New Brisbane Strikers coach Chay Hews has revealed his first new signing for the 2014 NPL Queensland season with Rochedale Rovers midfielder and Futsalroos representative Keenan Duimpies set to join the club.

Strikers recently commenced trials for their senior squad, however Hews wasted no time in finding his replacement in the centre of the pitch as the club seeks to improve on last year’s fourth placed finish.

Duimpies most recently played for Strikers community club Rovers in the Brisbane Premier League and also represented Australia at the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand.

Hews said he considered Duimpies a key signing for next year’s title challenge.

“He’s one that I noticed a couple of years ago,” Hews said of Duimpies, “He stood out for me and when his name came up this year I wanted him pretty badly.”

Replacing Hews’ experience in the centre of the pitch will be crucial for Strikers next season, with the former captain representing the club in over 200 games across the National Soccer League, Queensland State League and the National Premier Leagues.

Last week, Hews put more than 30 trialists through their paces at Perry Park in his new role as coach as he seeks to refine his squad for the new season.

He said the opportunity to start working with his first group of players had not come a moment too soon.

“It’s been like a sigh of relief. I’m more comfortable about being out on the field than sitting in an office or behind a computer sending emails to players and making phone calls”, Hews admitted.

“It’s a more natural environment out there for me than all this other stuff – going through emails and looking at players and talking and negotiating - it’s a bit more my cup of tea.”

However, Hews admitted he was still getting used to some of the harder decisions coaches must make at the elite level.

“There hasn’t been one player that it’s been an easy decision for me to let go,” Hews admitted.

“It breaks your heart, because those guys have come here with the hope of joining a club and for all I know I could be wrong.”

“Those guys are good players and I’ve made a decision that’s just my opinion and there’s a certain risk element that you could just be sending them off to another club.”

Hews said he had a simple yardstick for helping him to decide which players to let go.

“For me personally, I compare them to the players they’re up against in those positions, the players I already have, and, if they’re not better than the ones I’ve got, for me there’s no point.

“But you’ve also got to look at cover, you’ve got to look at players who might be able to play in a few positions.

Hews further explained, “There’s a player point system I’ve got to think about and the club wants to develop players, so I also want to look at if I can bring in some young players.”

“But for me if a player comes in and impresses me enough, I’ll take them.”

 

Words: Brisbane Strikers
Image: Alannah Pearson