WHEN you're the coach of a team that was close to winning the premiership, not much needs to be changed.
That's certainly the thoughts of Sawtell-Toormina's new coach Jim Angel.
"There's just a couple of things that need to re-jigged, that's all," Angel said.
"We'll rejig a couple of our key position people who are going around again. I've spoken about that with those guys and they're really keen about it."
One thing Angel said does need to improve at Richardson Park is the Saints' fitness.
Sawtell-Toormina faded badly in its final three matches of 2013 and it probably cost the club a chance of winning a seventh AFL North Coast title.
Half way through the third quarter of the grand final against Port Macquarie, Sawtell-Toormina led by 30 points only to see the Magpies kick eight of the last nine goals of the match to claim victory.
"We'll be doing a bit more running," the new coach said about the upcoming pre-season training program.
"A fair few of the guys have already started pre-season early. We've been doing some running up the Sawtell lookout hill and along the beach while also having a bit of a muck around with the ball when we're back at the oval."
Next season won't be the first time the 35 year-old has coached in the AFL North Coast.
Angel was the inaugural coach of Nambucca Valley when the Lions first entered the competition in 2005.
Last year was going to be his last season of playing but a broken collarbone that forced him to miss the finals has seen Angel keen to pull on the boots again.
"Last year was disappointing, I was ready to hang them up but I didn't want it to end like that," he said.
The Saints have been the powerhouse club of the competition over the past decade playing in eight of the past nine grand finals.
Fact is though the last time Sawtell-Toormina last held aloft the premiership trophy was back in 2010. The players are aware of this and Angel said the playing group is ready for an assault on the title next season.
"Certainly everyone is keen," the coach enthused.
"We had a few guys 'umming' and ahhing' but they've already come to training and there may be a couple of blokes coming back to Sawtell who'll make us stronger."
Last Modified on 14/01/2014 15:17