Daryn Cresswell trying to turn Raiders culture into success

SYDNEY great Daryn Cresswell knew the challenge when he agreed to coach Wodonga Raiders.

Wodonga Raiders FC training , Coach Daryn Cresswell, Picture Yuri Kouzmin

SYDNEY great Daryn Cresswell knew the challenge when he agreed to coach Wodonga Raiders — it’s part of the reason he accepted.

Cresswell inherited a Raiders side that finished second last in the Ovens and Murray league last year, with three wins and the lowest percentage of all 10 clubs.

After coaching Queensland side Palm Beach-­Currumbin to a premiership in 2013 and a preliminary final last year, he came down to watch a Raiders game after he was approached to take on the top job.

He said he “saw the hurt in people’s eyes”.

“It was a pretty disastrous year last year, so to actually build a club up from the bottom was attractive for me,” Cresswell said.

Turn corner: Wodonga Raiders coach Daryn Cresswell. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

The first step for the Swans’ 244-gamer was assessing the squad, and that ­included making cuts.

While declining to name names, he said he did not contact some out-of-contract players and others walked away during preseason training.

Then there was bringing in new blood, and Cresswell said there were four players he chased.

It led to the recruitment of Todd Grayson, who was on the Gold Coast list in its first year; defender Matt Derrick, who he coached at Palm Beach; and forward Jake Goldsmith, who played with Grayson at Southport in the NEAFL.

The one he missed, due to work commitments, was Todd Bryant, a former Raiders local Cresswell coached at Palm Beach last year.

Wodonga Raiders

Others to come in include two-time North ­Albury best-and-fairest winner Matt McDonald and Ross Tungatalum, a former St Kilda rookie.

“We’ve got a strong group of players who understand what it takes to be successful and who are training hard,” Cresswell said.

“At the end of last year we were the worst team in the competition by 200-odd points so there was a lot of water to go under the bridge.

“But the culture is a lot stronger now and the training ethos is better.”

Grayson moved to ­Wodonga six weeks ago.

“It’s been so easy to settle in, but I think we’ve got the best coach to help turn things around,” he said.

“Things are looking positive. We had a 120-point win in a practice game and I think getting the confidence back plays a massive part.”