Sport
17 November, 2022
Maryborough Rovers make big splash by signing Billy Mahony as co-coach for 2023
Maryborough Rovers have landed one of their bigger signings in recent memory, with Billy Mahony signing on as senior football co-coach alongside Joel Radlof for the 2023 season. Mahony arrives with a decorated resume, having won Rookie of the Year...
Maryborough Rovers have landed one of their bigger signings in recent memory, with Billy Mahony signing on as senior football co-coach alongside Joel Radlof for the 2023 season.
Mahony arrives with a decorated resume, having won Rookie of the Year honours in the Bendigo Football Netball League with Maryborough in 2014, while also taking on stints at Kyneton and Mount Pleasant — where he was the recipient of the best and fairest this season in a team that made the grand final.
Mahony’s signature has led to more players joining the club, with Tyson Randall and Jake Byron also recently joining, while Radlof says that all senior players bar one have re-signed with the club.
“We are looking to be more competitive next year. This year was all about trying to get a base of players, having a lot of young players. Bringing in some high-calibre players with some strong leadership. Jake Byron and Tyson Randall are some older players that are bigger bodies who will provide leadership — we lacked a little bit of that last year,” he said.
“Getting Billy Mahony on-board is a really big cue for our club. Hopefully with that, we get a few more on board, and we’re hoping we can get three-five wins next year, if not more, depending on ourrecruits over the next few weeks.
“Before our best and fairest, we had already re-signed 15 players. We’ve signed everyone at the moment, apart from one who I haven’t had time to get to yet, as he lives in Melbourne. It’s a great result for me to see that people are buying in to what we have here.”
Radlof also says that Mahony will prove a different dynamic for the club, providing new ideas and experience that Radlof says he didn’t have access to last season as a young coach.
“I knew Billy from our time together at Maryborough, and I knew he was a really good player. His brother, Alex, plays with us, which has been helpful. He’s been the link to Billy that we had. We’re very happy to have him on board — he’s going to provide that leadership on and off the field, which will take us to another level. But not only that, his experience with different teams means he can provide so much to our younger players to take that next step forward,” he said.
“I think having Billy as a co-coach will be great. As a young coach, it is quite hard, having limited experience. Although I work hard with what I do, it’s always refreshing to have new ideas, new faces and someone else to shoulder a bit of the load to say ‘why don’t we think about this’ or ‘why don’t we think about that’ and that’s awesome. It’s something I didn’t have this year to reach out to.”
Mahony’s form in recent years means that he will add a different dynamic to Rovers on the field as well as on the training track, as they look to build their fitness base throughout the pre-season.
“Having players sign on early means we will have a better fitness base. We weren’t very fit last year — a lot of games would see us fire a shot until half time, then get beaten pretty easily. Also, we were injury prone,” Radlof said.
“Billy will also add a new dynamic in the midfield, and our new recruits will also give us some stability in other parts of the ground. To have Billy is phenomenal. I think he will be a very good player. Other teams will have him on watch a little bit, so it might take a bit of a load off a young bloke like Marshall Murray through there.”
For Mahony, signing with Rovers provides him with a challenge he’s been eager to work with, as he looks to help transform a club that has been winless in their past 24 games.
“I originally came down in 2014 to play with the Magpies, so I’m familiar with the town. It’s going to be a big challenge. We haven’t had much success the last few years, but it’s also very exciting to have the opportunity to bring a club up from the bottom of the ladder and potentially get into finals at some stage,” he said.
“I watched a couple of games for my brother, and I’ve enjoyed good relationships with a few of the boys. I have a general idea of where we can improve quite quickly. And hopefully, we can get it done soon.
“I’ve been with a few teams that started quite low, and got good throughout the year. I find that they are some of the best wins, even if they don’t play in finals or a grand final. If you can improve as a team, any win is a good win. I think there is room for a lot more success at the club, but also a lot more enjoyment as well. Watching a group come from the bottom and see how they react to playing good football is good to see, and Joel getting on the front foot has been good. It makes you think that there’s something good happening next season.”
Mahony agrees with Radlof’s assessment that the fitness base will be the biggest improvement between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, while revealing that a team camp will provide an opportunity for players to bond together and set goals for the 2023 season.
“I think it is all about setting standards. I take pride in the fitness side of things. I keep my personal fitness at a pretty high standard, and I’m looking to bring that to the club. It’s more than just the structure and systems, personal development is something that I can help out a bit. I’m looking forward to seeing how I go in this new role,” he said.
“The fitness side of things is the first thing you want to tick off. Getting everyone into the right program is one thing, before keeping everyone in shape through Christmas and New Year. Of course, you also have to set the right habits early on. So, to do that would mean that early next year, everyone would have a good idea of what we are trying to accomplish. We also have a camp coming up, so there will be some goal setting and team bonding coming up, so I think that will be very beneficial for the group.”
Meantime, in other MCDFNL coaching news, Harcourt premiership co-coach Daniel Wridgway will be the sole coach of the team next season, with Paul Chaplin and new recruit Kalan Huntly assisting him, while Natte Bealiba have also announced their new coach for the 2023 season, with Trent Mortlock taking over from Zeik Johnston.