Border Mail |
HOWLONG coach Karl Jacka will step down at the end of the Hume league season.
Jacka yesterday said he only ever intended to coach the Spiders for one season after the club missed out of signing triple Albury premiership player and Howlong junior Shaun Daly as coach for this year.
Daly seriously weighed up the offer before joining Queensland state club Mayne Tigers.
“It was only ever going to be a 12-month thing,” Jacka said.
“Shaun is a favourite son of the club similar to what Brent Piltz is at Henty and Adam Schneider is at Osborne.
“I have no doubt Shaun will come back at some stage in the next couple of years and coach the club — it just wasn’t to be this season.
“There were about 20 coaching jobs up for grabs between the Hume, Tallangatta and Upper Murray leagues last year.
“By the time Shaun told the club no, a lot of the better credentialled coaches had already been appointed.
“So instead of appointing someone just for the sake of it, I agreed to coach for 12 months and I think the club is close to announcing its next coach.
“I have enjoyed coaching again but, as most coaches would know, it is demanding.
“It’s not just about lobbing on a Tuesday and Thursday, training and then picking a side to coach on Saturday.
“People who haven’t coached could underestimate what’s involved and what a big commitment it is.
“But I have loved it and it’s been good.”
Jacka played at Lavington, Henty and Balranald before joining Howlong in 2010 — the Spiders’ most recent flag year.
He coached Balranald for two seasons from 2008 and led the club to a flag in his final year.
Howlong endured a tumultuous summer, losing many quality players including Daniel, Darren and Steve Bradshaw, Beau Walker, Troy Price, Steve Church and Matt Farrugia.
Des Kennedy medallist Steve Fouracre, Steve Leatham, Bill Longley and Toby Pargeter are the only players at the club from the 2010 premiership team.
That prompted pundits to predict Howlong would slide down the ladder this season but Jacka has defied the critics with the Spiders set to contest finals, sitting fifth with a 8-4 record.
It extends the club’s amazing finals record with. The Spiders have missed the finals only once since 1995.
“A lot of people outside the club expected us to struggle,” he said.
“But they underestimated the depth at the club and the amount of talent coming through the junior ranks.
“We worked really hard in the off-season and guys like Bill Longley, Steve Fouracre, Gerard Midson and myself didn’t put the phone down calling players. We probably made our own luck in attracting players.”
Jacka said he would remain involved with the club next season in some capacity — on the committee, in junior development or in some other role.
The self-confessed footy nut rates the flag triumphs as the highlight of his career.
“I got to about 26 and I thought I was going to be one of those guys who was never going to get a flag,” he said.
“But I have now been lucky enough to win three.
“So I haven’t done too bad for a short, slow bloke.”
