By DAVID NAGEL
THE newly-formed South East Football League (SEFL) has appointed its first interleague coach with former Pakenham champion Michael ‘Jock’ Holland to lead the side against Sunraysia at Casey Fields on Saturday May 23.
A fervent supporter of the interleague concept as a player and coach, the 2009 Pakenham premiership leader was an assistant to Paul Kennedy with the MPNFL Sharks, before taking over the reins in 2012 and falling just short of taking the number-one ranking in the state from the mighty Goulburn Valley in a classic at Shepparton.
For the last two years Holland has had control of the Casey Cardinia league, with great wins over Wimmera in Horsham, and Bellarine at Simonds Stadium in Geelong taking the league to a ranking of 12.
A win over Sunraysia will see a representation of those nine former Casey Cardinia league clubs – now SEFL clubs – climb to what Holland believes is a justified top-10 ranking in Victoria.
“I know we have to keep winning to prove it, but I think we’re at least a top-10 league in the state, and with the better players representing us, I think we’ll prove that,” he said ahead of last year’s clash with Bellarine.
The former tough-as-nails midfield ball-magnet will lead his side on a showcase day for the SEFL, with the under-18s to take on Sunraysia at 11am, Holland to have his boys fired up for a 2pm start, before the Casey Scorpions host Richmond in a VFL battle for the Casey-Cardinia Cup at 6pm.
The SEFNL netballers will also host Sunraysia at the Casey Fields netball courts on the same day.
