PANMURE coach Joe Kenna believes his new assistant will have an immediate impact at the Warrnambool and District league club.
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Cobden midfielder Ben Robertson has crossed from the Hampden league for the 2017 season.
Robertson, 23, is the nephew of former Bombers coach Wayne.
“We are very excited to have him across,” Kenna said.
“He is the right age at 23 and has 50 to 60 Hampden league senior games for Cobden under his belt already, has played in finals.”
Kenna expects Robertson to slot into the Bulldogs’ midfield, having fully recovering from a knee injury which limited him to seven reserves matches last season.
“He is a very honest, tough player and we are hoping that presence, desire and passion he has that we’ll get a lot from that,” he said.
“It will bring instant leadership and that alone is worth a whole lot.
“The younger guys will stand a lot taller knowing Ben is out there.”
Robertson, who injured his knee playing basketball and required minor surgery, said he was using his break to build fitness in a bid to make a mark at his new club.
The Cobden-based dairy farmer will also call on his uncle for advice as he kick starts his own coaching career.
“He said he was there and if I need a hand he can help out – that’s a bonus,” Robertson said.
Robertson played in Cobden’s most recent senior grand final – a 2012 loss to Warrnambool – and is excited to help Panmure regain its mantle as a district league powerhouse.
The Bulldogs finished ninth in Kenna’s first season at the helm with four wins.
“It will be good to make finals,” Robertson said.
“They started slowly last year and then started to build and gel as a group.”
Kenna said there was a positive vibe at the kennel.
“The improvement from the start to the finish was outstanding,” he said of the Bulldogs’ 2016 campaign.
“The consistency got a lot better and I had a lot more feeling for the side and they got a bit more comfortable with where I was coming from too.
“We can only look to and hope to improve from where we were last year.
“We did the hard yards last year so hopefully the results look after themselves.”
Panmure will return to training on January 30.
The younger guys will stand a lot taller knowing Ben is out there.
- Joe Kenna