New Mernda coach Brent Marshall is keen to help develop the kids and the next generation as he takes on the role at the Northern Football League division 3 club.
Marshall, who joined the Demons last season, has been appointed coach for next year having recently stepped into the role in an interim nature.
Marshall, a premiership captain at Bundoora, said he was excited to take on the role.
“In the short time I’ve been at Mernda they have welcomed me coming from Bundoora,” he said. “I played that high level of footy and wanted to come and help the kids.
“The boys respect me and what I’ve done in footy.
“The conversation about them wanting me to coach was an easy decision with how supportive they are of me.
“Having the backing from the club is huge and it was an easy decision to take it on and have a crack.”
Marshall said when he was first approached about the role, he was a bit hesitant with a baby on the way later this year.
He said his partner was from a footy background and told him to go for it.
“Speaking to a few of the boys they were keen for me to do it,” he said. “You are never really ready for it [coaching], so you have to put your toes in the water.”
Marshall said having at least six weeks to coach the group this season would provide a real stepping stone for next season.
He said it was like taking on an apprenticeship for those weeks.
“The last six weeks we’ll look at how does it look and implement different things,” he said.
“We’re down on personnel at the moment with important star players out.
“We’ll fine tune things. The next couple of weeks see how they respond to different things.”
It’s been a tough start for Marshall as coach with the side losing its first three matches
Having lost Billy Morrison and Christian Evans for the season with injuries and captain Dayne Kellett through concussion along with a few other injuries, the Demons have fallen just shot.
Marshall said they were looking for the positives out of it.
“They come back into the side and it’s a different ball game,” he said.
“We’ve had three kids playing from the under-19s, in their first year of senior footy.
“Jarrah [Younger] and Tommy Ciacia have stepped up the last three weeks and held their own.
“We want to blood the young kids and give them an opportunity to play games and keep them interested.
“We want to look after our own internally for the long term.”
Finals are now a long shot for the Demons, but Marshall said they would keep attacking training and games as if they were playing finals.
“If we do the right things, stranger things have happened.”
Jarrod King has been named the Demons assistant coach.
