Sport
Gators snap up ex-Whittlesea coach
20May08
SUPER coach George Ross has taken up residency with the Altona Gators as under-20 men's coach.
Ross, awarded the Big V Division 1 Men's Coach of the Year by his peers in 2006 when in charge of Whittlesea City, will also apply his 30 years' experience both playing and coaching to the Gators' senior youth development squad.
While contemplating taking a year off from the sport, he was contacted by the Gators' director of coaching, Randy Shanklin, with whom he formed a friendship back in 2000 when Ross coached the Whittlesea women and Shanklin the Echuca women.
"George will be great for our under-20s men because he is a disciplinarian.
"It was one of the main characteristics I wanted to change about the club when I was named director of coaching last October," Shanklin said.
"George has experience coaching great talent and coaching against great talent, so he can pass on that knowledge to our promising group of young men."
Ross' focus will be to develop the under-20s side for their application at season's end for entry into the Big V next year.
"I saw the team play for the first time last Friday night under the coaching of Randy and the side has a lot of upside to it and play with a lot of energy," Ross said. "Obviously the greatest challenge will be to gel the team together and develop a winning mentality and strong character.
"The squad will be about 12 players and two of the boys are in the Division 1 men's squad and they really impressed me."
The under-20s team as it stands at the moment includes Ross's son Nicholas, Brendan Raffaele, Dale Williamson, Maker Matur, Nathan McGowan, Nathan Wilson, Nick Petersen, Phillip Chirichiello and Division 1 squad members Dejan Soldo and Nathan Wapshott.
Ross was a Division 1 men's player in the Hobart Basketball League.
His coaching career highlights include his VBL women's and Big V Division 1 men's teams' final appearances.
