Sandringham Football Club announces Adrian Connolly as Senior Coach for the 2020 Hard Yakka / Totally Workwear VFL Season
Sandringham Football Club are excited to announce Adrian Connolly as our Senior Coach for the 2020 season. Adrian has been with the club for four years as a senior assistant coach. He brings an exceptional work ethic and high degree of experience to the role.
Adrian has had a long career in coaching having spent many years in the VAFA competition with local clubs Ormond, De La Salle and St Bede’s Mentone Tigers. Adrian then spent two years at Frankston as their midfield coach under current Southern Saints VFLW coach, Paddy Hill. Adrian has worked hard in his time at Sandringham strengthening local community contacts and working with the new young breed of players, making the transition to VFL football. In conjunction with David Cannizzo, Adrian was instrumental in introducing the Sandringham FC Community Combine Day, which has turned out to be very fruitful.
Adrian, on his appointment, was excited about the new role. “I would like to thank the club for this opportunity. Almost all the players that were signed pre-COVID19 have decided to play in 2020 and I am excited to see how we can develop this list this season”.
“There is great excitement for this journey, as we will be playing for the first time in 20 years as a standalone team. This opportunity brings great enthusiasm from the playing group. Our leaders continue to show their passion for the club with skipper Brede Seccull, Kade Answerth, Jono Haidon, Jimmy Sziller, Brayden O’Toole, Jackson Hille, and Anthony Seaton all keen to get started”
“It will be exciting to see how the old and new Zebras team up. If the preseason form of Goy Lok, Jack McHale, Chris Carey, Michael Mantiet, Dan Frampton, Nick Hogan, Luke Dalmau, Chris Horton Milne and James Freeman is anything to go by, then we feel we can get a new exciting edge to our team.” Adrian said.
“Connolls” as he is affectionately known, will be supported by a coaching panel consisting of Jake Batchelor, Chris McKay, Anthony Walsh, Bruce Bowles, Josh Vella, Anthony Vella, Ron Verma, with Tom Laumets as strength and conditioning coach.
Sandringham FC President, Nick Johnstone welcomed Adrian and said “With Adrian’s passion for player development, 2020 provides us with a unique opportunity to showcase our young talent.”
For the first time in 20 years, Sandringham Football Club will compete in the state competition as a stand-alone club.
“It will certainly be a historic year. Our 2020 list will have more playing opportunities than ever before. Where previously, our team week-on-week has been made up of both St Kilda and Sandringham players, our group this year will play together consistently as a team for at least seven games - it’s actually really exciting”, Nick said.
Sandringham FC have retained 31 players from their initial list prior to the COVID break.
Re-integration of the squad has commenced, and full-contact training will begin from Monday 13 July with a seven-round season to commence on Saturday 1 August.
We continue to be led by the Victorian Government and the AFL and player, staff and community welfare remains our absolutely our main priority.