Image: Smile for Peter
Outgoing Brunswick technical director Matthew McNamara believes 2016 was a defining year for the club in which it emerged as a formidable club in the NPL2.
All across the board, from seniors to juniors, results and performances saw significant improvement, with the seniors finishing fifth after finishing near the bottom in the first two years of the NPL system, while the junior set-up was also enhanced following a core focus to bring in well-regarded accredited coaches.
Currently at the FFA National Youth Championships at Coffs Harbour, McNamara said his time at Brunswick saw positive changes that helped it gain a more respectable reputation compared to the first two years of the NPL.
“We made some fantastic progression in the past 12 months – the club went from having basically no accredited coaches to having a full array of coaching staff,” he said.
“Our senior team went from bottom of the ladder and almost finished in the top three, whilst our juniors became more and more competitive throughout the year.”
McNamara highlighted that Brunswick had become increasingly recognised for its youth development throughout the season.
A tangible result of the club’s ascent up the footballing hierarchy has been the individual recognition for many of its players.
“This year we reached new ground for the club, with three players picked for the U12 National Development Centre (NDC),” McNamara said.
“Through my strong working relationship with Melbourne City and Victory, we were able to have players trial at both clubs.”
McNamara admits his departure was a mutual decision, but he believes Brunswick is well placed to build on this season and continue growing in stature in Victorian football.
“I sat down with the president a month or so ago and he outlined his vision for the club moving forward. He’s the main man and the decision maker, and his pathway forward was different to mine and we agreed to part company,” he said.
“I feel we certainly leave on good terms and I wish the club every success moving forward.
“I certainly feel that I’ve left Brunswick in a much better place in a footballing sense than when I walked in, and hope with the model that the club wants to run with moving forward that they continue to build off the past 12 months.”