Dandenong Thunder head coach Dean Hennessey was pleased with his young side’s first outing against Port Melbourne Sharks, with plenty of positives coming out of their 2-2 draw on Friday night.
The Thunder found themselves on the back foot early in the first half but two goals in three minutes from Brendan Craig and Jake Nakic, who was playing against his old side, gave the away side something to cheer about.
Hennessey was delighted to see the two players strike up an instant partnership, and believes there is much more to come from the two of them.
“We were fortunate enough sign Jake [Nakic] and I’ve been really pleased, Brendan [Craig] came from Perth, trialled with a few clubs, and he really enjoyed the team spirit [at Dandenong Thunder],” Hennessey said.
“Considering they’re a brand new team, it’s like they’ve been together for years and [Craig] just really liked the vibe here he looked great. He scored one and maybe could have got another one.
“I think that combination will get better each and every week.”
Hennessey also expressed his excitement about fielding such a young playing group, which boasts an average age of just under 22.
“We’re going to be up and down, there’s going to be days where because we’re a bit naïve and young, we won’t get the results we’re looking for but long term, I’m pretty excited about this group,” he said.
Having been appointed as Thunder boss late last year, Hennessey spoke about his move to Dandenong and expressed his enthusiasm about the dawn of a new era both at the club and in the competition.
“When they [Dandenong Thunder] said they wanted me to come and coach, I couldn’t refuse,” Hennessey said.
“I think so far in the 10-12 weeks I’ve been there, they’ve been supportive, doing everything they can to get this club to where they want to be.
“I was desperate to get back in. I felt like after [Green] Gully, there was a bit of unfinished business, I didn’t have too long to really put my stamp on it and that’s life.
“I’ve learned from that, I’ve come back with more knowledge and experience.
“I’m really delighted with them I hope that we all stay patient each other, they know it’s a new phase for the club, it’s an exciting new league and a new concept and hopefully with all things equal we’ll have some success together.”