“We want to win the league.” It was unusually big tones that could be heard from trainer Jason Tillery before his Atrium Steelshark Traun welcomed the Danube Dragons from Vienna at the start of the season on Sunday (3 p.m.). “Schau ma moi,” said club boss Markus Campregher in a noticeably more diplomatic manner – knowing full well that returning to the Austrian Football League (AFL) after two years will be a difficult undertaking.
After the Trauners had given up the first Corona season, they were voluntarily relegated to the second-rate Division 1 in 2021 due to staff departures. “We have a dry spell behind us,” said Campregher, also referring to the switch to Wels in the meantime. Due to the renovation of the sports hall including cloakrooms, the Trauner Stadium, to which the Steelsharks had attracted more than a thousand spectators at their home games, was closed. Campregher and his team now want to breathe new life into the euphoria that has carried the club in the past. With the expansion of the children’s park or the establishment of spectator lounges, the game day experience should be improved.
All at one table
What fueled the confidence of coach Tillery is the fact that the Raiders Tirol and the Vienna Vikings, the league dominators, focus on the European Football League (EFL) and participate in the AFL with their second teams. In addition, the latter was increased from six to ten teams, which is why Division 1 semi-finalist Traun is back in the upper house at all.
Campregher speaks of a new wind blowing through the league. “What was new was that all the teams sat down at one table and thought about how the league could develop.” The unpredictability of the pandemic and the growing competition from the EFL meant that the often selfish competitive thinking inherent in sport was pushed aside to a certain extent. Campregher: “The idea that the league needs a sensible product has become established. And if you’re honest, in the past few years you’ve always known who will play against each other in the final.” Since 2011, the title had gone to either the Raiders or the Vikings. This should come to an end. In order to make the league even more balanced this year, the legionnaire rule calculated using a point system was adapted, which enabled Traun to undertake a third import. US newcomer Mike Taylor III is expected to bring the necessary stability to the defense with defensive end Teddie Martinez. US quarterback John Uribe continues to pull the strings on offense.
Source: Nachrichten
