Sport

Byrne in driver’s seat for Echuca’s comeback campaign

By Oliver Shedden

Sep 25, 2025

2022 premiership player Angus Byrne has returned home to coach the Murray Bombers in 2026. Photo: File.

A travelling club stalwart has returned to Victoria Park in an attempt to bring the Murray Bombers back into the premiership fray alongside long-time coach Simon Maddox.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Angus Byrne, after a short stay in Noosa, Queensland, has returned home to partner Maddox as coach of Echuca in 2026 with Leo Tenace bowing out.

Byrne is no stranger to leadership, having been a regular on Geelong’s VFL list, including in the leadership group from 2021 to 2023, taking the reins as captain in ’23.

Locally, Byrne was part of Echuca’s premiership-winning side in 2022, the first of its eventual three-peat.

Byrne emphasised his excitement and what it meant for him to be back at his home club and leading the charge for an exciting upcoming season for the green and white.

“It’s an incredible honour to be asked to coach my home club in its 150th year,” he said.

“It’s really flattering, to be honest, and something that I’m really proud to be able to do because I love the club and I love our football program and our netball group as well, so to be able to be a part of it as a senior coach is really exciting.”

Byrne said that while he was looking forward to learning the ins and outs of coaching from Maddox and Cameron Valentine, he knew he had something unique to bring to the table.

“I’m looking forward to learning off the coaches who are already there in terms of Simon and Cam,” he said.

“I'’d like to bring in different ways of game-planning stuff, but also can implement various structure-based stuff and another level of professionalism as well.

“He’s (Maddox) a guy who has a wealth of knowledge across many different leagues, but also his game sense is excellent.

“His experience is something that I admire, but also to be able to work alongside him and learn from him as I’m starting out, is something that’s pretty awesome.”

Byrne’s family is deeply ingrained in the Murray Bombers, and he is just the latest in a long line of contributors from the Byrne tribe.

“I love the club, it is certainly my family club,” he said.

“A lot of the families around town, we’re all close-knit, we’re close family friends, and I’d like to think that our club when people come into it, they feel a part of that family.

“We want to support anyone who comes to us, and to be back doing things in our club that my family’s done in the past and spend a lot of the time around is really humbling.”