HOCKEY
Marten de Man's Midas' Touch
In his first year as Head Coach, Marten de Man led his Greensborough Senior Mens' team to the Hockey Premier League title. But as he tells Andrew Bishara, it's not all down to him.
First things first, how did it feel to win the Hockey Premier League in your first season?
“Really, really happy. All the hard work for myself and team was justified.”
On a personal level?
“As for myself, it was taking my coaching to the next level, and one that I was comfortable with. It was all about transition. I took on the direction the club wanted and we wanted to succeed, like we did this year.”
Was there any expectation or requirement that the team had to win the title this season?
“At the start of the season, at the pre season camp, the team set a few goals about having a successful year, but we never explicitly said we wanted to finish on top or win the premiership.”
So what were the expectations?
“We wanted to finish as high as we could and hopefully make a grand final, which is what we did. The boys were marvellous throughout the season.”
And what about yourself, what
expectations did you have?
“I wanted to get the boys to enjoy and get used to the style and way I wanted them to play.”
What style was that?
“We wanted to play a very attacking style of hockey. We focused on ball movement and encouraged the boys to press forward. But also for the boys to have the ability to run and tire the other teams out.”
HAWTHORN WOMENS CHAMPIONS
A 3-1 win over Essendon HC in the final saw Hawthorn Women’s claim the 2014 Hockey Premier League title. It was the result of three years of hard work and as Head Coach Tim Strapp tells Andrew Bishara, it heralds a new era at the club.
What made this title win so special?
“It’s fantastic, the girls worked really hard over the last couple of years. We were in the Second Division a couple of years ago. We got relegated in 2012, and the team we had in 2012 was quite a good team.”
Was it a case of a missed opportunity
with such a good team?
“I took over in 2013, and we sort of made a pact at the time, that coming back up we weren’t going to waste that opportunity.”
What did you want to do when you took over as coach?
“When they got relegated, I was approached to take over and I wanted us to become a powerhouse or a club that's feared throughout
the competition.
You know, you go
to certain clubs
grounds and you're
mindful that you’re
facing a tough
opponent and
I wanted that
from us.”
Was that mindset a
struggle to implement
onto the team?
When did it start?
“It started from not
dropping a game in
State League Two, and winning the final 8-1 and sending a message to the Premier League that we’re not just coming up to make up numbers, but to watch out, we can make finals."
Was it about progressing every year?
“Last year we shocked a couple of clubs by finishing fourth and this year building forward..."
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