And anyone can be part of it…

Bryan Thomas talks exclusively to the Two Blues Tribune.

Two Blues Tribune: Welcome to the club Bryan. How have you found us so far?

Bryan Thomas: Well before I answer that, I would like to say thanks to the club for this opportunity to be the coach in the Centenary year. And I also want to thank the people who have been coaching and leading the club in recent years for doing a great job in what I think we all believe have been pretty tough years.  Now to answer your question, I think everyone accepts that Newtown is a well run club off the field. I was impressed by the way the club ran the presentation night at the end of the last season. As I said then, there aren’t too many clubs in Geelong that would have that standard of function.  The playing facilities are terrific and will only get better when the new nets are in place.  But the most obvious thing for me to address are the performances over the past few summers, particularly the turf teams.  The hard wicket boys have done a pretty good job of getting into the finals in most years.  Essentially, I am still working my way into the club, just looking and listening. What I can say is I am a person who works with positives and tends to ignore the negatives. I have seen a lot around the club that is very positive indeed and that’s where I will be really concentrating my efforts.  Positive reinforcement is a major part of my coaching approach.

TBT: So if we were to ask you where we might be come March in 2011, what would you say?

BT:  Mmmm, probably one year into a three-year re-building process.  There are no miracles: certainly I am no miracle worker.  I think there are some coaching initiatives we can take immediately to make training a more thorough and enjoyable part of our game.  Obviously, we are recruiting new players. But I cannot say it strongly enough:  that doesn’t mean the blokes who’ve been here over the past two summers are just going to be pushed aside. Rather what you tend to find in sport is that if you add a few new players to a really loyal and hard-working group of existing players, those blokes blossom.  So if you were a bloke who got a game on turf last year, rest assured, you’re just as much in the frame this year as last. That applies to hard wicket players, too. Just because you played hard wicket last year doesn’t mean you’re off the radar this year.  I am new to the club and essentially don’t know anyone. So if I see someone putting in at training, getting themselves fit and really doing everything right, I will be considering them for selection, not worrying about where they played last season. Of course, what happens from there will depend on attitude, attendance at training and ultimately performance on the ground over the course of the season.  But right now,  no one is in and no one is out.

TBT: A three-year re-building plan, sounds like you’re in it for the long haul?

BT: Yep, with Neville Crane and the rest of the cricket department, we’ve identified a long -term plan and we will stick to it.  You know we’ve got some really good people around this club.  It is a real thrill to be working with Don Royce. What that bloke doesn’t know about cricket administration hasn’t happened yet.  Max Ellis also offers a lot of wisdom.  Our new coaching group will spread the load more evenly.  One prediction I will make is that we will see a new and refreshed Ben Neville this year. When you talk about recruits, I think our best recruit is already here – Ben! Relieved of all the coaching duties, he will have a great season.   He can’t help but do that because he is such a great player.  And the fact we might not have got a gun recruit per se this year leaves us with that opportunity next year.

TBT: Can you give us a hint about some of the recruits?

BT:  I’d love to, but at the moment, we’re just working away with a lot of names, former players we’d like to come back, other youngsters who can see an opportunity at Newtown to improve their game.  One thing for certain is that we will be a young side, one that will need a lot of patience and support.  I know people have been saying that at Newtown for the past few years now, but there’s no getting away from it, we will be a young side, a bit inexperienced, but I think one that will want to learn quickly.  And that’s what I am about really. As a coach, your job is to show people how to improve their game. And when you see someone take on what you’re saying then go out and improve their game, well it’s why you do the job.  If that flows on to team success and all the rest of it, that’s a real bonus.  But first things first, let’s really concentrate on getting the basics right, whether those basics are someone’s individual technique, or the way we go about training, or the way we approach the game of cricket on Saturday.

TBT: If you had one bit of advice to the players, the new ones and the ones who’ve been at the club awhile now, what would it be?

BT: Cricket season goes from September to March. In fact when you include pre-season, it goes for longer then that. Particularly in the club’s 100^th year, players should be ultra-prepared to commit for that period.  I know Neville has a view that there are only two reasons to miss a game of cricket– death or hospitalisation.  I also know we live in different times these days where there are a lot more demands on our time, but if you really want to get the best out of your cricket – and that’s where the ultimate enjoyment level is – well you won’t achieve that if your commitment is not 100 per cent, then add another 10 per cent.  That’s basically it. It’s not rocket science. You will ultimately get back from cricket what you put in. And blokes who put in will well and truly impress the coach, the chairman of selectors and rest of the cricket department no matter who they are or where they might have played in the past.

Bryan Thomas is one of Geelong’s most successful coaches.  In 2010/2011, he will be both the senior coach and bowling coach at N&CCC.

Bryan is a Qualified Level 2 coach who has an outstanding record with St Joseph’s in the GCA taking over 200 wickets in the first XI. Brian also heads the Barwon Rockets U/18′s side as Coach, where he was instrumental in the U/18 Rocket’s winning the Commonwealth Bank Trophy in 2008/09.

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