With Darby Walsh announcing he will be stepping down at season’s end, Rhys Woodland has been thrust into the role of head coach for season 2024 at Picola United.
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After an eye-opening first year moving the magnets as a co-coach with Walsh, Woodland is keen to take the reins in his first ever solo appointment.
“It was good having the support of Darby this year and get my feet under the desk and see what it’s all about,” he said.
“It was my first time having a crack at coaching at all, there’s a lot more behind-the-scenes work that needs to be done than you realise.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of doing it by myself next year.”
Without much coaching experience, there might be questions surrounding the appointment, but Woodland certainly has the playing credentials to back it up.
He has won senior flags at both Lockington Bamawm United, his home club, and Picola United, and with obvious leadership qualities, has been made captain of each at one point or another.
And when the whips are cracking next season and a tough decision needs to be made at the selection table, Woodland won’t shy away, having been on the receiving end of possibly the cruellest decision of all.
In 2013, LBU was set to complete a three-peat in the Heathcote District Football League, with Woodland a key member of the side, until suddenly, he was no longer in it.
“I think I missed one game through injury for the year, but I played every game in the senior side that I was available for,” he said.
“I even played the qualifying final, but I happened to get dropped. I played my first game of twos (football) for the year in the grand final.”
In a sign of resilience, a trait that will hold a senior coach in good stead, Woodland didn’t let the decision weigh him down, starring in a best-on-ground performance for the reserves before watching from the sidelines as the senior side claimed the premiership.
“I started well, kicked two or three early, the emotions were running quite high that’s for sure,” he said.
“We managed to get the job done and won the game in the twos. As much as it absolutely broke my heart, the consolation prize was I played in the grand final with my brother, so that wasn’t too bad.
“But it was very strange watching the side I’d played in all year run out after we finished up, there were mixed emotions.”
Now in the position where he will ultimately be the one making the same call if his side reaches the decider, Woodland is able to empathise somewhat with the decision.
“To a degree, I suppose,” he said, although rather reluctantly.
“There’s always a tough decision and always that heartbreaking story, but it was a pretty tough pill to swallow.”
There would be no missing out in 2014 however, with Woodland persuaded to remain at the club and become a key factor in LBU’s fourth senior premiership in a row.
“It was awesome,” he said of the feeling when the final siren went.
“I thought about leaving but decided to stick fat, Ady (Adrian) Dohnt was coaching the next year and he was into me all off-season saying stick around, there’s still more success to be had.
“It was really good to hang around, to win a (senior) flag at my local club.”
In 2017, feeling like he “wanted a bit of a change up”, Woodland landed at Picola United, slotting straight into a reigning premiership side, delivering another flag at the end of that season.
Woodland’s impressive introduction at the club saw him made captain in his second season, although a heartbreaking loss in the 2018 grand final against Rennie saw him return to his beloved Cats.
“We always talked about trying that senior one, and see how it goes if we got that side back together,” Woodland said of his return to LBU.
A member of an all-conquering under-17 side at the Cats that won three flags, Woodland’s desire to return home was driven by the want to win another flag at his home club with his closest mates.
Two COVID-19-interrupted seasons followed his return, prompting players to leave the club and casting doubt on the side’s flag aspirations.
But in 2022, Woodland became a premiership captain.
“2021 was only half a year and we lost a few blokes along the way, so we’re thinking ‘oh god, I hope we can have a crack and try and go all the way’, and we got it in 2022,” he said.
“That flag meant the world to me.”
Feeling complete at LBU, a perfect storm saw Woodland return to the Blues for a second stint this year.
“My partner, now fiancée, is from Picola, that’s her home club,” he said.
“She wanted to go back to her home club, and it all just worked in that the offer came up for the coaching role with Darby, who I’m really great mates with.”
Having always wanted to go down the coaching path, and having tasted the ultimate success in every period of his career, Woodland has been on the front foot to ensure his time in charge mimics those triumphs.
“It’s started pretty well already, we’ve retained, probably 90 to 95 per cent of the list so far that we’ve spoken to, so that’s really good,” he said.
“We’re not exactly happy with where we are at the minute, we want to be able to get back competing for a flag and those sorts of things.”
With one eye on next year, Woodland knows there is unfinished business for the side this season.
Picola United need to upset Tungamah in the final game of the season to make finals, and while it will be a huge task, there is an internal confidence at the Blues that they will be able to get it done.
“Absolutely, we can release the shackles a little bit, a ‘there’s no tomorrow’ sort of thing,” Woodland said of his side’s chances.
“We’ve only got ourselves to blame for being in this position, but we’re looking forward to the challenge and we don’t we see why not.”