Coburg coach Peter German recognizes the importance of getting games into Lions’ younger players in order to build for the future but make no mistake – he still wants to win.
“We want to build a culture, build a football team that in three year’s time has a lot of games under its belt,” Peter German says. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”
“We’re not trying to get instant success. We’re not trying to buy success. We’re trying to build a real core group where in three year’s time we’ve got 20-odd players that have 50-plus games under their belts.”
German is well and truly focused on his goal and, while he admits that the majority of Coburg’s playing list is still learning and developing as footballers, the Lions sit in 12th on the ladder with three wins and six losses at the midway point of season 2015. It was back in round one – Coburg’s first win over former partner Richmond – that German rates most highly as he succinctly recaps what has been a rollercoaster season for the Lions so far.
“We started the season really well against Richmond – that was probably our best win against quality opposition in the time that I’ve been here as coach, so that was pleasing,” he says.
“At Box Hill one 15-minute lapse cost us, then we beat Frankston. We went through a slump for two or three weeks there. Then we bounced back – Northern Blues was a terrific game, our work rate was up. [The clash against] Casey, four days break between the Collingwood game, proved that if our minds are right we can perform in any sort of situation, so that was great. But against Geelong the weekend, we probably slipped back a couple of notches so.”
“To sum it up, it’s a reflection still of our youthfulness. Players are still gaining an understanding of the VFL and of the intensity levels you need week in, week out. The more players we can get games into, I think it’s going to be beneficial.”
Along with better ball-use, inside 50s, contested ball numbers and stoppage work, German firmly believes that giving vital VFL experience to Coburg’s youth has been the major positive in 2015.
Josh Cauchi, Errol McConnell and Nathan Blair are enjoying a lot more exposure to senior football, as are other ex-TAC Cup players like Aaron Christensen, Mark Orr, Josh Iacobaccio, Cody Mance and the “really exciting” Ben Allan – who German believes possesses AFL attributes.
Ruckman Tom Goodwin’s progress, hardness and on-field leadership – as well as Danny Younan’s improved fitness and 19-year-old Rory Lehmann’s ability to hold down a key position spot in defence – has impressed their coach. German reserved most of his praise for McConnell, however, who made a successful switch from the wing to an inside ball winner for the Lions.
“[He’s] been able to step up by going from an outside player to actually more in the midfield, inside and around stoppages,” German says.
”It just shows that he’s got great fight, his work rate is fantastic – he’s still got work to do, such as below his knees – but in terms of his endeavour and his hardness, it really suits him to be able to play on the inside. So that’s a great step forward for us.”
German – in his second year at Coburg – stressed that there were improvements that the club needed to make going into the second half of the season. Inaccurate conversion and failing to convert on-field dominance into scoreboard pressure has hurt the Lions, as have brief lapses in key moments of games.
“On the weekend against Geelong, it was only our second quarter. If you look at all the other three quarters we actually matched Geelong in inside 50s and everything else but it was only in the second quarter that we dropped our intensity and Geelong were able to sense that,” German explains.
“They kicked two goals – one at the 31 and 33 minute mark – if they don’t do that we’re only two goals down at half time. So all of a sudden it changes the whole set up when things like that happen. Good sides can drop off but still have the ability to not get hurt on the scoreboard quickly and in a repetitive nature so we’ve got to try and identify that.”
“You look at when we played Essendon. We kept them to 10 goals but in the third quarter we had 12 shots on goal and kicked one. So on the scoreboard it didn’t look good but we had all the play. If we kick five or six goals, we could have won the game. It wasn’t our effort, it was our ability to finish off.”
German hasn’t set a benchmark for the club this season. He concedes that the Lions overachieved last year – notching five wins in their first standalone season – but wants the club to keep improving, albeit gradually. He says that even when hurt by injuries and down on form, Coburg always plans to win – not just to be competitive. This attitude has only been strengthened by the talent and depth improvements the Lions have made since 2014.
“I watch our development side much harder than I did last year because I know that there are players playing there – Jackson Clarke and some other young boys – who I know are capable of playing senior footy,” German says.
“I know sometimes kids mature and developer quicker or slower so to me it’s just seeing those guys progress and seeing the right signs for them to be able to put their hands up and say ‘I’m ready’. That’s what I’m looking for.”
German often makes multiple changes to the senior side every week and says that while sometimes it is tactics-related, it’s normally down to form and building experience. Under German, no one at Coburg is a permanent senior player or a permanent development player.
“I’ve made that pretty clear right from the start – if you perform in the seniors, you’ll keep your spot. If not, and players are performing in the seconds, there’ll be changes,” he says.
“It helps when you’re coaching when you’ve got players that are performing well at development level because then there’s no excuses. Jesse Corigliano, Ricky Schraven and players like that. We’re really excited about those guys coming through. That’s why our development academy is so important.”
“It’s what Coburg is still all about. Yes we like to win, but a large part of us is being able to get players and put them into positions where one, it’s going to get them to understand and experience the role, and two, it gives them an opportunity to be able to showcase in front of AFL scouts. We’re trying to develop players and get them to the next level.”
During the bye, the players will be given a chance to freshen up with four days away from the club – their first break since mid-November – while the coaching staff review Coburg’s nine games and set goals for the remainder of 2015. They then take on Werribee at Avalon Airport Oval the following Sunday but German stresses that no game is considered a “must-win”.
“We don’t look at it that way. We look at it as a game we plan to win and we’ll plan according to the opposition we’ll have. They’ve got the bye as well,” he says.
“Hopefully we’re refreshed and we come back and approach the game like we did with some of our real key games where we just pressured relentlessly and were able to make the opposition turn the ball over.”
