by Chris Cavanagh, Melton Leader
Rockbank has confirmed four key signings as it looks to life under a new coach in season 2014.
The club swiftly moved to appoint assistant coach Robbie Lynch to the top job last week after the unexpected departure of senior coach Leigh Sporle, who is headed to Brisbane to take up a new job.
Lynch, a cousin of Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli, said little would change under his reign as the Rams looked to continue a three-year plan which had been set out when Sporle signed on ahead of last season.
“Nothing changes with structures”, Lynch told the Leader.
“The voice doesn’t change, if anything it just means I can enhance the stamp I want to put on the team”.
“We’ve looked at it like a three-year plan to develop the players and develop the club”.
“We’re obviously into the second year of that so it’s about consolidating what we did last year and building from that”.
After a difficult 2013 season, which yielded just six wins and saw Rockbank finish 10th on the Riddell District Football League ladder, hopes of an improved 2014 season have been boosted by some handy off-season signings.
Lynch last week confirmed his brother Malcolm, a former Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne listed player, had been secured for a second season with the Rams next year.
The club has also signed three other talented youngsters who have been on AFL club radars in recent years – former GWS rookie Isiah Stevens, Chris Warrell from East Perth and Marvin Warrell from South Fremantle.
“They’re all quite well known over in WA but no so much over here which is good for us”, Lynch said.
The new coach said that the club was also in the final stages of securing “about 10” other new recruits but remained focused on developing its own youth.
“We’ve got a good, young club and one of the things we’re looking to do this year is have a spot allocated to one of the young kids each game”, he said.
“Where there’s opportunities for the kids to play, we’re going to play them as much as we can”.
Last Modified on 29/01/2014 10:51