Nick Sheehan is determined to help Old Collegians secure a senior premiership which has eluded the Warriors for the past three years.
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The 28-year-old has signed as the club’s senior coach for the next two Warrnambool and District league seasons.
Sheehan, who missed out on selection for Port Fairy’s grand final in 2017, admitted he was lured to the club due to its sustained success despite not being able to claim a flag.
The former Seagull said he wanted to make sure history did not repeat.
“I am pretty excited to come across and it is going to be a good challenge,” he said.
“They have been in the last three (grand finals) and their juniors all played finals this year so I think they are in a really good state.
“So we can try and get into a fourth one and make amends for the other three hopefully.”
Sheehan joins the Warriors after spending his “whole career” at Port Fairy where he played more than 150 games.
A butcher by trade, Sheehan said he deliberated for some time before making the call to leave Gardens Oval, but was excited about taking on a new challenge at a new club.
“It was a tough decision, something I didn’t take lightly,” he said.
“I had to speak to a few people about it and I think the timing was right for me to have a change up and do something different, so I am looking forward to it.
“I have coached the reserves and under 18s over at Port so I have a little bit of a feel helping out there so I am looking forward to the challenge.
“It should be good to get in charge of a senior group.”
Leading the Warriors into battle in 2019 will be the first time Sheehan has guided a senior team.
Yet the former Seagull said he already had an idea of what his side’s game plan would look like.
“I want to be pretty proactive,” he said.
“I want to be able to take the game on and look to run.
“As I was just looking around here it is a big wide oval, so we can use our foot skills and take the game on through the middle and get it down to hopefully some good forwards.”
The club also confirmed Michael Lambevski, who missed the entire 2018 season due to injury, had been reappointed as assistant coach.
Sheehan said he and Lambevski would work well as a team.
“I played a bit of footy with Mikey over at Port Fairy, he is a real likable lad,” he said.
“So I am really looking forward to him having a big input this year especially as he didn’t play last season due to a foot injury and I reckon he will really lead from the front.”
