Russells Creek has appointed its football coaches for Warrnambool and District league season 2022.
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Danny Chatfield and Dylan Herbertson, who coached together at Hawkesdale-Macarthur about six years ago, have joined forces again and will lead the Creekers as joint coaches next year.
Herbertson was Chatfield's assistant at Mininera and District league club Hawkesdale-Macarthur.
They replace Peter Timms who stepped down from the role after Russells Creek's round 18 win against Panmure.
Herbertson will continue to play while Chatfield coaches from the sidelines.
"Obviously Creek being my home club, it's a privilege to be able to do it and for the club to give me the opportunity - I'm pretty grateful," Herbertson said of his first senior coaching role.
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Herbertson, who played his juniors at Creek before stints at other clubs, was assistant coach this year.
"Obviously Peter (Timms) has done his time and set some very good foundations to take this group further up the ladder," he said.
Herbertson is confident the group, which just missed out on the top-five, can continue to build momentum as it aims for finals next year.
"We've got a very good core group, they all want to stick together and go as far as we can," he said.
The half-back is thrilled to be working with Chatfield who he said had a "very good footy brain".
"To have him sitting on the bench and coaching, it's going to be a weight off my shoulders," he said.
Chatfield returns to the coaches' box for the first time since he mentored East Warrnambool in 2019.
He played in the Creekers' 2004-05 flags and still has plenty of mates at the club.
As he said "the connection has always been there".
The father of three is grateful for the playing career he had and wants to give back to the game.
His sons Jyah, 15, and Kobi, 13, play for Russells Creek's under 15s.
Chatfield and his wife, Amy, also have Vann who just turned three.
He otherwise has strong family links at the club with his cousins Jyran, Phil and Jandamara Chatfield playing in the senior ranks this year.
He's excited by the fact many of the players have already committed for next season and the club has plenty of promising youngsters.
He said footy was becoming more and more a young man's game in both the WDFNL and AFL.
Herbertson is likewise buoyed by the club's young guns and their willingness to listen and learn.
He said young players like Jude Forth-Bligh, Harrison Kilpatrick and Darcy Barker were among those coming through the ranks.
Chatfield knows there are new challenges for coaches in the coronavirus pandemic climate.
"You throw in the mix COVID and the stop and start - the well-being of the players is going to be the hardest part of taking on a coaching gig today because it's probably something you didn't have to deal with in the past," he said.
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