Calder Cannons coach Andrew Johnston walked into a “blank canvas” when he started at the club late last year and he is happy with what he saw after the club’s opening round win in the TAC Cup against Sandringham Dragons on Saturday.
Johnston, who took over the role from Andrew Jago in the offseason, watched as his side defeated the Dragons 13.4 (82) to 8.7 (55).
The Cannons got off to a flier kicking six goals to one in the first half, before having to hold off the Dragons in the second half.
The Dragons got to within eight points twice in the second half before the Cannons kicked away for the 27-point win.
Tyson Young, Hisham Kerbatieh and Josh Flower each kicked two goals for the Cannons,
Speaking before the match, Johnston said the players had come a long way in a short time.
“We have to get to know each other and it’s about developing the guys and not results,” Johnston said.
“We’ve had the majority of the guys who will be playing in the first few rounds but not playing in the last few practice matches and it’s about seeing where they can play and where we will look to play them.
“I have no expectations to get it right in the first few rounds.
“It’s about improving game by game, quarter by quarter and if they play an individual game it will show in the results.”
Johnston said some of the usual suspects had stood out in the preseason.
“A lot of the guys who played together have started the preseason well.
“James Peters, Josh Flowers, Matthew Stillman have been good and Nick O’Kearney [the club’s best and fairest winner last year] was always going to be up there.
“A couple of the 19-year-olds in Callum Moore and Mark Kovacevic who been good and mixing it with some of the 17-year-olds like Tyson Young and Hayden Blythe.”
He said Kovacevic and Moore, who was injured on the weekend, were likely to play some VFL football as the season progressed for further development.
Like last year, the club hasn’t appointed a captain, but will rotate the role through the leadership group.
George Romios, Flower, Mitch Conn, Joseph Tobin, Tom Gawthrop, Kovacevic, Matthew Stillman, Zak Wunhym, Nick O’Kearney, Tom Wallis, Peters, Kerbatieh make up the leadership group.
“There’s no standout leader with all the guys developing in their own ways,” Johnston said.
“We have eight-nine guys who will get the opportunity to captain and see how they go in the role.”
Wallis is one player who is set to step up after spending some of the preseason with Essendon in the AFL.
The midfielder, the son of two-time Essendon premiership player Dean Wallis, is eligible to be drafted under the father-son rule.
“It was a great experience for him and adds a degree of elite to his preparation,” Johnston said.
“He has the country blokiness to him and isn’t that serious. He has come back in real good shape.”
For Johnston, returning to the club after five years away has been easy.
“There’s a lot of familiar faces and similarities.”
