There’s no doubting that Royal Park have been one of the stories of the MCDFNL over the past three seasons. From being almost down and out following the 2012 season, the club affectionately known as “Bushy” turned their off-field fortunes around in 2013, then the on-field performance followed suit over the past two years, with the Tigers advancing to the second round of the finals in both 2014 and 2015 before falling to Lexton in a semi-final.
The challenge for Bushy this year is to take the next step and progress through to play off for a Grand Final spot, and it’s a challenge that new Royal Park coach AJ Beacham feels that his team is up for.
“Our main aim is to make the top four”, Beacham stated in the above Season Preview video exclusive to the MCDFNL website.
“Once you make the top four anything can happen, and we’ll certainly be doing everything possible to give ourselves that opportunity”.
To do so, Beacham has focused on the fitness of the playing group over the off-season, implementing new training structures and running programs that has seen a marked difference in the way the playing list now goes about things.
“A lot of the players were shocked with the running program I implemented”, Beacham said.
“Everything’s been based on speed and endurance type programs, [with the] main emphasis on short, sharp running from 100 metres up to two kilometres with minimal rest”.
“An example is with the repetition 300 [metre runs] we’ve been doing, at the start of November [players] were doing ten 300’s with a minute rest [between each], now we’re doing twenty 300’s with thirty seconds rest”.
One of the things that Beacham has focused on throughout the pre-season is analyzing his new playing list, and whilst he’s seen some things that he likes from some of Bushy’s better performers from the past twelve months, he’s also put the acid on some to lift their game to new heights this season to help the team reach their top-four goals.
“Our captain, Jay Anderson, has certainly been challenged by myself”, Beacham stated.
“He’s always been a very good footballer, but we’ve worked on a lot of areas where he needs to go to the next level [both] as a leader within the club and as a player, and I’ve been very impressed with him”.
“Murray Bond [has] excellent hands as a hard, mobile centre half-forward who will play numerous positions for us, and I’ve also been very impressed with him”.
“Stefan Pye is probably the fittest he’s ever been, he’s been a very good inclusion over the past couple of years – his pre-season has been faultless and I expect big things from him”.
The Tigers have also added some new blood to their list, most of them players that Beacham has had some involvement with as coach of the Ballarat Football League’s Under 18 interleague program over the last few seasons.
“Tony Zelencich, recruited from North Ballarat City, had a year down at University Blues last year, and whilst he’s unfortunately suffered a wrist injury, he’s still been doing the running program and should be back for practice match two or three”.
“James Parkinson from Redan is a hard nut [who will play off] half-back and the midfield, and we’re looking for big things from him”.
“We’ve had an influx of players come in, but instead of individualizing them, I also think that the big improvement with our club is going to come from within”.
Royal Park’s practice match schedule started last Friday night against Central Highlands club Learmonth, and Bushy will play two other CHFL clubs, Beacham’s former club Daylesford and Clunes in the lead-up to their Round 1 clash against Dunolly on Saturday April 16th.
KEY MATCHES
Round 2 v Carisbrook (away, night) – great chance almost straight away for Beacham to see where his side is at against the Grand Finalists from the previous two seasons who very rarely lose on their home deck, let alone under lights.
Round 6 v Lexton (home) – a standalone Sunday game after the interleague break against the team that has knocked them out of the premiership race in each of the last two seasons – Bushy will be on show that day, and will be keen to make a statement
Round 16 v Maryborough Rovers (away) – late-season Maryborough derbies have produced fantastic clashes over the past couple of seasons, and with both teams likely to be hunting for something in the final round, this promises to be no different.
PREDICTED FINISH: 4th-6th
Last Modified on 07/03/2016 14:28