Another Goulburn Valley club is embracing the co-coaching model within its senior ranks for the 2024 season.
Kyabram Football Club has announced the appointments of Corey Carver and Kaine Herbert to lead its senior football side through the next Goulburn Valley League edition.
The Bombers will be hurting from the stinging nature of their grand final defeat to Echuca and have opted to join in on the co-coaching trend in the hope of taking the next step.
Carver and Herbert will coach as a hybrid system, with the former remaining off-field and the latter continuing his duties as a senior player.
They are well-acquainted, having worked together developing the Bombers’ under-18 talent during 2023, and will continue assisting at youth level as they embark on their senior venture.
The appointment represents a step into uncharted territory for perennial medal contender Herbert, who is taking on his first senior coaching role.
“I’ve been thinking for the last couple of years about whether to get into coaching,” Herbert said.
“I’ve been helping out around the club the whole time I’ve been here, so I thought it was time to have a crack and see where it takes me.
“(Corey’s) got a good footy brain and I can learn a lot from him.”
Backed by success in previous senior seasons at Lancaster in Kyabram District League, Carver relishes the new challenge.
“I’ve been involved in coaching for a while and I’ve always had a passion for player development,” Carver said.
“We chatted with the president at the end of the season, Kaine and I got together and thought, ‘why not?’”
Carver strongly believes in a ‘‘whole of club“ approach to keep players and staff at all levels aware of the standards expected.
This reflects his motivation in the senior role to ensure the standards are maintained at all levels of Kyabram football.
“I’m keen for my under-18 work to continue,” Carver said.
“Your under-18 players need to know what system is in place, it’s an extremely important thing to learn.”
To overtake the Murray Bombers next season will take some savvy recruitment, but Herbert has no doubt the motivation is there.
“Echuca was the better side all year and it makes all of us hungrier, hungrier, hungrier,” Herbert said.
“With players coming in and the assistants around us, we can take the next step.”
Carver seeks to input an aggressive philosophy around the ball to drive a more energetic side.
“For me, it’s about finding personnel to get more speed on the ball and move it a bit quicker, because if you put speed out there it gives you a crack at it.
“We have to look at the best way to utilise our list going forward.”