New Westgate coach Terry Antoniadis is keen for the new challenge at the FV state league 1 north-west competition.
No stranger to the competition, Antoniadis is set to lead Westgate into a new era.
Antoniadis said it was a good opportunity to have a fresh start for him and the club. He last season coached Western Suburbs, having also previously spent a number of years at Altona East Phoenix.
“There’s always a level of excitement,” he said. “There were quite a few things that attracted me to the club.
“I’ve coached against them for many years now. I’ve got to know some of the players down at the club and got along with them really well.
“I like them as people and admired them from afar.”
Antoniadis said speaking with committee members during the process that the club had a vision in place of where they want to get mid term and long term.
He said the committee knows where it wants to go.
“They were transparent with that,” he said. “It aligns with my values and the environment I like to work in.
“It’s a good fit for both of us.”
Antoniadis said the club had the vision to eventually earn a spot in the Victorian Premier and National Premier League system, but it was about making sure that they achieved it in the right way.
He said it won’t happen overnight.
“It will be more realistically in two to three years,” he said. “In the short term we will put the blocks in place to maybe launch for that position in two or three years.
“But we’re not going to put a cap on what we can achieve in 2026 and will try and go as well as we can.”
Westgate finished in the middle of the table this year.
It started the season really strong with not many losses in the early rounds, before fading away in the second half of the season.
Antoniadis said he wasn’t sure of the reasons behind it but felt they had a good base to start with.
“I’m speaking to different people getting an understanding of players if they are staying at the club or are they going to go.
“What gaps we have to fill and where will have to recruit from elsewhere. There’s a good blend of youth and experience and we’ll try to add some players to improve.”
The club has also appointed James Pete as assistant coach.
He also comes across from Western Suburbs.
