With pre-season preparations well under way and Round 1 quickly approaching, Scoop has gone one-on-one with all 11 senior football coaches ahead of the 2024 McDonalds BFNL season.
COACH: Travis Hodgson
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE/ACCOLADES: Sunbury Senior Coach, Bacchus Marsh Senior Coach (2017 Premiership), Hall of Fame - Ovens & Murray FNL
ON THE RECORD
SCOOP: Well Hoggy, your third BFNL coaching appointment in nine years - what appealed to you most taking on the role with the Panthers?
TRAVIS HODGSON: I love a challenge. I've never gone to a club as a player or coach that was already in the finals, it holds no appeal to me. (Melton) South are determined to improve and I’m committed to playing my role helping facilitate that. I really enjoy the BFNL also, great people, elite playing surfaces and high-quality coaches.
SCOOP: Couple of top end quality signings gives you a spine to work around. Share a couple of your early goals at the Panthers given you're coming from a fair way back...
TH: It’s pretty tough to set goals with so many variables. Yep, we're coming from a long way back and how good the new players end up performing and the level of improvement we get from the existing group are unknown that will have a fair say on how competitive we become. Coming off an average losing margin of 158 points (per game) our goals won't be based around win/loss at all. We could improve 100 points and still be winless. They will be 'in game' goals, KPI's that will show our level of progress regardless of win/loss.
SCOOP: What do you consider the blue print of BFNL footy - style/requirements/non-negotiables etc?
TH: Contested ball differential, post clearance possession, efficient ball use, repeat inside 50's and an ability to convert in front of goal are all very important. Obviously, the ability to take these things away from the opposition are just as important.
SCOOP: Rate the importance of results versus development for the club ahead of your first season in charge?
TH: Establishing a good football program is the most important thing at the moment. Developing players and style/system that can have us more competitive and stay in games for longer. If I’m being completely honest, building condition/raising fitness levels and training standards is our starting point.
Developing the right traits on the training track is the start of developing winners and we are still in that phase so they're the only results I’m chasing. Still a lot of work to be done before we're winning games.
SCOOP: In your short time with the Panthers how's the welcoming been? What do you know of the club that you didn't know before?
TH: Welcoming has been nothing short of A-Grade. I've always enjoyed going to Melton South - they value the social side of football and that's mutual.
I've been surprised by the genuine passion that those involved have for their club, the players, officials and supporters. It's a great starting point for a footy club for at the end of the day, heart and soul people at clubs are the club and Melton South have plenty of them.
IDENTIFIED STRENGTHS
TH: Statistically there are none if I’m being honest. We've been comprehensively beaten in everything other than numbers without the ball. Our big strength is the loyalty and unity of the core group to stay together after last season and the determination of all at the club to become competitive again.
PROJECTED IMPROVEMENT
TH: Conditioning (pre-season), fitness and better execution of the fundamentals. We're hopeful some decent recruits and added height in particular areas will help stiffen 'the spine'.
MOST UNDER AND OVERRATED STAT IN TODAY'S BFNL FOOTY
TH: Repeat Inside 50s and goalkicking conversion – Underrated, Clearance and stoppage numbers - Overrated
PRE-SEASON TRAINING
TH: Our numbers (on the track) have been exceptional compared to previous years. And I’ve got to give full credit to the players for their buy-in and desire to develop. Our execution of the fundamentals still has a long way to go and until we improve considerably in that area our system will break down. We understand that, know what we need to do, and are prepared to do it.
PLAYER INS
Anthony Wilson (Pembroke OS, SA), Patrick Veszpremi (Woorinen), Stuart Hobijen-Allen (Airport West), Ryder Rousch (Sunbury), Jayden Welch (Broadford), Matthew Nottman (Hepburn), Darby Schilder (Modawarre)
PLAYER OUTS
Aydin Reilly (St Kilda City), Cassius White (St Kilda City), Tevita Hellet-Tuali'i (St Kilda City), Moevao Lega-Frost (St Kilda City), Kelsey Rameka (St Kilda City), Jeremy Petaia (St Kilda City).
VFL AFFILIATED PLAYERS
Darby Schilder (Geelong VFL)
THE DRAW
SCOOP: Five trips to Ballarat won't make the Panthers efforts to bounce any easier but avoiding double ups with grand finalists Darley and North Ballarat is a bonus. New coach Travis Hodgson will have two meetings with his former club Sunbury which will be interesting. While it's an easier draw on paper than last year for the Panthers, they're coming from a long way back. Cross town rivals Melton in Round One will be a tough ask after the Bloods’ straight set finals exit in 2023.
PRACTICE MATCH SCHEDULE
March 2 v Wodonga Raiders (A)
March 16 v Hoppers Crossing (A)
March 23 v Romsey (H)
IMPROVERS TIP (OUTSIDE OF MELTON SOUTH)
TH: Sunbury (5 wins, 2022 - 8 wins 2023) and Bacchus Marsh after their strong finish to 2023 with their very talented kids can both continue to progress.
FLAG TIP (OUTSIDE OF MELTON SOUTH)
TH: North Ballarat. So good at the business end last season without winning.
