Launceston City launches an impressive coaching panel

Amid strong numbers at a midweek training session, the familiar names of Sawdon, Savill and Sciulli were spotted taking individual sessions at St Patrick’s College.

The faces are a who’s who of some of the past club greats from a bygone era.

It was just two years ago when Lino Sciulli took the reigns of Northern Rangers, Peter Savill was in charge of Hobart Zebras and Peter Sawdon was in retirement.

Now they are in it together.

“We’ve basically got a lot of good coaches around me,” Sawdon said. “We’re a lot more experienced this year.

“So fitting back into the scheme of things, it has been a bit seamless. It’s like I haven’t been away from them.”

Sawdon returns to City in charge of the NPL side while Savill is head of youth development and will be assisted by Sciulli.

The coaching panel goes on. It’s almost longer than club goalkeeper Lachlan Clarke’s outstretched arms.

Roger Mies has moved from NPL assistant to director of football, Robert Murray has been promoted from its Northern Championship coach to NPL assistant coach as Justin Dyer takes on Murray’s old role and Dallas Kelly has been named Northern Championship 1 coach.

Selina Steventon has been announced captain-coach of City’s women, with former Northern Rangers stalwart Darren Cook joining the club as her bench assistant.

Exercise physiologist Sam Rosetto has come on board to give City players that added edge over the summer.

Between all the coaches, there’s 15 state league best and fairests, two Rothman medallists, two George Dale winners, more than 1000 City senior games played and more than 100 seasons of combined experience.

Sawdon insists that with so many voices around the ears of the players, the message won’t be mixed but fresh.

“I’ve come in and have set some pretty high standards,” Sawdon said, “and all of the coaches have stepped up, no problem whatsoever.

“When we settle sessions, we all take a part of that session to keep that variety into it to keep players interested.

“We work really hard and the boys have been so willing that it has been an absolute pleasure coaching them.

“But I have left it to their initiative – I haven’t mandated anything there.”

Sawdon has started to make his imprint on the club just by his inspired coaching appointments. 

It hints the type of game City will play in this season’s NPL competition.

“We’ve got a good room full of experiences of forwards, midfielders – not much of defensive experience, but that says something about how we may set up and look at the game,” he said.

“If they score one, we’ll score two.”

Sawdon also plans to go against the trend of most modern-day coaches.

He is keen to dull down on two-touch football, instead backing in the initiative and instinct of his players.

“It’s important for the players’ development that they get a choice of how they play during a game,” he said.