New coaches hyped for first game - a year later than planned

Once on the books of Essendon, the former VFL onballer joined after three years with Mansfield, ready to ignite his coaching career.

Stepping into any new job - football or otherwise - is nerve-racking enough, but the Cobras' new leader started to tick the boxes.

Pre-season was done, new faces had signed, and Bacchus Marsh sat primed for the 2020 season.

What would come is well known. Football lay dormant, and German was thrust into unfamiliar territory.

"It was hard, and being a first-year coach, it was a lot harder as well," he said.

"The playing group really bought into the first lockdown we had last year. We had online sessions, and everything that we were doing everybody bought into, which was pleasing.

"It certainly made it easier having a willing group."

German wasn't alone.

Darley premiership player Dan Roy returned to the Devils at the end of 2019 to fill the senior coach's role left vacant by Heath Scotland.

Having previously spent two seasons as an assistant under Scotland, Roy was set to step up to the top job for the first time in 2020.

"I use the term that I'm still undefeated," he joked.

"It was a strange year for everyone, and I'm sure none of us has ever been through something like it.

"It was hard to take on a role, and then a week before our first practice match, the club decided to step away (from the competition)."

Darley independently decided to withdraw its senior sides a day before the Ballarat Football Netball League abandoned the season.

Roy said football was placed into perspective.

"I've got a young family, and you know family comes first, then work and then it's probably footy," he said.

"We're not professional athletes. Unfortunately, yes, footy did have to take a back burner, but there were people in a lot worse situations than us.

"It was odd, but we got through it. We're back to where we want to be now, and it's probably made everyone a little bit hungrier."

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For Micheal Searl, 2020 was the first time in nearly a decade without full-on football involvement.

Searl took on Sebastopol's top job after the 2019 grand final, after five seasons at Springbank - two spent as coach.

"Initially, it was quite a strange feeling," he said of football's hiatus.

"There was the unknown of whether we were going to back or not. But then you sort of got used to it.

"It was nice to spend time at home with the family, and I tried to find a few positives in it as well."

Searl admits he wasn't champing at the bit to get back on the track.

"Once training was back, it was all of a sudden like: 'uh, I've got to go back to training'," he said.

"But once the first session came around, it was back to excitement, and there was that joy of being back together as a group."

"All of a sudden, you've got that appreciation for why we play footy and for being around your mates."

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