Essendon Royals confirm reappointment of Mick Ferrante as 2024 Senior Men’s Coach
The Essendon Royals are delighted to confirm the re-signing of Mick Ferrante as the Senior Men’s Coach for the 2024 season, marking his third consecutive year in this pivotal role.
Mick Ferrante, a figure synonymous with the Royals, has been instrumental in steering the Royals through seasons of triumph and learning. Achieving promotion out of State League 1 in 2022 and ensuring survival in new surroundings in NPL3 in 2023, Ferrante has demonstrated a keen ability to navigate through the multifaceted challenges of the competition.
Ferrante was a junior at the Royals, enjoying many of his first footballing memories at Ormond Park, before returning to the club following a stellar career in England, Italy and back home in Australia, before returning home to Essendon as a Senior Club Captain and eventually Senior Coach.
Reflecting on the journey, Ferrante said his passion for coaching the Royals was burning as strong as ever.
“It’s a privilege to be at the helm of the club; it means a lot to me,” he said.
“Having strong ties with the club since growing up there as a kid has helped embracing the passion that makes me enjoy what I’m doing there, I’m glad that they have given me another chance to try and achieve the next step in the plan. We’re aiming to do better than last year and looking forward to the challenge.”
The 2023 season, while presenting its own set of challenges, offered a wealth of learning.
“It was a strange year. Performance-wise, I don’t think we deserved to finish where we did. I was very grateful that I got to learn some lessons without the ultimate punishment of relegation,” he said.
“We set out to consolidate promotion, which we did, but not in the way we wanted. Despite that, we learned some valuable lessons while maintaining our position.
“It was clear that in this league, every team had individuals in that ruthlessly punished any mistakes you made, more so than in State League 1, so I think mistakes and naivety in this league are much more costly, but that’s a natural progression when you go up and one we need to be better equipped for next season.”
As we approach the 2024 season, Ferrante is poised to infuse the squad with youthful exuberance, ensuring a blend of experience and dynamism.
“There will be some changes in the squad. I feel like some younger players will add exuberance and energy to the group, which is something we lacked at times last year,” he said.
“There will be a continued focus on building what we started last season and breeding more young boys that are already within the club and some younger new players coming into the team.
“For me, that’s a step in the right direction for the longevity of the squad.”
Ferrante’s commitment to nurturing young talent within the club and introducing new players into the team signals a step towards sustainability and long-term success for the Royals, and will build on the six Royals juniors who made senior debuts in 2023.
The Royals look forward to the 2024 campaign with Ferrante at the helm.