LEADERSHIP is something which sits comfortably with new Hamilton Kangaroos coach Hamish Waldron.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The long-time captain felt coaching was the next logical step.
Waldron, 33, was unveiled as senior football coach on Friday and is already plotting the Kangaroos' rise up the ladder in 2022.
The club, the result of a merger between Western Border league clubs Hamilton Imperials and Hamilton Magpies, joined the Hampden league in 2013.
Finals have eluded the Roos in that time.
Waldron, who plans to be playing coach, wants to end the hoodoo.
"I am always there around the club helping out, you put so much into it and you just want to see it be successful," he told The Standard.
"I've always said I'd like them to play finals before I retire so hopefully it can happen."
Waldron, a carpenter by trade, always felt the pull of coaching.
And, in the twilight of his playing career, he felt it was the right time to tackle the challenge.
"It has always been in the back of my mind and the older I was starting to get, the more I was thinking about it," he said.
"I have always been an assistant coach and helped at training and I was taking one night a week for 'Fitzy' (Gerard FitzGerald) this year and did it with 'Dunny' (Matt Dunn) for years and enjoyed working with him.
"I always thought one day I'd have a go at it and the opportunity felt right."
Waldron, a two-time club best-and-fairest, said he was a vocal on-field leader.
He is aware of the added responsibility coaching will bring.
"It will be a bit of a juggling act. Hopefully I can find a good bench coach," he said.
"I have had a lot of people contact me since I'd put in for the job saying they would like to help out in some way.
"I'll probably pick one out of them and get him to help out on the bench and hopefully at quarter-time and half-time when I come to him he's got a couple of ideas and I'll have some idea too."
Waldron, whose partner Stephanie Holcombe is a netballer at the club, said recruits, such as midfielders and a centre half-back, were on the Kangaroos' radar.
But developing their impressive young players is a priority.
Waldron expects his midfield minutes will reduce and the forward line will become his new home.
"I have always enjoyed trying to get the best out of people," he said.
"There's a good bunch of juniors coming through now that are really handy and I thought I'd love to try and lead them in the right direction and steer the ship for them."
Rory Gill, Duncan Rentsch, Luke Barnes, Tobi Cook and Noah Uebergang are expected to benefit from senior exposure this season.
Waldron said Uebergang, who kicked six goals against Port Fairy, had the potential to hold down a spot in the Roos' attack.
"This year he did a bit of pre-season but not much and about five games in, he starting hitting me up for bit of feedback and I said 'you just have to work on your fitness'," he said.
"I said 'you've got great skills, can find the footy and you're a terrific forward but you don't want to be one-dimensional and you need to be able to play a couple of positions these days'.
"He took the feedback onboard and the last few games he played he was quite a standout. He's a good lead-up forward which is handy."
Hamilton Kangaroos' under 16 side, coached by Bernie Porter, is also laden with talent.
The team is waiting to find out if its junior grand final will take place after a regional coronavirus lockdown was introduced two days before it was scheduled to be played.
Waldron's appointment follows the Warrnambool's Ben Parkinson, Port Fairy's Winis Imbi, North Warrnambool Eagles' Adam Dowie, Terang Mortlake's Ben Kenna and Camperdown's Neville Swayn in re-signing for season 2022.
Cobden is searching for a new coach after Adam Courtney stepped down.
- Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark https://www.standard.net.au/
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines
- and newsletters.
- Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Tap here to open our Google News page.
- Join our Courts and Crime Facebook group and our dedicated Sport Facebook group
- Subscribe