Seagull Coach Gotch Gets Inside Running On 'new' Rivals

The Age

Saturday April 5, 2008

Carley Jellett

WILLIAMSTOWN coach Bradley Gotch has admitted to "mixed feelings" leading into his side's round-two match against Collingwood.

Williamstown was aligned with Collingwood's AFL side for six years before the club decided to create a stand-alone VFL team.

Gotch, who coached the Seagulls and had a role at the Magpies during that time, said it felt odd looking at his former players as the opposition.

"After being there for eight years," Gotch said, "and I coached Williamstown and Collingwood for six, it was sort of a funny feeling having a look at the opposition, which is the team you've had a big involvement with."

Gotch said he has used his inside knowledge of the club's players to give his team an edge.

"Certainly for the Williamstown boys I've given them a little bit of information that you'd like to think would help them, but, at the end of the day, they can only take so much information anyway. So it doesn't matter how much I know."

Throughout the separation, both clubs maintained a good relationship was intact. Although Gotch said he was "disappointed" that the two were no longer aligned, he said he understands why Collingwood had fielded a stand-alone team.

"I've got certain feelings. There's no doubt I'm disappointed Collingwood aren't with Willy but I can fully understand, and so do Williamstown, why Collingwood are going on their own.

"They have got money and they want their own players just 100% to develop themselves and not worry about the Williamstown side of it. There's no sort of real animosity between (the clubs). It was really well done as far as how the split occurred and how Collingwood handled it and how Willy handled it."

He said that Williamstown had "fallen on their feet" with their new alignment with the Western Bulldogs, where Gotch now has a role as a development coach, and said the split had been "win-win" for both clubs.

VFL: ROUND TWO

TODAY

North Ballarat v Bendigo, AUSTAR Arena, 12.30pm

Williamstown v Collingwood, Burbank Oval, 1.10pm

Port Melbourne v Sandringham, TEAC Oval, 2pm

Casey Scorpions v Frankston, Casey Fields, 7pm

TOMORROW

Geelong v Werribee, Skilled Stadium, 9.30am

Box Hill v Tasmania, Box Hill City Oval, 2pm

Northern Bullants v Coburg Tigers, NAB Oval, 2pm

© 2008 The Age

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