At the halfway point of the 2022 Mid South Eastern Football League season Kongorong would be happy with two wins and a couple of games that slipped away at the last moment, but for new Senior coach Cameron Sandercock all eyes are set on a better second half.
Sandercock was given the top job in strange circumstances with the sudden departure of Will Whitty occurring just weeks out from the start of the season, being thrown the reigns to the Hawks nest with an aim of developing a new era and style.
“I am just trying to keep the group together at the moment,” Sandercock said.
“We are getting a few injuries here and there and I want to try and look after them a bit.
“We have also got a few boys leaving in the second half which will make it hard but we are trying to keep a core bunch together.
“I am trying to get a game style which we can play and in recent weeks that has shown. It was on display the week we played Glencoe.”
Second half goals are the Hawks aim, with plans of blooding some senior colts with the likes of Will Von Stanke, Campbell Graney and Brodie Von Stanke-Dowie all getting a taste of senior football in recent weeks.
The win-loss ratio for Sandercock stands at two wins and five losses, but he wants to see an improvement across the board of at least four wins in the second half.
“COVID-19 has also played a big part in the playing group in the first half of the season as it has been hard to get a settled core bunch together,” he said.
The rugged, long-kicking, high-leaping left footer has slotted in well at Kongorong and has made good rapport with the club’s community.
Sandercock’s football career started at the age of 15 at the home of the Kybybolite Tigers in the KNTFL, having played a lot of junior football and winning premierships.
From there the move was made to Western Australia where he played in the WAFL for East Perth before he came back to South Australia and played in Adelaide.
In 2020 Sandercock was appointed to West Gambier as the senior coach, but COVID-19 threw those plans out the window.
He is no stranger to the coaching role having done this before in the KNTFL for Bordertown following a stint at Border Districts.
Kongorong will hit the ground running in the second half of the Mid South East season when they take on Port MacDonnell in round 10 on Saturday, June 18.
