New dawn: The Timbercutters are aiming for renewed fortunes under Tim McCormick and Nick Ferrari next season. Photo: Steve Huntley
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Steve Huntley
Picola and District Football League club Mathoura has turned to a club legend to helm the Timbercutters rebuild with the appointments of Tim McCormick and Nick Ferrari as senior co-coaches for 2023.
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McCormick, a 200-game life member and 1993 premiership player at the club, will bring an experienced hand to the role alongside Mathoura’s current playing assistant coach Nick Ferrari.
First-year senior coach Stan Gilday, appointed at the beginning of the year, will remain in the position for the remainder of the season before taking up the Reserves coaching role next year.
McCormick said he was determined to see Mathoura return to its most competitive, indicating part of the focus would be on luring back members of last season’s squad.
“We lost 15-18 players from last season, so a focus will be speaking to a lot of those guys that left to see if they’re happy to come back,” McCormick said.
“A lot of them had been at the club for four or five years.
Big challenge: Mathoura faces PDFL premiership fancies Strathmerton this Saturday. Photo: Josh Huntly
“We have a few more local contacts to try and hopefully recruit and get the place back to where it should be, which is a bit more competitive.”
The current senior squad currently sits 14th with a 1-12 record, with the Timbercutters only win for the season came against Yarroweyah in round five.
In a difficult season to date, members of the 2021 Thirds squad have formed the core of the senior side.
“I think development with the young guys we’ve got will be a big thing – 80 per cent of our side this year is made up predominantly of under-17s from last season,” McCormick said.
“Implementing a game plan that we think will suit them and the guys that we bring in will be important.”
McCormick also praised Gilday’s efforts at a tumultuous time for the club following the pre-season exodus of the majority of the 2021 senior squad and committee.
“Full credit to Stan, he took it on at a time where no-one else had put their hand up,” McCormick said.
“It was a late appointment, so the recruiting was very hard.”
McCormick has held Reserves and Thirds coaching roles at Mathoura Reserve previously, while also recently standing as president of the club.
Ferrari joined Mathoura from Northern Football Netball League club Diamond Creek where he was a coach, and as well as signing on as assistant coach, has been the club’s leading goal-kicker this season with 17.
Ferrari will join McCormick in a non-playing capacity in 2023 as the club endeavours to return the senior squad to the heights of last season, a year where the Timbercutters qualified for finals.
“(Nick’s) got a passion for footy,” McCormick said.
“He’s coached down there in Melbourne, and he’s got some good contacts as well. His experience in high-level competitions will be invaluable, he’s been a great back-up for Stan.
“I think with the pair of us we have a really good mix.”
Mathoura’s immediate focus will turn to this Saturday’s round 15 clash against reigning premier Strathmerton which is sitting third in the PDFL.
On the court, Mathoura will have an equally challenging assignment when it faces the Bulldog’s A-grade netball outfit which is currently second in the competition.
