When interviewing for the Lalor senior football coaching job, one thing really stood out for Angelo Lamanna.
Having been involved in football on the other side of the city for all his life, Lamanna decided to look for a role closer to his new home in Melbourne’s north. He was appointed as coach of the Northern Football League division 3 club earlier this month.
Lamanna replaces Gary Cutler who stood down after three years in the role.
While the Bloods have had a few tough years on field, Lamanna was quick to see the real positives at the club.
“I was looking for a club that was going to suit my style of coaching, a defensive style,” he said.
“I wanted a challenge and a club that has some real big history.
“Lalor caught my eye. I know they were once a rock solid football club, but every club has their struggles.
“I was at a couple of interviews and what caught my interest was that so many people were invested in the club, in a heart and soul sort of way.
“The processes are easier when you know they have your back.”
Lamanna comes to the Bloods with an extensive coaching record, including being involved with NAB League and VFL programs.
He said that he had kept his eye on the scores for Lalor in recent years since moving across.
While they aren’t pretty reading, with just one win this year, Lamanna said there had been plenty of good things happening.
“Footy is tough at the moment,” he said.
“A lot of premier clubs have been struggling and some have struggled to field two teams.
“So for this club to field two teams this year, was pretty good.”
Lamanna said his aim for the side this year was to be competitive and be able to compete with the best teams.
“We are looking at having a relatively strong game plan,” he said.
“And a good solid culture.
“There will be a lot of development with a lot of younger kids coming through.
“It’s a fairly young list and we will be looking at learning all the time. We’ll be a good, hard honest team.”
Lamanna said he was already speaking to players about joining the club for next season. He said they were looking to add a bit more experience to the group, while also bolstering their young brigade.
He said he had already spoken to some of the playing group and that his focus over the next couple of weeks was speaking to the rest of the group.
Tara Murray
