Casterton Sandford is on the front foot, naming backman Jarrod ‘Waldo’ O’Brien (pictured) as its senior football coach for 2024.
Recruited at the start of the year from the Dartmoor Giants, O’Brien began his south west Victorian football career as a 10-year-old junior in Hamilton.
At just 18, he was selected in the Hamilton Kangaroos’ leadership group during the club’s first year in the Hampden football league, in 2016 he won the club’s senior best and fairest medal and was named in the Hampden league’s team of the year.
In 2017 he was named vice captain of the Roos’ senior side, under coach Matt Dunn, before being recruited to Central Districts in the SANFL, playing a season there before returning to the Western District.
After a successful first season with the Cats – playing in both the backline and on the ball, named in the Cats’ best on six occasions and earning selection in the Western Border’s representative side for the country championships, O’Brien said he was “excited and nervous” to be taking on the Cats’ lead role in 2024.
“I have coached juniors (but) this is my first senior coaching role … it’s a bit daunting but I know I have got a really good team and really good support from the club to do the job,” O’Brien said.
“It’s much easier, having had a year with the team, knowing their playing style, the structure of the club and the team, to take on this role now … when (club president Dylan Ayton) approached me about it a few weeks ago, it did not take much convincing to say ‘yes’.”
O’Brien said for he and wife Maddie and their children, Quinn, 4 and Fred, 2, the Casterton Sandford club had been the ideal match for the next stage of his football career.
“It’s just a family club, everyone’s got young kids … we just love this area,” O’Brien said.
On the field, O’Brien said the ongoing development of the side’s younger players and introducing some experienced bodies to the team to “fill some gaps” was something he saw as a priority in 2024.
“You meet these fellas and they’re really level-headed, they have got this great attitude and you watch them play … then you get talking to them and you find out they’re much younger than you think,” he said.
“(Outgoing coach, Kane Forbes) has brought them a long way and I just think with a bit more experience, getting a few older, more experienced players on the ground with them, they’ll go a long way.”
Casterton Sandford president, Dylan Ayton, thanked outgoing coach, Kane Forbes and his supportive family, for their contribution to the Cats, particularly over his past three years as senior coach.
“Our results and position on the ladder certainly do not reflect the growth of our playing group both on and off the field, under Kane’s leadership.
“He has been a fantastic leader for three years and in that time we have seen great progress, particularly after COVID, where we went from not winning a game to being a highly competitive team.
“He’s left the senior playing group in an excellent position for Jarrod to take over and continue that growth.”
Ayton said the Cats’ football department was extremely happy with the path the club was on and its development, right through from juniors to the senior group.
“We are excited to have Jarrod accept the senior leadership role in 2024, his experience both in country and state football competitions will bring an enormous benefit to the playing group and continue that development through the club,” Ayton said.
“The expectation with Jarrod taking over the reins and exciting new announcements in the coming weeks, backed by that improvement every year, is that we are developing a sustainable footy program that will see us playing finals for many years and drive the standards even higher.”
