GAWLER Eagles named its Seniors captain and vice-captain last week, with Iradi Baragomwa set to retain the armband and lead the side in a season with high expectations.
Baragomwa emerged as a leader of men last season, according to coach Mike Cawood, who said that the choice for who would lead this club on its quest for promotion was an easy one.
“He sets an excellent example, both on and off the pitch,” he said.
“Whenever someone needs to take the initiative and get something done, he’s always the first one with his hand up.
“The boys really respond to his leadership.”
Baragomwa will be supported by two vice-captains, Christian Taylor and Phil Cawood.
The leadership group has been asked to guide a team that has gone through a number of changes, with an impressive recruiting class this season that brings a number of young first-team quality players, as well as the signing of marquee striker Benny Kovadio from Adelaide City via Ivory Coast.
Cawood said that while building from within the club’s junior ranks is crucial, to be able to land recruits that can spend a number of years in the Eagles’ system before turning 20 does give it more of a home-grown feel.
“They’ve got plenty of class and with a couple of years in our system I think most, if not all will be at National Premier League (NPL) level,” he said.
“It’s important for us to continue to find good young players, both in our ranks currently and from other places, and keep building this club from the ground up.
“We have some really, really talented kids in the under-15s as well.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on them, but the way things are now with it being less about physical strength and more about technical ability, I’m telling you, these boys have real class about them.”
After last season’s promotion race came down to an unsuccessful last game, it would be fair to enter the season with a ‘promotion-or-bust’ mentality, but Cawood said his side would work towards a number of goals throughout the season.
“Our first goal is to just make the final-six,” he said.
“Then it’s to make the top-four, then top-two.
“It’s all about hitting our milestones and continuing to build on what we’re doing.”