NOT long after he accepted the position as Merrivale Football Netball Club's senior coach, Todd McLean began to doubt his decision. ''I got a bit nervous and started second-guessing myself about whether I could do it,'' he said.

It was no wonder that McLean felt that way, as he had ascended to the top job in the most trying of circumstances.

A former Merrivale junior, who returned to the club before the 2011 season after three years at Koroit, McLean was appointed coach on April 24 this year. Two days earlier, the Tigers' previous coach, 41-year-old father of five Stephen Kelson, had died after suffering a heart attack.

''I knew it was probably going to be the biggest challenge I'll ever face in footy,'' McLean said.

Everyone at Merrivale says that Kelson, a much-admired figure in Warrnambool's football community, would have wanted the club to get on with the job.

So, at the age of 24, McLean is helping the Tigers do just that. And after recording two wins in two weeks, including a seven-goal victory over the highly rated Timboon Demons, his initial concerns are beginning to subside.

''Everyone at the club has been fantastic, and I've got plenty of good support around me, so I should be right,'' he said. ''I've just got to try and make sure we keep things positive.''

Kelson's popularity was demonstrated by the huge crowd that turned out at his funeral. At his wake, countless stories were told about a man whose life was dominated by football and fun. One of those yarns involved a footy trip to Adelaide in the early 1990s.

''We thought him and his mate had missed the bus,'' Kelson's former teammate Russell Gleeson told The Sunday Age. ''But we found them leaning on a signpost on the outskirts of town, with no clothes on. It was broad daylight. They had no bag, no clothes, nothing. They were just standing there, in the nude, waiting for the bus to come past.''

As a child, Kelson idolised his father, Jack. Kelson snr, who remains a keen supporter of Merrivale, is also the club's senior games record-holder, having made 278 appearances for the Tigers.

Kelson jnr - himself nicknamed Jack - grew up to become a tough-as-old-boots centreman. Yet it was coaching that appealed to him more than playing.

''He was only 21 when he was appointed coach of Merrivale in 1993,'' said Gleeson. ''Coaching was his dream. In the summer of '93, he just wouldn't let it go. He wanted to coach Merrivale by hook or by crook. Everyone said he was too young, but he wouldn't take no for answer. He told us how good he was going to be and within two years he had the team in a grand final.''

The team that Kelson helped Merrivale put together in the mid-1990s is regarded as one of the best sides to play in the Warrnambool District league. Although the Tigers lost the 1995 decider to East Warrnambool by 143 points, they didn't lose a game the following season.

But injuries kept Kelson out of the team that won the '96 flag. ''He was just worn out, and we had a really powerful side,'' said Gleeson, who was club president at the time. ''It was very selfless of him not to pick himself in a forward pocket or take a spot on the bench.''

A year later, Kelson guided Merrivale through another undefeated home-and-away season, and the Tigers were still undefeated before the grand final. But the club's 39-game winning streak was broken when Panmure pulled off a sensational upset in the big game.

''They won the toss of the coin and it was one of those northerly winds blowing straight down the middle of the ground,'' Gleeson said. ''They kicked seven goals in the first quarter and we couldn't get back in it. Panmure keep having a reunion whenever we play them, which is a bit cheeky.''

In the following years, Kelson coached one of Merrivale's rivals, Old Collegians, then had a stint at Hampden league club South Warrnambool, where he led the under-18s to a premiership before taking charge of the senior side.

Kelson completed the circuit when he returned to Merrivale for the 2010 season. Having played alongside blokes such as Gleeson, he now coached their sons - three of them, in Gleeson's case.

In the lead-up to last season, Kelson enticed McLean to return to the club. Having been appointed the Tigers' assistant coach, the talented forward revelled in the extra responsibility, finishing the year as the Warrnambool District league's leading goalkicker.

The club's plan was that McLean would spend a couple of seasons learning the ropes from Kelson. ''I was hoping to step into the coaching role in the not-too-distant future,'' McLean said. ''But I'm starting to get used to the idea that I've had to take over now.''

Kelson's death, which came only hours after he had guided the Tigers in a match against Russell's Creek, affected many people in many ways.

''My youngest lad is only 15, he found it really hard to handle,'' Gleeson said. ''On the Sunday, when we all came back down to the club for a beer, he just burst into tears.''

Less than a week after experiencing such a shock, the Merrivale players suited up for their round-four match against Deakin University. A big crowd turned out for the game, and a minute's silence was observed before the opening bounce. With their emotions running high, the Tigers won by 182 points.

McLean led the way by booting eight goals, and he kicked another four last week when Merrivale toppled the previously unbeaten Timboon Demons.

''To bounce back after the emotional week we'd had, and to play like we did, was just great,'' he said.

Things won't get any easier on the field for the Tigers in the coming weeks. Having played top side Panmure yesterday, they face Allansford next Saturday. But McLean and his men have things in perspective.

''Stephen's brother, Jade, is still playing with us and he had a talk to the senior group about it,'' McLean said.

''He told us that Steve wouldn't want us to go out and win a premiership for him. He'd just want us to put in a good, solid effort each week.''

By Adam McNicol

Article first appeared The Sunday Age May 13, 2012