’ll be having a few chats over the next few weeks to secure him.’’
Coaching has always been a passion for Stokes, who got the taste for it when an injury enforced lay-off had him coaching the Sturt reserves in the SANFL.
Now it is onwards and upwards for a club who has played in four successive finals series.
“We’ve had a lot of development under our last coach Matty Campbell, so we’ve got plenty to work with and our aim is to play good, consistent footy that will get us into a finals series,’’ Stokes said.
Club president Shaun Pearce is confident Stokes can capitalise on the good work of past coaches Mark Motlop and Campbell.
“The interstate applicants were of a very high calibre, but Cam’s presentation was very professional, well thought out and all about a five-year plan instead of coaching for the next 12 months,’’ Pearce said
In other coaching moves, Joe Anderson, Richard Russell and Greg Bain will be Stokes’ assistants, with one more person to be named.
Chris Atkinson’s great work with the women’s side the Buffettes has been rewarded with another year at the coaching helm.
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