In the lead up to the Division 2 and 3 Grand Finals, the WRFL Media team caught up with the coaches who have their final say before the first bounce.
Today we caught up with the two men leading the Division Two Under 18s squads, Samy El Hawli from Newport Power and Justin Smyth from Werribee Districts.
FROM THE COACH- NEWPORT POWER
I've been at the Newport Power Football Club since I was six-years-old, playing my junior and senior football there and have come back this year as a coach for the first time. It's been a tough season, but an enjoyable one. The boys have been great and the club is a wonderful place to be. We’ve been really lucky not to have had any major injuries this year and there have been a few boys step up to the plate which has been really pleasing to watch as a coach. The club as a whole is up and about it's a great place to be around at the moment; with the boys all buzzing and keen to get out and play in the big game. As far as having any standout players to keep an eye out for….we'll where do I start? There are a number of good players to watch out for and I’m just sorry I don’t have enough space to name them all! Our captain Mohamed Taleb, Brad Fava, Nayef Hamad, Ahmed Zahraman, Ali Houli have all been sensational this season and the list goes on… I would like to thank the WRFL for having this great competition for the kids to play in, our club president Stephen Martyn, our team manager Steve Hunter, our trainers and supporters and most of all my main man Mr Marwan Abouzeid, my assistant.
Samy El Hawli
Newport Power Under 18s Coach
FROM THE COACH- WERRIBEE DISTRICTS
This season has been by far the best one for me as a coach. We have had some very big wins and had a couple of really close games too. While we have suffered a couple of injuries, a number of individuals in the group have stood up when needed, which is really pleasing. The playing group has been easy to coach with every player 100% committed to our main goal. We have a good mix of top and bottom age players too who have learned off each other well. As a team we are feeling pretty excited, we know Newport are a great side and it will require a big performance to beat them but I'm feeling extremely confident with the players and game plan we have, that we can do it on the big ground. Players to look out for from the crowd would be Jonathon Kaklikos and Timothy Whiting in the middle, Keiren Coe will be flashy around the forward line, Gavin Donnon and Bior Malual will excite all around the ground and Scotty May will be solid in defence. I would like to thank the club for giving me the opportunity to coach this team, Mark McMahon for being our team manager, Craig Whiting my assistant coach, Chris Andrews for being my runner, Adrian May our team trainer and also the Woods family who organised and cooked meals for all the players each week. I’d also like to acknowledge Ben McMahon who suffered a career ending injury just before the finals.
Justin Smyth
Werribee Districts Division Two Under 18s coach
Stay tuned for tomorrow's edition, when we talk to the Div 2 and 3 Reserve coaches.
Last Modified on 04/09/2014 11:37