By Jonty Ralphsmith
Last year it was all about fast ball movement for Dingley.
This year, first time coach Zach Horsley wants to implement an element of control for the Dingoes.
It bucks the trend of what footy at all levels is leaning towards in the modern age, but Horsley has a philosophy that lends itself to a safer brand of footy which will limit scores against on turnover.
There will still be room for exciting aggression – Lachie Lamble, playing on a wing, will still have the licence to take the game on within certain parameters, for example.
But the way they inject speed into the game will be different.
“Last year they were more chaotic with fast handballs at the front of contest,” Horsley said.
“This year we’ll play with more control and try and build the play up and dictate the speed of the game with our ball movement, not so much the chaos that comes from the contest.
“We might be the outliers of the competition, with others following more of an AFL trend, where it’s fast and chaotic and get the ball going forward whereas we are more in control.
“We are going to be different, and it will have its own challenges, but we have done a whole preseason and I am confident we can get the results.
“I have always felt like you can build speed from your ball movement, you don’t have to have speed from chaotic areas, so for us if we can work hard, that manic pressure will come regardless.
“If we have controlled possession, we can play more of a predictable game plan for the whole team, but that manic game plan is a little bit of good luck.
“When a side is able to apply pressure and force turn over in dangerous spots, you can be caught out.
“Our mentality will be to create that for ourselves and limit turn over against us because of our ball movement.”
The Dingoes have lost Dan Farmer and Justin Van Unen up forward but regained former Dingo Tom Morecroft.
“He’ll create a lot of forward pressure and generates a lot of good looks inside 50, so without being a main target he’s really crafty in the way he finds opportunity towards goal,” he said.
“I think for him, we’re definitely looking at the 30-40 goal range and if we can generate it and have good looks around him, we can drag the oppo defence, he’ll get good match ups.”
The club hopes he can kick 30-40 goals, while buzzy small Rory Goldsmith showed last season he’s ready to take his footy to the next level.
Nathan Freeman will continue on for Dingley and add an experienced and senior edge to the midfield group.
With league medallist Lucas Walmsley also being in that mix, the Dingoes engine room will be hard to stop at full tilt in 2023.
Walmsley has had an injury-interrupted preseason but will be right to go for round one.
The club says Lochie Benton will play half-forward this season, having shown versatility for both Sandringham Dragons and GWS Giants VFL across the past two years.
The hard running Benton has quick hands and is clean below his knees, while his ability to produce some excellent offensive play will likely catch some teams out in 2023.
Though not VFL listed, he is seen as a player capable of playing regular senior VFL football.
In his first senior coaching gig after being a long-time assistant at MPFNL club Frankston Bombers, Horsley said he has enjoyed running his own ship and hinted it may take time for the fruits of the game plan to be reaped.
“At the end of the day it’s a completely new system they haven’t done before, so we’re teaching it from scratch and are going to have our good moments and our bad moments,” Horsley said.
“As a group collectively, we have to own the situation we’re in and keep developing.
“It’s not a six month solution, it’s a long term one and it will hopefully be really good and we’ll make it our own.”
Dingley Fixture
Round 1: Saturday 15 April v Cheltenham (away).
Round 2: Saturday 22 April v Cranbourne (away).
Round 3: Saturday 29 April v Port Melbourne Colts (home).
Round 4: Saturday 6 May v Springvale Districts (away).
Round 5: Saturday 13 May v Mordialloc (home).
Round 6: Saturday 20 May v St Kilda City (away).
Round 7: Saturday 27 May v Chelsea Heights (home).
Round 8: Saturday 3 June v St Paul’s McKinnon (home).
Round 9: Saturday 17 June v Bentleigh (away).
Round 10: Saturday 24 June v Cheltenham (home).
Round 11: Saturday 1 July v Cranbourne (home).
Round 12: Saturday 8 July v Port Melbourne Colts (away).
Round 13: Saturday 15 July v Springvale Districts (home).
Round 14: Saturday 29 July v Mordialloc (away).
Round 15: Saturday 5 August v St Kilda City (home).
Round 16: Saturday 12 August v Chelsea Heights (away).
Round 17: Saturday 19 August v St Paul’s McKinnon (away).
Round 18: Saturday 26 August v Bentleigh (home).
