New East Geelong coach Tom Cordner-Maas will lean on his assistants to continue playing for the Eagles

Cordner-Maas took over the reins of the GDFL side after Ben Boseley at the end of the 2022 season, and will be a playing coach in 2023.

The new coach said entire coaching group knew their specific roles coming into the practice matches ahead of the season.

“I think it’s the people in the background that let this sort of thing happen, I don’t think they get enough kudos,” he said.

“Mick O’Leary, our footy director, I speak with almost every day, he does a lot of legwork and allows me to worry about the football side and getting myself fit.

“Then I’ve also got some really good assistants, my brother James jumped on early and he’s been a huge help, he pretty much runs training, then Mick Condon and Nathan Berry are helping out as well.”

Boseley led East Geelong to a minor premiership in 2022, but the Eagles faltered in the preliminary final and lost to Bannockburn by 11 points.

Cordner-Maas was one of the Eagles’ best players in 2022, and hopes to continue to contribute on field in the upcoming season.

“It’s a collaborative approach, we don’t want too much placed on me trying to coach the whole time, because I still think I can contribute a lot to the team from a playing perspective,” he said.

“I don’t want to lose that just thinking solely as a coach, I still think I added a bit last year and I think I can add more this season too.

“Once we get to training the assistant coaches take over and allow me to train and not worry about the other stuff and step in when I need to.”

Originally published as New East Geelong coach Tom Cordner-Maas will lean on his assistants to continue playing for the Eagles