It’s easy to get the feeling Caroline Springs Football Club wishes a new season could start tomorrow.
The Lakers enjoyed a breakout 2014, which started with a place in the Western Region Football League’s division 2 competition.
Ten wins for the season is also a club record.
Caroline Springs football manager Marc Raak said everyone at the club was excited by what was achieved.
“We’re rapt with the year,” he said. “The last four weeks were sensational. We beat North Footscray and Glenorden and went down to the wire against second-placed Wyndhamvale. There are so many massive pluses for us.”
Caroline Springs has already made moves to strengthen its playing group for next season, with the club talking to at least two players who were in
division 1 this year.
While the Lakers aren’t naming names, Raak said the signings would cap off the list nicely.
“They’ll be coming from a first division competition,” he said. “We’ve been in discussions for two weeks.
“The playing group we have now wants to stick together. They’ve made that crystal-clear to the club.
“They want to stay together and do something special for our club and that’s playing finals next year. That’s what we’re working for.”
Raak said almost all the club’s players of 2014 had signed on for next year.
But one still in discussions with the Lakers is goalkicking superstar Shaun Buttigieg-Clarke, who booted 107 goals this year.
“My gut feeling is he’ll stay,” Raak said. “There might be an opportunity for him to go into a higher league and he may want to leave the door ajar for that.
“In saying that, he wants to play for a quality team. He’s had a great year and enjoys the club and he told us he’ll even continue training with us preseason.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed that he’ll stay.”
Caroline Springs has also re-signed coach Paul Growcott for 2015.
