Violet Town has announced renowned Benalla coach Wally Armstrong will be the club’s senior football coach in season 2023.
After a number of years away from the game, the Benalla Saints under-18s premiership coach will step in to steer the ship at Violet Town next year, with Towners legend and current playing-coach Sean Horsburgh set to step down at the end of the year.
Armstrong has traded the Sherrin for the basketball in recent years, heading up the coaching position at Country Basketball League outfit Benalla Breakers, while also taking on an assistant coaching role with Big V basketball side Shepparton Gators this season.
“I’ve been out of footy for a number of years now to concentrate on the basketball side of things,” Armstrong said.
“It’s been a long time coming, and if it was ever going to happen it’d be to come back now.”
Having not held a football coaching role since 2018, Armstrong said despite some initial nerves, he cannot wait to get back into it.
“I’d have to say there’s been a few nerves, but now it’s about getting on with business,” he said.
With Town stalwart Sean Horsburgh going around for the last time at Honeysuckle Reserve this year, Armstrong has every intention on building on the foundations Horsburgh and others at the club have worked to maintain in recent seasons.
“Sean’s been fantastic, he made an early call that this year would be it for him, I’ve come and watched along at games and he’s happily had me on the bench and things like that,” Armstrong said.
“I’ll be trying to finish some of the good work that people behind the scenes at Violet Town have been working towards for a few years.”
Armstrong looks set to inherit a formidable list next year, but says a big focus for him will be continuing to build on the club’s local player base.
“I think the biggest thing at the moment is sustainability of local players,” he said.
“In the future it’s important they (the club) are strong on the field as they are off off the field — and they’re very strong off the field.
“They’ve got fantastic sponsorship, great members, the community’s behind them, they’re well run, it’s just a matter of trying to sustain that playing group moving forward.”
With one eye trained on 2023, Armstrong said he was certainly very excited to see how far the current crop of Towners could go this year.
Just four games remain in the Kyabram District League season, and a topsy-turvy campaign leaves Violet Town in sixth.
A surprise five-point defeat to Lancaster last Sunday has left the door ajar for the chasing pack, but Armstrong says his side is yet to fire on all cylinders.
“I don’t think anyone’s seen the best of Violet Town yet,” he said.
“They haven’t played with a full side in a few weeks, I think if they do they’ll be very dangerous.”