Essendon Mazda Coach’s Comment: Van’t Schip and Essendon Royals primed for league opener
It doesn’t get much more State League 1 than a trip to Banyule City, and Essendon Royals Senior Men’s Assistant Coach Davey Van’t Schip is relishing the start of another league campaign.
Backing up from a handy 2-1 win over Caroline Springs George Cross in the Australia Cup third round two weeks ago, the Royals rounded out pre-season with a fiercely contested 0-0 draw against Fitzroy City last Thursday night.
The performance capped off a strong pre-season, which Van’t Schip says has the boys primed for Saturday’s contest against a Banyule side who are looking to make a big improvement in 2022.
“The squad was happy with the result against George Cross and it was a great reward after a pretty rough emotional week.
“To put that aside for 90 minutes and then get to sing the song and be together as a group was a big moment for us.
“Still, there were some things from that game we weren’t happy with in terms of how we played and we tried to address that against Fitzroy.
“Again, there are still some things to work on, but we got through that game with a clean sheet, and that’s something that will be very important for us to repeat.”
Van’t Schip said that the Royals’ matchday preparations will centre on what they can do to hurt opponents, rather than limiting opposition teams, adding that he was looking for the Royals to add defensive sturdiness to their ball-playing strengths.
“Last year I think most would have thought we were one of the better ball-playing sides, so we want to bring that into 2022, but with more defensive solidarity,” he said.
“The way Vitale [Ferrante] and now Mick [Ferrante] and I work is we’re very focused on our own team performance, but I know that [Banyule City coach] Dom Barba is a very good coach, and they’ll be just as up for round one as we are, so we’re expecting a tough test but also a good chance to make a statement about our intentions for the season.”
With a number of options to select from across the park, Van’t Schip said there were a number of big calls to be made at the selection table.
“When you have a big squad and everyone is fit and available, it’s a good problem to have,” he said.
“We are close to full strength so there will probably be some disappointed players, but it’s a good problem to have.
“We’ve made it clear to everyone in the squad that it’s a long season, and we’re going to need every single player that’s a part of the senior squad to play a role. That might not be in Round 1 or even in Round 2, but they know that when we do need them to play their role, they have to be ready.”
Mick Ferrante will continue to oversee the matchday operation whilst Van’t Schip focuses on his playing role.
Matteo Ballan will captain the Royals whilst Mick attends to coaching duties.
Head down to Yallambie Park Reserve to support the boys as they look to start the league campaign with a bang. Reserves kick-off at 12.15 PM, Seniors kick-off at 3 PM.