JAMES Rahilly hasn't forgotten his roots.
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The Adelaide assistant coach, who shifted to West Lakes this past October after 12 years at Geelong, maintains close connections to Warrnambool.
Rahilly, who lived in the Surf Coast suburb of Jan Juc while working at Kardinia Park, is now based at the coastal suburb of Henley in Adelaide's east.
The 41-year-old is never far from sand and waves, even when back home. It's been a common theme through the father-of-four's life.
"I think we've been camping back there for 13 years now, at Christmas, down at Surfside One," Rahilly said.
"My wife (Georgia) has family there as well and we head down there no matter where we are, whether we're living in Jan Juc or in Adelaide.
I've got four kids and it's hard to get back there much more than that, but when we can, we spend a lot of time catching up with everyone.
- James Rahilly
"We camp down there with a group of our friends. I've got four kids and it's hard to get back there much more than that, but when we can, we spend a lot of time catching up with everyone."
Despite the packed-out schedule of a line coach at AFL level, Rahilly still finds time to follow the Roosters' Hampden league fortunes.
"I keep an eye on how everything's going through The Standard and stay up to date with it all," he said.
Rahilly climbed the ranks at then Warrnambool and District league club Northern Districts (now North Warrnambool Eagles) before shifting to Hampden league outfit South Warrnambool.
He was drafted to Geelong in 1997, playing 90 games across seven seasons, before he was delisted in 2005 and ventured into coaching as a Victorian Football League assistant at Kardinia Park in 2008.
A 12-year stint at the Cats ensued - he sat on Chris Scott's panel as the club tackled Richmond in the 2020 decider at the Gabba - and less than 48 hours later he was unveiled as the newest member of the rebuilding Crows under rookie coach Matthew Nicks.
"I'm, really enjoying it. It was obviously a big decision as I had 21 years in total at Geelong," Rahilly said.
"I brought the family over and we had to make that decision up in the (coronavirus-enforced hub) away from the family.
"We're at the hub for about 120 days and just with the soft (salary) cap and things changing and whether it was the right thing to do, I think it was time for a change. I've loved it."
Rahilly is leading the Crows forwards and has overseen the resurgence of veteran forward Taylor Walker.
Walker, 31, booted just 15 goals in 2020 but has already slotted 27 majors from his seven outings in 2021.
"I was head of development in my final three years at Geelong but I was an assistant or line coach for over 10 years before that," Rahilly said.
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"It was something I was probably keen to get back into. I've had a lot of roles but coaching the forwards has probably been the line I've enjoyed most.
"I've admired 'Tex' from afar and it's been great to work with him. He's a great guy and a caring guy for the club. I've been rapt to be a small part of (his resurgence).
"He came in pretty fit and did a very strong off-season, before the pre-season, so he was raring to go. We've got a very young group underneath him and he's definitely helped me bring those guys through."
Adelaide - who fell to a wooden spoon this past season - has shocked the footy fraternity as one of the competition's most exciting sides in 2021. Rahilly said the club's future was bright.
"I think it's pretty strong. Coming into this year we just wanted to be competitive in every game," he said.
"I think in all the games so far we have been. We were a bit disappointed we've lost the last three. We were in front in stages of those games and felt we could've gone on with it."
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