The NNSW NPL kicks off Friday and the Herald's club-by-club season preview ends with Adamstown Rosebud.
Rosebud finished with the wooden spoon last year on 11 points, after coming second last on 20 in 2018 in their first season under Shane Cansdell-Sherriff. The former professional, now 37, returns to the playing ranks this year after a season of purely coaching.
Adamstown Rosebud
Coach: Shane Cansdell-Sherriff
Last year: 11th (11 points, -23 goals)
Arrivals: Arrivals: Louis Townsend (Maitland), Tristan Esquilant (Weston), James Lowe (Boambee), Callum Gabriel (Jets Youth), Yuki Yakushinji (Japan), Tyson Cummings (Lakes), Shane Cansdell-Sherriff (year off)
Departures: Departures: Connor Heydon (Weston), Chris Berlin (Lakes), Matt Sokulsky (Olympic), Finn Beasley, Judd Duncan (year off), Ben Higgins, Benn Kelly, Liam Ryan
First month: Lakes (H), Maitland (A), Valentine (H), Olympic (A)
Q&A - coach Shane Cansdell-Sherriff
Have you done anything differently this pre-season?
The biggest thing we've done is bringing the reserve and first teams together to train as one unit at times. We'll get together and divide up so the defenders work in one section, then midfielders and attacking players. Sometimes you might bring two of the groups together. That way we can focus on certain areas of the game, especially having younger players who are still learning the game ... That way as well, we have both groups playing the same style and principles. Then when they do that step up, it's a lot easier because they know what's required.
What are the goals for the team this year?
We've got our goals, which I'm not going to reveal, about our target and what we want to achieve and we're going to focus on that and chip away each game. Last year we had nine or 10 games we lost by a goal, so it's about turning them into a point for us or sneaking three points more often than not. We've got to be more clinical.
What are the main challenges coaching with a much smaller budget than many rival clubs?
There's two sides to it. If you want to go out and have a good chance of competing to win the league straight away, then a big budget is going to help you. But the other side of it is, you've got to coach as well. Where I'm at at Adamstown, I haven't got the budget, so you've got to really coach, which is great for me because I'm learning. This my first job. You're having to really coach and think specifically about how to coach these boys and get results, trying to change attitudes and mentalities, build these players from youth team or reserve grade players into first graders very quickly. It's not just turn up and put a session on, or let the captain do the warm-up and run things. I've got to be specific in what I'm doing and make sure these guys have a discipline and a structure. If you have that, you're halfway there.
You have returned to the field in pre-season, so will you play regularly?
Provided I'm fit. I haven't played in over a year. It's been a little bit slow coming back and I hurt my calf muscle early on, which is an old man's injury, they say, but it's getting there. The rest of the body is in good conditions ... so I'll play as much as I can. It just helps having an older voice at the back to direct traffic and help them manage games, which is what we've struggled with the past couple of years.
Who is a player to watch this year?
In pre-season, Luke Vallone has been outstanding and a new player to watch would be Harry Frendo. He's a young boy stepping up to first grade this year full-time and he's got bags of potential. He's got a big frame, he's fast, he can dribble and he has a hell of a strike.
SUMMARY
Rosebud were perhaps unlucky to get the spoon last year after finishing a point behind Lake Macquarie and Valentine but with better defensive and for-and-against records. Cansdell-Sherriff has turned a low-budget team of mostly fringe players from other clubs into a competitive unit and they will likely again put up a good fight in most games. However, they appear set for another battle, probably with Lakes, to avoid last spot.
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