By ADEM SARICAOGLU
SACKED Green Gully coach Dean Hennessy believes he was not given enough time to implement his plan for the former Victorian Premier League powerhouse.
Hennessy, along with assistant Paul Harris and conditioning coach Stefan Rudzki, were all given their marching orders last week.
Current skipper Jeffrey Fleming has been given the caretaker role, with Aaron Symons to assist.
With the Cavaliers’ board making its move just six weeks into a campaign which had only yielded four points, Hennessy told Star that while the decision was fair, he was afforded little opportunity to enforce change after taking the job pre-season.
“When there’s a change (of coach), the new person comes in with his ideas and he needs to have the ability to change things himself,” Hennessy said.“That was obviously never the case at Green Gully because the squad was already assembled when I got there.”
After Gully’s 2-0 loss to Northcote City last Sunday, Hennessy called for a meeting with the board the following day to discuss his views on the squad.
“I was pretty honest and upfront about where I thought the situation at the club was,” Hennessy said.“I highlighted that we are the oldest squad in the league, our average age … averages 29 and a half, and if you look at the teams that are currently doing well in the premier league – they’re all young sides.
“They’ve got a lot of youth and got a lot of enthusiasm and they’re very much geared towards the way the game is going. It’s getting quicker and quicker.”
Club football manager Raymond Mamo said the board did not share Hennessy’s opinion on the make-up of the squad.
“We believe it is a fantastic playing group, there’s a lot of experience there,” Mamo said.“We’ve enhanced the team – and we believe that with the current squad we have now, we should not be in the position that we’re in.”
Mamo also confirmed the club will gauge Fleming’s impact on the group before actively seeking Hennessy’s full-time replacement.
Fleming, who believes Green Gully’s poor start has more to do with tactical flaws rather than physical conditioning, said he’ll be “just tweaking a few things” in his new role.
“I think we’ve got the players to turn things around pretty quickly,” Fleming said on Sunday.“For me it’s just about giving the team a bit of shape and giving individuals a bit of direction and accountability.”
In Fleming’s first game in charge on Saturday, the Cavaliers escaped with a 1-1 draw at home to Port Melbourne Sharks.
