NTFA: Fitness, ferocity the focus for new Roos coach

Deloraine’s new coach Nick Milbourne plans on bringing an old school hard edge to the Roos, and two key pillars will be the main focus as they build for the future.

New Deloraine coach Nick Milbourne at training. Picture: Deloraine FC

A couple of tough years might be in store, but the basic pillars of fitness and hardness in the contest will be the initial foundation for new Deloraine coach Nick Milbourne.

The Kangaroos will be part of the new NTFA Premier League from this season, and a chance to help mould the young list was the aspect which appealed most to Milbourne when contacted by the club while on holiday.

Milbourne coached Forth to a NWFA flag in 2015 and enjoyed great success in playing stints at Devonport and East Devonport.

“It’s a very young list with some good young kids in there, that’s what appealed to me when I first had a chat with them,” Milbourne said.

“It’s probably not a bad thing that we can build from scratch from the ground up straight away.

“We’ve had a handful (of players) go to other clubs who might have dropped back a level, but mostly our top end talent is sticking around and buying into the future.

“The more we can keep the ball in our hands (the better), and that’s trying to be a more skilful side, and we want to be fit as we possibly can and run out games.

“That’s when you can get blown away, you can play a good game for two or three quarters then you start to fall over with fitness and get blown out of the water.

“The two key targets are having that fitness and being resilient on the ball, not being knocked off the first effort, then repeat efforts at the contest and tackling pressure. We want to drive that.”

Nick Milbourne playing for East Devonport.. Picture: East Devonport FC

Milbourne is a realist and understands there will be some tough initial lessons against the stronger, state league hardened sides North Launceston and Launceston. The Roos are coming off a couple of tough NTFA seasons, winning just one of 16 games last year.

He has lured former Devonport premiership teammate Ben Blacklow to the club, who will also be an assistant coach.

“We’ll try to get that extra depth back into the group with some older heads to surround the list and build from there,” he said.

“We’ll set some little goals and targets we think are achievable this year, really focus on building a good club culture around the young fellas, and get them fit and skilful as much as we can to try and nullify these top sides.

“It’s about limiting that as much as we can when we play them, and get some more professionalism into the club.”

Milbourne will bring some old school values to the club and believes the elevation to Premier League football will give him the platform to set high standards.

“I’m probably a motivational coach, hard but fair,” he said.

“I try and understand the new era of the game but still call on a few things like fitness and respect around the group, the older values we had growing up when I was a young fella.

“Going into that Premier League is definitely a driving force for them, we want to get the club back to where it needs to be.

Nick Milbourne in action for Devonport. Picture Kelsey Aherne

“In the mid 2000s Deloraine was always right up there, so stepping another level it will be good to get the club and regional footy back to a good level.”

Milbourne said the new league will need some time to breathe and find it’s feet as it works through teething issues which may not be as prevalent in the northwest and southern top flights.

“AFL Tas are going to have to keep an eye on it, not just let it run on its own. It’s going to need help from above to really drive it,” Milbourne said.

“If we get the right people across it, in a few years it can be a really good comp.”