They are back!
Collingwood City FC is happy to announce that we have retained the services of our coaching staff from our promotion winning season this year as we look to expand our club's presence in the area and within Football Federation Victoria! We cannot say enough good things about the crew that took us to promotion this year.
Rich Bates
In his second stint as our Senior team coach, Coach Bates has taken the club to a staggering new level. The lessons he brought over from his brief stint at Doncaster Rovers were implemented quickly by the squad and the results paid off. We reached several milestones this year, Reaching the second round of the FFA Cup (a first since the new format was introduced), topping the ladder in State League 4 East above the eventual league winner, and making a promotion bid for the first time in ten years has been an amazing feet. To top it off, we successfully obtained promotion into 3rd South East! We cannot thank him enough for the precedent he has set for squads in the future as well as our current squad who will next year take to the field in the quest to be promoted to the 2nd Division!
Ross Evans
We are proud to announce that Ross has taken a position within the club as Assistant Manager for the Senior side, helping building upon the great work he and Coach Bates started this past season! Ross Evans pulled double duty this year, not only coaching our Reserve side, but also being the caretaker of our U11 Boys Kangaroo team. Coach Evans’ first full season as the Reserve coach gave the club an impressive unbeaten streak that lasted until Round 16. While many of those draws from last minute goals were bittersweet, it was a proud moment for the club each round as the team held strong. Ross even had to take the field on several matches to relieve injured players, one match resulting in a wonderful goal that even he admits will be hard to repeat.
Richie Garnett
Another coach with two jobs at the club, Coach Garnett worked with our goal keepers (we had a total of four this season in the Seniors and Reserves alone!) as well as spending his Sundays making treks out to Lilydale, Frankston, and Montrose as the goalie and coach of our inaugural 3rds side. He too would come up with a goal, having slotted home a penalty, which might not have been as glorious as the one Coach Evans produced, but it gave the boost the squad of players half his age needed. He has worked tirelessly this year, not only ferrying players to matches but producing some of the more amazing drills our club has seen. We would be remiss to not mention his total of three clean sheets for both Reserves and 3rds (highest total at the club this season).
Pre-Season is coming up shortly and the club is now actively looking for a new Reserve Team coach to work with our staff as State 3 South-East beckons!
