Victorian Men's Lacrosse Team are the Team of the Year!

The winning team!

Thanks for agreeing to answer a few questions,

My pleasure to help Lacrosse in Australia out in any way possible.

Glen, firstly congrats' on your recent appointment as Head Coach of the Australian Lacrosse Men's team, first Victorian since Bill Stammer in 1990 to take on the role, how have the last few weeks been?

Thanks for your kind words, I have wondered in the last couple of weeks what that skinny Malvern attack player from the 1990 World Series in Perth would say if you told him he would be the next Australian Senior Coach from Victoria, I have a pretty good idea we might all have got a laugh from it?

The last few weeks have been an enormous adjustment for me as life has now changed from playing golf in the off season, Coaching Malvern and Victoria in season to now being solely focussed on Denver 2014 and all the challenges and rewards that brings with it.  The study walls at home are already covered in time lines, proposed training camps, lacrosse plays, Coaching structures and player profiles from all over the world and Australia, my wife's not happy…ha-ha !
I guess now that it has sunk in, I am under no illusion that this is a huge task in front of us, but honoured to be given the role amongst 6 terrific applicants.  I have spent the last few weeks putting the Coaching structure in place along with physiotherapists, trainers, Strength and Conditioning Coach's, hopefully we can get this announced through the ALA. in the next couple of weeks as some great people from all over the country are getting on board with the team.

Now to put it into perspective for our International readers, for the Victorian Men's Lacrosse Team to take our the Victorian Men's team of the year at the  Victorian Sports Awards is a big deal.   Cadel Evans (Tour De France) he took out individual athlete of the year, did you meet him and did he ride his bike to the event?

Unfortunately Cadel was in France preparing for an event and couldn't be there, but John Bertrand (Sailing) and Lindsay Gaze (basketball) were on hand along with several other well-known Victorian sporting identities to receive and present trophies.

It was an honour in front of around 300 people at Crown Casino to have the Victorian Men's Lacrosse team named alongside Cadel Evans in one of the three big categories.   It is a reflection on the work done by Murray Keen, Chris Baker and myself.  However, l do  think the 53 players that have played for the Victoria in the last 5 years were the real winners on the night and they now all share a terrific bond, it has been a pleasure to be involved with each and every one of them over the journey.

Glen, did you have any idea you would get up?

The Victorian Sport Association send out nomination forms to any teams from Victoria they deem worthy of nominating, and John Harris from Lacrosse Victoria filled out our form and sent it in. Usually you wouldn't think much more about it, we did however think we must have been some chance when they rang Graham Rodriquez (Manager 2011) 4 times during the day of the awards to make sure we were coming, but it wasn't until they read the team out and we all got up on stage that it had sunk in.

They then put a highlight package from the Australian Nationals final game against South Australia from Adelaide on 2 enormous screens behind us and it went for around 5 minutes, it was the most amazing feeling standing up there with Murray, Chris and Graham.

Can you give some background on the team itself, what qualities did they have that impressed you?

We had 10 changes to the Victorian side from 2009 to 2010 and 7 more changes in 2011 all for different reasons and when you turn over almost the entire list in two years the team in 2011 obviously had several first time National players which usually puts the players and coaches in a defensive frame of mind for the tournament.

When you add that South Australia who are a terrific team and extremely difficult to beat at the best of times let alone at home, it was always going to be a big assignment, for the side to get well and truly thrashed first up 17 to 5 made the job even more difficult, but then to watch the players attitude towards themselves what it means to represent Victoria over the next week was unbelievable and a massive credit to them all, the 2011 win was just as good as the 2008 win in Perth and as good a win as I've been involved with.

You yourself have an impressive playing career, 5 State League Premiership, 286 State League games, represented Victoria numerous times (named in All-Star Teams on 2 occasions), 1983 Under 19 Australian Team Tour of America, 1985 Box Lacrosse Tour of Canada and America, 1989 Senior Australian Team Tour of America World Series warm up, 1989 Senior Australian Team Captain - Tour of Japan, 1990 Senior Australian Team - World Series Perth.  Who has had the greatest impression on you as player and now coach?

I think Gary Campbell at Malvern has been the biggest influence on me as coach from my playing days, he got the best from me as a player and always seemed know just what to say and when to say it.  I really enjoyed playing for him and credit him with getting me to World Level as a player.

Bill Stahmer coached me in several National and International teams and that was a lot of fun as well, he had a belief in me that l belonged at that level and I will always be grateful to him as well.
More recently, Murray Keen and Chris Baker have also shown to be top class coach's and l have enjoyed learning with them over the last 5 years at National level.

As a player Rod Ansell had an enormous ability to get the best from himself and if you only had go to any training night to be inspired by his work ethic.

I was fortunate to play a couple of seasons at Malvern with Peter Brown from South Australia and as a feeder I rate him alongside Graham Fox and Darren Gibson as the best l played with in the attack half and all quality people as well.

Glen, before we sign off, could you please list the Victorian Men's Team of the Year?  

2011 Victorian Men's Team

Andrew Hamm   (Capt.)
Jake Egan         (Capt.)
Mike Macinerney 
Joel Eason
Oliver Casey
Chris Miles
Tim Lane
Troy Butson
Tim Forbes
Josh Naughton
Anthony Jenkinson
Marty Hyde
Chris Plumb
Will Lettieri
Alistair Gloutney
James Lawerson
Anthony Rodriquez
Huw Wilson
Joel Williams 

Coach's
Glenn Meredith
Murray Keen

Manager
Graham Rodriquez

On behalf of Lacrosse Victoria, congratulations to all those listed above.  A great achievement and one we are all very proud of.