Gippsland Power Presentation Day -Media Release
The 2005 TAC Cup season officially concluded for Gippsland Power when the club held its presentation day at the Morwell RSL last weekend. The festivities were a mixture of celebration and some sadness as the players, staff, parents and supporters enjoyed reliving the many highlights of 2005 as well as sadly recognising the fact that 18 of the boys move on after being part of the Power program for up to 4 years.
Celebration of the 2005 season was not a difficult process considering the many outstanding achievements of the club and its talented group of players. Obviously the TAC Cup premiership was the standout highlight for the year as it was the perfect showcase for the quality of the Power program and the highly skilled and dedicated players who did so well throughout the season.
There was a lot of well placed optimism at the start of the season about the prospects for 2005 amongst those in the know at the club. There was a strong sense that there were many quality players were on the books at under 15, 16 and 18 levels and that this could be the year when big things happened. After several years of developing and implementing an effective set of development and recruiting programs, Peter Francis and his team knew that this group of boys were very "special" and that they potentially represented the best chance that the club had for September honours.
This was borne out in brilliant fashion on Grand Final day when the boys won the premiership but the signs were there throughout the year with the way that they dominated this elite competition with their consistent, high quality and team-oriented performances. The fact that 11 boys won a place in the Victorian Country under 18 team, Dale Thomas and Xavier Ellis named All-Australian and Dale, Chris Dunne and Ricky Delphine were in the TAC Cup team of the year simply reinforced the depth of quality players at the club.
To get to this stage could appear to be serendipity or pure chance, but nothing could be further from the truth. A lot of hard work on and off the field meant that the programs, processes and structures at the club were at the cutting edge and that the boys involved in each program had the opportunity to do their best. This required that the raw potential had to be turned into quality performance and only consistent hard work would make that happen.
In this competition each club has a blend of top and bottom age players and the secret to success is the way in which the older boys set the tone for the youngsters. In 2005 the club had a high quality group of top-agers in terms of ability and strength of character and they helped to create the right environment for the outstanding bottom-age players who had every one involved excited. They had experience some success in 2004 but finished the season somewhat ingloriously and they were driven not to let that happen again.
Not only did the "old-boys" maintain their existing high standards but they lifted considerably as individuals and team members and took to the squad to previously unattainable heights. This positive atmosphere meant that the highly talented youngsters had perfect role models to follow and that the sense of unity that developed was very powerful. This was particularly evident at the Grand Final celebration at the Drouin Football Clubrooms when the boys demonstrated just how close they were and how much they thrived on each others company.
The resulting culture of hard work, commitment and discipline is firmly entrenched within the 2005 youngsters and they will now set the benchmarks for the next crop of talented youngsters already in the system at the club. They will be keen to repeat that magical feeling that they experienced on the MCG and their quality as players and young men will mean that the club will again have the "right" sort of leaders to set the scene for the year.
The 2005 coaching panel of Paul Hudson and his assistants Gary Hamilton, Steve Carey, Tony Waters, Jim Dear, Les Ponton and Brenton Wight, did a superb job in the development of the individual skills and fitness of the players. More importantly they moulded them into a cohesive, committed and disciplined team that worked hard for each other and, in the process, have become good mates.
Paul's approach to coaching is unique in that he initially took time to get to know the boys as individuals thereby winning their trust and then their respect. He showed great faith in their abilities as players and made sure that they had constant forums in which their input was pivotal. The boys responded to the chance to have genuine ownership of their own destiny with maturity and a great deal of intelligent thought and the results were obvious. They felt valued as players and decision makers and totally repaid his faith in them as individuals and as a rock-solid unit.
In this competition, the sense of team is hard to develop because of the emphasis on the individual honours. Most players have one main agenda, to get to the AFL, and this often diminishes the level of team focus. Paul and his team did both jobs, the sense of team was superb and the individuals in it have all been challenged and taken to new and often exhilarating levels of personal performance.
One of the many strengths of the club is the fact that so few games were lost due to injury in 2005. Once again this was not due to luck but has occurred as a result of hard work over several seasons to get things right in terms of coaching, training, medical treatment and rehabilitation. The clubs' medical team of Dr Greg Shuttleworth, Physios Allan Yeats and Megan Williams, head trainer Wayne Tatterson and trainers Leah Quenault, Bobbi-Lee Blay and Joy Martin worked closely with the coaches, fitness advisor Les Ponton and rehab coordinator Brenton Wight to ensure that the boys developed fitness, stayed sound and that the training programs were as stress-free as possible.
To outsiders it might appear that the 2005 successes have simply just happened and that they were eventually inevitable. Closer examination of the facts show the exact opposite is true. It has taken the club 13 years to become an overnight success and there have been many ups and downs on the way. The one constant has been the commitment by the club administration to set up a professional organisation that can consistently develop high quality players and teams.
At any stage of this process the club is in the middle of a 4-year development program and despite achieving the ultimate success in 2005, there is always lots of hard work to do to get the next group of boys into the system and ready to play their part in the Power story. Given what's known about them already, there is a very strong sense of eager anticipation for 2006 and beyond.
Peter can be justifiably proud of everything that has happened in 2005. His vision, commitment and professionalism are key factors in the success of the club. He has led the various groups involved in the club along a journey that culminated in the epitome of "best-practice" in 2005 and he now has the Power superbly placed to keep the momentum going well into the future. He will continue to fine tune the way in which the club operates and ensure that its' well-deserved reputation for excellence is maintained and enhanced.
The award winners for the Power in 2005 are;
International Power Best and Fairest : Ricky Delphine
Ricky has been incredibly consistent all season and has amassed some
amazing statistics along the way. In 21 games he averaged over 25 possessions, 5 marks, 6 handballs received and 5 tackles. It says it all when you note that he dominated the voting in a premiership season, a true indication of the quality of his contribution. He has worked hard to continue to develop all aspects of his game throughout the season.
Colin Watson Holden Runner-up Best and Fairest : Steven O'Bryan
The inspirational team captain who led by outstanding example all season both on and off the field. His work ethic, courage and commitment to the team were exemplary and he thrived with the responsibility involved. He was the on-field "general" of this great side.
Warragul Linen Service Most Improved : Beau Vernon
The youngest player in the Grand Final side, he has continually worked hard to hone his skills and develop his fitness to the point where he played a significant role in the team dynamic. The quality of his game in the Grand Final says it all.
Quantum Support Services Coaches Award : Craig Flint
Craig has been the leader of the team's outstanding defensive unit all season and has played strong, disciplined and tough team-oriented football. He generated a lot of play with his astute reading of the game and willingness to back his judgement.
Morwell RSL Leading Goal kicker : Jay Neagle
Jay had a superb debut season where he kicked 60 goals. His pace, strong hands and deadly accurate finishing made him the ideal focal point for the team. He not only kicked goals but also set up others with his clever and often unselfish use of the ball.
Surkitt Qquik Pix Best First Year Player : Scott Pendlebury
Scott's decision to put an outstanding international basketball career on hold to play with the Power was a true bonus for the club. His unique skills, pace and agility enabled him to be a crucial member of the teams potent mid-field unit.
Trainers Award : Trent West
Trent's learning curve in 2005 was amazing as he quickly adjusted to the tempo of the TAC Cup. He became the best tap ruckmen in the competition as well as being able to regularly amass impressive possession statistics as well.
Patties Pies Most Disciplined Player Award : Jeff Ryan
Jeff's pre-season was outstanding as he applied himself diligently to be mentally and physically prepared for the year ahead. Once he established his place in the team, he applied the same impressive levels of discipline and endeavour to his on-field roles.
10 Year Service Awards : Bobbie-Lee Blay
Les Ponton
Bobbie-Lee has been a key member of the club's medical team. She has not only worked tirelessly with the under 18's but has also worked with the schoolboys, under 16 squad and the schools competitions. She has developed great relationships with her "boys" and keeps in regular contact with many of them once they move on from the Power.
Les has been crucial in helping Peter and the coaches to develop professional and cutting edge training and rehabilitation programs. He works with individual players to tailor specific programs to address their needs as well as overseeing all of the clubs high quality fitness programs.
Life Membership : Alan Hoult
Alan has been with the Power from its inception in 1993 after many years of quality service with the Warragul Football Club. He has given the Power outstanding service in a wide variety of areas and is a vital cog in the clubs highly regarded off-field team. His capacity for efficiency, hard work and commitment to the club is exceptional. His "no fuss" approach epitomises what this award is all about.
Best Club Person: Bryan Mitchell
Bryan has been with the Power for 12 years but his involvement with elite level junior football extends some 25 years being the team manager of the Latrobe Valley Schoolboys. He performs a number of roles with the Power including Media Liaison, Player welfare and statistician. Bryan is a man of immense integrity and can always be relied upon to deliver excellence is all of these areas.
Last Modified on 26/05/2008 12:03
