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From The Adelaide Now website..
Coach Vansoest ready for new era..
FOOTY and police work have never mixed easily for new Tea Tree Gully A-Grade coach Shannon Vansoest.
FOOTY and police work have never mixed easily for new Tea Tree Gully A-Grade coach Shannon Vansoest.
The demands of shift work forced Vansoest, 30, a senior constable based at Golden Grove, to choose his career over a shot at the SANFL. Then five years ago, his playing days were cruelly ended when a hoon driver crushed his knee at the end of a high speed chase through Para Hills.
“We were chasing a crook and he collected me as we got out to get him (and) he reversed at me,” Vansoest says. “It damaged all the surface cartilage in my knee. I’ve had eight operations since then to try and get it as good as I can.”
The two-time All Australian amateur full back held out a forlorn hope of playing again for two years, but the damage was too severe. Determined to stay in football, he began coaching the Gullies B-Grade side in 2007.
Last October he took on the A-Grade team following the departure of coach Mark Weaver, who was poached by Golden Grove after taking the Gullies to the preliminary final.
Playing down any premiership expectations, Vansoest says the Gullies will have to adjust to the loss of 2009 Amateur League best and fairest medal winner Matthew Brunoli who now is playing for Meningie.
“All I want to do is make finals, that’s my expectation at the moment,” Vansoest says.
“We’ve still got a very good mix of experienced guys like Steven Pitt and Daniel Wicks from Sturt with the young ones.
“We’re probably going to look at blooding a few kids as well from the under-18s.”
Vansoest says the team also will be bolstered by the return of midfielders Matt Gibson and Sean Dawson from country leagues.
