Keilor Park Football Club is climbing off the canvas. After a 2015 season marred by heavy losses and constant questions about the Devils’ long-term future, the club has named favourite son Marcus Barclay as head coach for 2016.
For Barclay, the job is a homecoming after a long and decorated playing career at the Essendon District Football League club.
He played more than 350 matches and is a member of the club’s team of the century.
Barclay also coached the Devils for three years before taking jobs at Western Region Football League clubs Albion and St Albans.
But going back to the club is about a lot more than wins and losses for the incoming coach, who wants to return Keilor Park to former glories.
“Coming back to the club is very important because you’d hate to see the place where you grew up close its doors,” Barclay said.
“That’s the talk we’ve been hearing around the Essendon league all year … it must have been a really tough year.”
It may be the off-season, but there has been no break for Barclay since taking on the role.
He and committee member Scott Kempster are working the phones trying to get former teammates back to the club.
So far, they have got 16 new players to commit to 2016 and they’re hoping that number will grow to 25 by round one.
Combining the new faces with the 35 existing players on Keilor Park’s list will give the club a better base to attack the new season.
“I think getting those guys back will help build the culture quickly,” Barclay said.
“If we can get 15 or 20 players who have all worn the jumper before, you’d think that may make it easier to get the current players up and about.”
Barclay is also hoping to bring the fans back to Keilor Park after the Parkers struggled for support this year.
“I went to their last game, against Moonee Valley and there were only about a dozen supporters there,” the new coach said.
“If we can get 20 to 25 players of any ability, that at least will give us friends, girlfriends and parents coming down.”
