Ashley, you’re the under 14.5 coach at East Warrnambool this season. The side will play in the finals as they have won 11 games and lost four and there are still three games left. How many years is it since East Warrnambool's junior side played in finals?
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I'm not sure when East Warrnambool's junior side last played in the finals.
We were the whipping boys in the competition for so many years. I know the side had one win in 2011.
They never won a game in 2012 and 2013 which means they lost 39 games in a row. They won five games last year.
The junior side defeated Merrivale for the first time in nine years when we won by a goal a fortnight ago.
It's just wonderful to see how the young kids have developed their skills and ability this season.
We've had 16 players play who are in the 12 to 14.5 age group while eight of our kids have been under 12s.
The club is trying to set a pathway for the future for our younger players and it looks like it's working.
What's the atmosphere like among the under 14.5 side ?
I would have to say the kids are really excited and so are the parents.
I think we only recruited three players in the off-season.
We had some very good young junior players on our list going into this season.
I've been very fortunate to have Michael Neoh there assisting me.
He's a wonderful support. His wife Robyn helps out and there are other parents who help out in various roles.
Ashley, have you got any special highlight in your first season as a junior coach at this stage of the campaign?
I've probably got a few but one stays in my mind and that was when we were playing against Panmure.
We've got a player who has a slight disability. He kicked the winning goal and everyone was over the moon.
There were plenty of emotional people at the end of that game because that boy booted the winning goal.
His mum was really excited with what her son had achieved.
The boy forgets his disability and so do the other kids - he just wants to play footy with his mates.
I found the moment very rewarding - matter of fact I've found the whole exercise of coaching the kids very rewarding.
I just love my footy always have loved it.
Who do you barrack for in the AFL?
I really don't want to tell you but it's Carlton.
They have been really disappointing for so many years. My favourite Blues player was Peter Dean.
He played in a couple of premierships for the Blues and ended up with nearly 250 games. He had a great career. He was a very under-rated player.
I can still remember as a child playing footy on the park in Crawley Street. We were like all children thinking we were AFL stars.
Why did you take up coaching East Warrnambool's under 14.5 side?
I mentioned earlier I just love footy. I just wanted to put something back into the sport.
I started playing with Warrnambool's CBC under 13 side.
I was lucky blokes like Leon Brooks, Ken Rhyne and David James were there to coach me.
I never realised at the time because I was so young that those people put a lot of time and effort into developing the kids.
I can say the same about Colin McKenna at Midfield.
My first job was up at Midfield.
I was only 15-years-old when I started at Midfield.
It was hard work but hard work never hurt anyone.
Working at Midfield gave me a strong work ethic and showed me discipline but once again I was too young to understand those points when I was working there.
I went on and worked as a butcher in a couple of butcher shops in Warrnambool before getting a job with Coles where I've been for more than seven years.
Ashley, when you started your footy career with Warrnambool-CBC did you play in any premiership sides?
No. We played in a lot of finals.
I joined Allansford and played in the two under 18 premiership sides.
I had a couple of years off footy after suffering from shin splints but joined East Warrnambool in 2006.
I've played more than 120 senior games with East and a lot in the reserves.
I'm still playing in the reserves as we are short of players.
Dennington beat us easy in the reserves on Saturday but I just love the challenges that a game of footy throws up each week.
Who are some of the good players that you have seen play in the Warrnambool and District Football league during your career?
I've seen a lot of good players but the ones that stand out are Ben Gray, Brad Sheen and Darcy Lewis.
Did you play for any other footy clubs?
I had a few games for the old Western Lions which was a side made up from players from Mortlake and Woorndoo.
I played in the last reserves game when we beat Port Fairy in 1999.
Have you sustained any injuries during your footy career?
I had my head split open when I clashed heads with an opponent in a practice match over at Heywood in 2012.
I ended up getting 50 stitches in my head as a result.
Did you play any other sports apart from footy?
I played cricket with East Warrnambool.
I was not much good as a cricketer but my highest score was 51 runs.