By RUSSELL BENNETT
AFTER a debut season of astonishing development, the Pakenham Silverbacks are ready to take another huge step forward under new head coach Paul Tindall.
The new mentor isn’t afraid to dream big in his first year with the team either – aiming to win the Gridiron Victoria Division 2 crown for the second year running after guiding the Gippsland Gladiators to the title last season.
Tindall is entering his 14th year in the sport with experience across three states – Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria – as both a player and coach and winning multiple titles. There isn’t much he hasn’t seen in gridiron at the Australian grassroots level. In fact, he’s also got some experience in Canadian football after having spent a year there travelling.
Tindall has just come off a four-year stint with the Gladiators and, after reaching the team’s ultimate goal last season, he said the timing was right for a new challenge.
“I was very happy with what I saw from Pakenham,” he said.
“I saw and heard the direction they were taking and it’s something I’d always hoped the Gladiators were going to do.
“The dedication and off-field direction were fantastic, and just things like the fact that these guys as a team went to a sports training venue and started working as a group and doing gym work together.
“It was more of a professional attitude, which is what I was looking for.”
Tindall said he saw plenty of upside for the Silverbacks.
“I look at the way the Pakenham team has developed in just 12 months and I think they have the drive and ability to go much further,” he said.
“It’s a new challenge for me.
“I spent four years with Gippsland and took them to the Division 2 Championship last year and won, and I plan to do the same for Pakenham.”
Tindall, who still lives in Morwell, said the Silverbacks’ future development was crucial.
“Playing against the Silverbacks last year and seeing the support they had on the sidelines – and on the road every week – it was better than what some teams who’ve been in the competition for six or seven years have got,” he said.
“It’s great to see and it’s now about progressing from there both on and off the field to ensure that the players and fans both get the best value, and we bring the trophy back to Pakenham.”
