Lara young guns make strong pitch to candidates after Cats coaches make call on future

Just hours after Lara’s co-coaches said this year would be their last, the Cats’ emerging talents showed there is plenty to work with. And one youngster announced himself to the GFNL.

Tom Gunther had a breakout performance for the Cats. Picture: Mark Wilson

Lara is now on the hunt for a new coach, and its 57-point win over North Shore was the perfect advertisement to anyone on the hunt for a senior gig.

Just hours after the club announced that their co-coach Shayne Stone and high profile playing co-coach Devon Smith wouldn’t be going around again next season, their young guns showed there is plenty to get excited about.

Stone and Smith sat down at selection and wondered if they were throwing 19-year-olds Tom Gunther and Zekiah Davey to the wolves playing them as their two main focal points up forward.

Instead, Gunther announced as a force to be reckoned with in the future with eight goals while Davey also impressed with three majors.

Gunther, who was swung forward last week when Mitch Day went down, proved to be unstoppable for the Cats, kicking four goals of his side’s eight goals in their second quarter surge – the last of those from a magnificent one-handed pluck.

Geelong Falcons graduate Davey was also pivotal in the Cats’ attack, slotting back to back majors and setting up one of one Gunther’s on a platter with a classy pass.

Up the other end another Falcons prospect Josh Sanders was breaking tackles, delivering kicks inside 50 and providing plenty of run and drive.

Josh Sanders was another youngster who stood out. Picture: Mark Wilson

It wasn’t all the kids, with contested beast Connor Lineham-Cunningham and Bayley Cockerill dominating throughout the match, but the second term in particular showed the potential of its emerging youngsters.

It was an encouraging sign for any prospective senior coaches and the Cats faithful who were at Lara Recreation Reserve in their droves for the club’s ladies day.

Stone and Smith informed the players a fortnight ago that they wouldn’t be coaching next year and since then they have notched two wins over St Albans and North Shore.

He said it is up to them to help spruik the club to coaching candidates in the run home.

“We really did say that it was a dress rehearsal for them but it is our job, mine and Dev’s, as outgoing coaches to sell the club to somebody and make sure that we keep moving forward,” Stone said.

“It is a great place to be around, we have some really great kids and it is a good gig. How we finish the year gives the opportunity to get somebody in with a bit of experience or whatever they are looking for.”

With the game done and dusted at three-quarter-time, it was party time for the Cats as they looked for the hot hand Gunther at every opportunity.

Ruckman Ryan Bell, a relative youngster to senior football after playing mostly reserves at his former club South Barwon, piled on two goals in the space of five minutes that sent the crowd in raptures.

After one of those he got stuck into a North Shore player, starting a brawl that was quickly extinguished.

Gunther slotted through his seventh late in the term and then sure enough, it was Davey who spotted up Gunther for number eight.

After kicking three goals in a half after Day went down last week, Gunther’s stunning haul of 8.3 showed he is a talent that Lara can build its future on.

Shayne Stone will call time at the end of the year/ Picture: Mark Wilson

“He has been pretty solid for us down back. He was a natural forward coming out of the juniors and he had a few confidence issues up forward a year ago so we swung him down back.

“He didn’t miss, he was very good. He has got great hands, he’s got so much poise and he’s a good size. He’s probably just a little bit light for key position but today we were able to get our ball movement up after quarter time and hit him up a few times.

“It was a breakout game, we are really pleased for him but also really happy for us as well. He did everything we could have asked for him, that’s for sure.”

For North Shore, ball-magnet Nathan Arbon was typical productive while Jacob Sammut-Miljevic provided plenty of highlights, slotting the Seagulls’ first three goals – two of those launches from long range.

The win sees Lara leapfrog Grovedale – who led South Barwon at halftime but were overwhelmed in the second half – and North Shore into ninth spot on the GFNL ladder.

The only concern for the Cats was Smith being reported for what is believed to be a sling tackle in the first half.

Originally published as Lara young guns make strong pitch to candidates after Cats coaches make call on future