Club champions: Three of Kyabram Football Netball Club’s senior football influences in 2023 were retiring coach Paul Newman, best and fairest winner Zac Norris and club president John Guinan. All three were at the centre of the club’s presentation evening celebration on Friday at the Wilf Cox Community Centre. Photos: Rohan Aldous.
There was a distinct “the king is dead, long live the king’’ moment at Kyabram Football Netball Club’s presentation evening on Friday evening when the club’s greatest player/coach of the last 20 years officially ended his time at the helm.
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Paul Newman spoke for the final time as coach of the Bombers when he handed over the best and fairest award to workhorse ruckman Zac Norris and recognised the retirement of long time friend Kayne Pettifer.
Nobody was surprised when Newman deflected the attention by recognising some of the major influences on his life and career, firstly honouring the role of his father David, who had been by his side as team manager for the last two years of his senior coaching career at Kyabram.
Newman made a post-COVID return to coaching for two seasons, taking the Bombers into successive finals series - a grand final this year - before announcing he would be stepping down just prior to Kyabram embarking on a premiership tilt which ended at the hand of Goulburn Valley league powerhouse Echuca.
The man Newman attributed much of the club’s recent success to was another premiership coach, David Williams.
“He turned this club around when he came here 16 years ago. I think in today’s world we all need a little bit more Dirty Williams in us,” Newman said.
He then turned his attention to Pettifer, telling the packed Wilf Cox Community Centre that nobody who had played football at the highest level (AFL), at least not in Kyabram, had given more back to the club.
Football family: Kyabram’s Dillon family has been a staple of the football landscape in the town and on Friday evening Liam Dillon added another chapter to the story with his the reserve grade best and fairest award. He accepted the award from coach Scott Hearn, who made one of several memorable speeches at the presentation evening.
“You should be very proud of what you have achieved,” he said.
Newman said the entire playing squad of 2023 should be proud of their season.
“We lost two grand finals in 2009-10 and it took four years for me to get another opportunity to play in a grand final,” he said.
“You’ve had your heartache and the challenge is ahead to climb the mountain again.”
Club president John Guinan said he still missed watching Newman play the game and treasured the on-field memories of the champion forward.
“What you have brought to the table off field and on field has been amazing,” he said, citing Newman’s coaching role in the 2013 thirds premiership, his three senior flags (2016-17-19) and the record of winning 83 of a possible 84 games in a four season period (including a VCFL record 62 game winning streak).
Of his playing stock Newman singled out Kaine Herbert, Tom Holman (Phil Coble Team Man award) and Norris for special mention.
After 12 rounds of the senior best and fairest count Norris had an unsurprising unassailable lead, having polled 286 votes to lead by 125 from half back Brad Whitford.
They stayed in that order, Norris ending the count with 368 votes, Whitford second with 258.
Herbert was third with 246 votes, 200-gamer Liam Ogden fourth on 214, then came Holman (209), Rhys Clark (194), goalkicking champion Kyle Mueller (145), last year’s winner Lachie Smith (132), captain Jason Morgan (124), recruit Will Golds (108), Aidan Robinson (94), another recruit Reuben Rode (83) and teenagers Anthony De Pasquale and Charlie Barnett (both 77).
Clark came home with a wet sail when he was named the Bombers’ best in both the preliminary and grand final, Newman explaining he considered the preliminary final win against Euroa as one of his best ever wins.
He described Brad Whitford as an ‘’extreme talent’’ who he hoped would build on a rare season that was not dominated by concussion or knee issues.
“I’ve also had the luxury of being around a little while and coaching both skinny man (Whitford) of Noz (Norris) in junior football,” Newman said.
“Noz did an apprenticeship under one of the greats (Jake Reeves) and still has his best ahead of him.
“His performance this year as our only big man was terrific.”
Young talent: Ava Pell (Under 15 netball champion) and Lachlan Carver (Under 16 football) were the leaders in the field and were recognised accordingly in the early part of the evening at the club’s best and fairest count.
