YOUNG leader Justin Fedley is adamant Allansford won’t slide to become the Warrnambool and District Football Netball League’s easy-beats despite a mass exodus of experienced players.
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The 20-year-old was offered a leadership role at the Cattery mid-way through pre-season and will shape as a key player in the club’s season-opener against Russells Creek on Saturday.
Fedley, a long-time junior footballer at Allansford, said he explored his options at the start of pre-season but decided to commit to his home club.
“I had a few runs with Koroit to see what it was like out there. I knew Allansford had a big player turnover so I thought I’d stick with them,” he said.
“I’ve committed for at least this season and probably (long-term) now as well.
“They offered me a leadership role and I just thought I would jump all over that.”
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Determined to further his leadership credentials, Fedley took on an assistant coaching role with Allansford’s under 17 side last season.
He said many players showed encouraging signs and would press claims for senior selection in 2017.
“I was sort of the middle-man between the seniors and the juniors in previous years,” he told The Standard.
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“There was probably six or seven juniors who had a chance to play senior football last season and that will probably be the way we look again this year.
“There’s a few bigger boys in there and they adapt pretty quickly to senior footy, so it can’t hurt to have them in there. It can’t hurt to blood them early on.”
Although several players have left the Cats, a core group has remained loyal to the cause.
Veterans Ben Lenehan and Brad Williams will again suit up, while Brendan Chatfield has also crossed to the club after a year with friends at Deakin University.
“It’s not so much rebuilding or a development year, it’s just starting again with a different group,” Fedley said.
“We had about 10 to 12 players for the first few weeks and then after five or six weeks blokes just came flooding in. Now, you turn around and there another guy at training that you have to introduce yourself to.
“It’s just starting over again. It’s starting to become mates with those blokes again. Heaps of the Deakin boys have come over after they shut up shop so it’s going well.”
While it will be a new-look side taking the field on Saturday, Fedley held confidence leading into the clash.
“Our goal this year is just to remain competitive. We don’t want people to roll up and to think ‘it’s just Allansford, they’re easy-beats’,” he said. “Creek will be a good indicator to see where we’re at. If we get over the line, we’ll get confidence. If not, back to the drawing board.”