Weekly Times | NEW Old Collegians coach Josh Reichman will not have far to look for coaching advice and support this season.
Four past and present Warriors coaches lined up for the annual Good Friday clash against Merrivale last week, the first Warrnambool and District league match this year.
Reichman achieved what no other Old Collegians coach had done before — the Warriors beat the Tigers for the first time on Good Friday, 9.18 (72) to 7.6 (48).
Playing alongside Reichman was the Warriors’ 2014-15 coach Daryl Beechey and 2013 co-coaches Jamie McKenzie and Nathan Forth.
“We put (the pressure) on ourselves,” Reichman said.
“We really wanted it and it came from the group, not from me. These guys are the ones that told me about Good Friday and everything about it, so it was good to get into it and get it done.”
Forth and McKenzie’s tenure was a bittersweet year for the club — the seniors did not win a game, but the under-17.5s won the premiership and got plenty of senior experience.
“We kind of put the cue in the rack, didn’t go and recruit everyone, and just invested in the kids and it paid dividends and we’re starting to see it now,” Forth said.
Beechey took over as playing coach in 2014 and last year after playing more than 100 senior games at Cobden.
He said he could not recommit to coaching because of work commitments and his young family but wanted to keep playing with the Warriors.
Reichman was recruited from North Central Football League club Donald.
The Warriors made the semi-finals the past two years so Beechey said they had set the platform for this season.
“If we don’t finish in the top two or three and play off in a granny I don’t reckon we’ve probably done our job this year,” Beechey said.
Forth is closing in on his 200th game with Old Collegians.
“The flag is the ultimate. I’ve lost two here — 2005 and 2011 — so I’m probably chasing that one,” he said.
The Warrnambool and District league Round 1 continues this weekend.
