RE-SIGNED Hawkesdale-Macarthur coach Danny Chatfield wants the pain of preliminary final defeat to burn inside his players during the summer.
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Chatfield, 30, will serve a second season at the helm of the Mininera and District league club in 2015, having steered it to third place this season.
The Eagles were in flag contention for much of the campaign but fell short against Moyston-Willaura in the penultimate match, 10.18 (78) to 9.13 (67).
Chatfield, who joined the club in 2013 as an assistant to then-coach Jeremy Gleeson, hoped his teammates would use the defeat as motivation to improve.
“We definitely had our chances. The better side won on the day and went on to win the premiership,” he said.
“(The loss) gives us a bit of fuel for next year, it still burns. Hopefully all the guys feel the same way. We’ll use that as a bit of fuel.”
Chatfield said the heartbreaking loss and the family-focused nature of the Eagles prompted him to extend his tenure at the club.
“To finish in a prelim and go out by 11 points, we came pretty close,” he said. “And obviously the family, the wife (Amy) and two kids (Jyah and Kobi) absolutely love the club out there. It’s a great family environment. It’s a good place to be.”
Chatfield grew up at Northern Districts and spent a season with the club after it re-branded itself as North Warrnambool Eagles. The onballer crossed to Warrnambool to play under 16s and made his senior debut with the Blues before heading across Albert Park to Russells Creek.
He played in three grand finals with the Kangaroos from 2003-05, winning two flags.
Seasons with Dennington and East Warrnambool and a second stint at Russells Creek followed before Chatfield headed to Hawkesdale-Macarthur.
“Obviously country footy is struggling a little bit and the country towns, without their footy club, there’s not much going for them,” he said. “Everyone is behind the local footy club.”
Chatfield said Hawkesdale-Macarthur did not need to recruit heavily to improve on its third-place finish. His first priority is to re-sign the existing list.
But the Eagles are in the market for an onballer to replace Dylan Herbertson, who ruptured his kidney against Caramut.
Chatfield said a second ruckman to support t Lachlan Reichmann would also be handy.