DAVID Newett’s journey to coaching Coburg Tigers has been both epic in duration and distance.
It’s taken him from the gravel playing fields of Tasmania’s Queenstown to Aussie Rules outposts at Kansas City and Dallas to the SANFL to football’s Mecca – the AFL.
It’s been a remarkable trek, one which Newett hopes to add to in his first year as coach of Coburg Tigers.
During a sojourn to the United States to complete a university degree, Newett was based in the picturesque State of Colorado where found himself playing Australian Rules for the Denver Bulldogs.
Such was the level of commitment, Newett found himself travelling as far as Boston, Kansas and Texas to play Australian Rules.
“I didn’t quite expect it, but it was a tremendous time. I thoroughly enjoyed it,” Newett said.
After returning from his USA odyssey, Newett played for Woodville West Torrens before heading back to Tasmania where he helped out former Fitzroy star Matthew Armstrong with the Tasmania Devils.
Newett then spent three years at Glenorchy, steering them to the 2007 premiership before he received a call from North Melbourne asking him if he was interested in a position as a development coach.
For the next two seasons he called Arden Street home before that ended with the appointment of Brad Scott who brought in his own coaching staff.
Fortuitously, Newett was talking, not long after, to prominent player manager Ricky Nixon who said there may be an opening at Richmond.
The next week Newett, 37, spoke with Richmond coach Damien Hardwick and Tigers’ Football Operations Manager Craig Cameron. After going through an interview process, Newett landed the position as Coburg Tigers and development coach.
Newett inherits a club that lost experienced VFL players Andrew Horne, Nick Liddle and Tim Clark and will enter the season with a relatively raw group. Apart from Nick Carnell (67 games) and Sam Power (45), no other Coburg Tigers player has played more than 20 VFL games.
Calder Cannons, the reigning TAC Cup premiers, will provide seven recruits, but it is a considerable jump to VFL.
“The way we like to look at it is there is an exciting group of players from both Coburg and Richmond coming through,” Newett said.
“Our aim is to play finals football, but our immediate focus is make sure we do all our basics right and getting our game plan right so we can have a consistent performance.”
As well as the playing group, Newett noted the other exciting component of the season is playing many home games at the new complex at Craigieburn.
“To get a brand new facility like that really gives you a good base to start off with.”
David Newett can’t for his latest football adventure to begin.
Last Modified on 08/12/2010 18:30