READ MORE – Loddon Valley league 2018 season review
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FOUR-TIME Calivil United premiership coach Andrew Freemantle is returning to the helm of the Demons in a joint role with Daniel Reid.
Freemantle coached the Demons’ 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008 Loddon Valley league premierships, with his latest appointment to be his fourth stint as Calivil United’s coach.
Reid coached the Bendigo Dockers in the Victorian FIDA League this year, with the side winning the premiership.
Reid is a 2016 premiership player with North Bendigo who crossed to the Demons during the 2018 season and finished as the team’s leading goalkicker with 28 in his nine games playing as a key forward.
“Andy was pretty keen to get back involved with someone and Reidy has demonstrated that he’s up for it, so they will work together,” Demons president Glen Scholtes said on Tuesday.
“Between the two of them they have a good concept of what the club is after.
“Reidy has had a bit of coaching experience with the Dockers, but the big factor that has got him over the line is the prospect of being involved in the new AFL Central Victoria coaching academy that is starting up.
“We as a club think the new coaching academy sounds amazing and is just what we need in terms of developing and supporting coaches given it’s now basically a part-time job.”
Freemantle and Reid take over from Anthony Dennis, who coached the Demons for three seasons, including to the 2017 premiership.
However, the Demons slid down the ladder to sixth this year, becoming the first reigning premier since YCW in 2003 to miss the Loddon Valley finals.
In what was a rarity for Calivil United, none of the Demons’ three football teams made the finals in 2018.
“We lost a bit of depth this year and were chasing our tails a bit, but in a competition that’s so close, which is good for the league, it only takes getting a few of the right players and you can get yourself back into the top five,” Scholtes said.
The No.1 recruiting target for the Demons is a new ruckman to replace 2018 Harding medallist Chris Down, who has joined Sandhurst, as has small forward Vinny Rodi.
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