By Trevor Jackson
A FOCUS on local content will see Tantanoola with renewed hope for the 2022 Mid South East football season.
Rather than look further afield, the Tigers have looked internally and in the Limestone Coast to fill its A Grade roster.
Coach Jak Ryan is already pleased with the result, with the best numbers at pre-season training for a couple of years.
“This year compared to last year we have recruited mainly locals,” Ryan said.
“For the last few years the club looked to Adelaide or outside Mount Gambier but with Covid it worked to our disadvantage, especially with blokes working away.
“Some of our best players we were hoping to have, we only got to see them for a few rounds out of the year, so we certainly took a bit of a hit.
“This year we tried to look local, which gives you more blokes out on the training ground Tuesdays and Thursdays rather than trying to get something done with only 15 or 20 out there.”
However, the club has not been immune to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a “handful of blokes” struck down with the virus recently.
Despite that setback, Ryan said the club was simply moving forward.
“We have really just tried to build on what we had last year,” he said.
“Recruit-wise, we have gained a handful of blokes but no superstars – just blokes who are going to go out there every week and train and try their hardest.
“We are just trying to get numbers out there and get everyone excited about the game again.”
Ryan said in the past the Tigers would see few numbers on the training track, which in turn helped to turn away potential recruits.
He hopes that will now change, with the renewed focus on local talent.
“The pre-season has been great so far,” Ryan said.
“When you only get 15 or 16 at training it is hard to work out zone plays but the numbers we have been getting is really good.
“The boys have started to push each other and the camaraderie is high.
“It has been a real good feel.”
As a former South Gambier player, Ryan set up a pre-season hit-out with the Demons and was pleased with the outcome.
“With their recruits and their young guns coming through, they were quite a handful for the first half until a few of their leads like Brett O’Neil wanted to have a rest,” he said.
“It took us about a quarter and half or two to hit our stride but there were a lot of good signs our way and a lot of good signs South’s way.
“Being a past South player it was good to see their boys and all the juniors I coached when I was there play good A Grade football.”
The game provided a chance for Ryan to play different players in different positions, which he said worked well.
“A few boys I wanted to play in new positions stood up well,” he said.
“Unfortunately last year Jack Dawe hurt his ankle against South in the pre-season so he was a bit timid.
“He didn’t go out there and have a run.
“With me being injured most last year, we haven’t had a chance to get any good chemistry in the ruck and on-ball work yet but I guess that will come in due time.
“Now Jack is looking good and I am doing well.”
The change of direction with recruits and the renewed effort on the training track has seen supporters come out to see how the Tigers are shaping up.
Ryan said that was all a part of the overall plan, to see the supporters return and the excitement build.
“For the footy, I think there is a lot more excitement around,” he said.
“People can see a positive direction we are heading in, rather than recruiting big people and paying big money, then have them leave.
“The last couple of years they have seen a lot of young kids stepping up like the Ellis’s and Kade Kelly’s.
“I think there is a lot of excitement to see some progress coming out of the home town.”
