YOUTHFUL exuberance is the key to Hamilton Kangaroos’ quest for a maiden Hampden league finals berth.
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The club will field a raw-but-talent-laden side in 2015 as its strives to book a top-five spot in its third season as a merged entity.
Kangaroos coach Jarrod Holt is excited to unveil a host of teenagers, many of whom are vying for round one senior debuts against Cobden on April 18.
Sean Barnes, Corey Jarrad, Sam Quinn and ruckman Jack Pertzel have impressed the second-year Roos mentor in pre-season.
Tom Waters, back at the club after a season at Geelong-based St Mary’s, and running defender Angus Noske are also poised to cement spots in the Kangaroos’ best 21.
Penshurst premiership player Luke Ferguson, who was best afield in the Bombers’ 2012 Mininera and District league grand final win, is expected to add another dimension to the Roos’ midfield rotations.
“I was really happy with all those boys. They did themselves no harm in getting a senior game in round one, that’s for sure,” Holt said after the Hampden league’s pre-season competition on Saturday.
“They’ll all definitely play at some stage throughout the year.”
Holt said Waters, who played 11 games for the Roos as a teenager in 2013, was a dynamic player.
“He’s a really clever player and he’s mainly played as a forward in the past but we’ve been playing him onball,” he said. “His clean touch and skill is handy around the footy.”
The Kangaroos have lost experienced onballers Brad Thomas (Stawell) and Gareth Crawford (Merrivale) in the off-season and also farewelled ball winner Tim Meulendyks, who has returned to test himself in the SANFL.
Holt, 33 next month, is also under an injury cloud. A back complaint threatens the former Portland coach’s playing career.
“I am still a little bit unsure about what my movements are, whether I play or not,” he said.
“I am trying but will have to make a call on it.
“If I think I can play and help the side out with a bit of experience and being out on the ground is going to benefit us, then I will play, but if I am not capable of having an impact on the game I am probably better off concentrating on coaching.
“You definitely can coach better when you’re not playing. I am lucky to have good guys around me as well who I have good faith in.”
But Holt, regardless of whether he lines up or not, believes those left wearing blue and white are eager to perform at a high level.
“We don’t spend much time speaking about or working on our tackling and pressure because we’ve naturally got a lot of guys who are good at that,” he said.
“There is not a player who I could question their attack on the footy.
“What we’ve been needing to work on in setting up and just being a bit smarter in the way we set up, play and our ball movement.
“That’s what we’ve been working on all pre-season and today (in the pre-season round-robin) it was good to see that although it wasn’t perfect, that the boys are on the right track.”