Teenage THE Berwick City Cougars celebrated their breakthrough season at Fountain Gate Hotel last Friday night with the promise of an even brighter future.
The Cougars played finals for the first time at senior level this summer, with both their Division Three and reserves sides reaching the post-season.
The reserves posted the club’s first senior finals victory in their replayed clash with St Kilda this month before losing their preliminary final against Springvale.
And Berwick City’s Little League Metro East squad made it all the way to the grand final.
But it was the youthful senior team’s surge to second place after the home-and-away season and its eventual preliminary final appearance that was the highlight of the year.
Officials’ and players’ change in expectations was evident in playing coach Wayne Porter’s response to Springvale’s defeat to Williamstown in the grand final on Saturday.
“I was pretty gutted (when Williamstown knocked us out), especially after seeing Williamstown won,” he said.
“But they (the Cougars) exceeded where I thought they might have been – maybe I was underestimating things a little bit.
“We’re still a few years off cementing our spot up there. The easiest part is getting there; the harder part is staying there.
“You have got to get the right people to your club and make sure you’re doing the right things with your kids because it does take time to establish yourself.”
Porter, who has played the game for 32 years and coached for the past 26, is unsure about his own future.
He has two young children with his wife, Amanda, and will remain at Cyril Molyneux Reserve even if he does step down from his senior coaching job.
But Porter may have played his last game for the senior side because he doesn’t want to hinder the opportunities of the abundance of talented players coming through at the club.
“I never know at this time of the year and I don’t give anybody any guarantees … but I’ll be at Berwick, that’s for sure,” he said.
Porter, who shared the club champion award with teenage pitcher Matthew Kennedy, believes only management error could prevent Berwick City from becoming a major force in the upper echelon of State League baseball in the coming years.
“They just needed someone to give them a bit of direction and, now they’ve got it, it would be their own stupid fault if they went backwards,” he said.
“As long as they pick the right people to do it and not just names and don’t bother looking week to week.
“They need to look ahead rather than at their wins or losses. If they look ahead to see where they want to be in five years they’ll be right.”
Former club champion pitcher Jude Power will not be able to help the club in its attempt to reach Division Two next season due to interstate navy commitments.
Matthew Kennedy, Martin Kennedy and stalwart reliever Shaun Fahy will need to shoulder much of the load unless the Cougars recruit a senior pitcher.
This season’s most valuable player, catcher Ian Frost, will play a major role in the transition.
But the batting will be a strength again, with Fahy, American revelation Tim Moon, prodigy Adam Silva, steals king Jake McLardy and president Paul Quinn at the forefront.
Eighteen-year-old Jack Spiers will be important, too, after an improved season with the bat and he also shone in the field.
Power’s big hitting and Porter’s league-leading batting average – if he does step down – will, however, be greatly missed.
The likes of Aaron Warner, Shaun Surtees and Sam Beasley will need to step up to cover their losses.
Berwick City will be a different club next season after experiencing finals for the first time.
The development from last season was dramatic and a similar improvement in 2009/10 should see the Cougars book a Division Two spot.
