Harper Sercombe
It’s a full circle moment for Werribee’s Kyle Hartigan as he returns to the club as an assistant coach for the Victorian Football League season.
In 2009 Hartigan was overlooked in the AFL draft and made the call to travel down the highway to Chirnside Park. After three years of not being picked up while plying his trade at Werribee, his moment finally came in the 2012 off-season. When Adelaide selected the key defender with pick 14 of the rookie draft.
He went on to play 135 top-level games, 113 at the Crows and 22 with Hawthorn.
Now, he has found his way back to the club, in charge of the defenders for 2024. Hartigan said he is not only there to see team success but to help players like him create an AFL career from the club.
“I wanted to get back involved with such a good footy club, with so many great people,” he said.
“I think that’s probably what’s key to the footy club, there’s just so many great people that are invested in the club and want success there. They’re amazing and supporting their players and their people and getting the best out of them.
“They certainly did that for me. Back when I was playing there and guys like Mark Penaluna, Scott West, Simon Atkins and Paul Satterley who coached me and were definitely instrumental in me getting drafted.
“I just wanted to give back to the club that had given me so much… and get involved and hopefully find the next player that will be able to reach their potential and maybe help them get drafted into the AFL and also hopefully we can have some team success like they had last year and hopefully, go one better.
“But they’ve opened me back with open arms and it’s been really good so far.”
Hartigan said the better the club can foster players and coaches through to the AFL, the better their on field successes will be, and vice versa.
“When you have success, it makes people want to come and play at the footy club,” he said.
“But also guys getting drafted, people look around and go, ‘how about all these guys getting drafted or rookied or get an opportunity in the AFL from Werribee, that’s the club I want to go to’
“That just makes people want to come to the footy club and it makes it a lot easier if you have guys that want to come there. It makes success a lot easier.
“I think that’s been the backbone over the last 15 years.”
While there has been plenty of player and staff turnover this off season for Werribee, it all leans into what he has said about the club. With last season’s coach Mick Barlow heading to North Melbourne, and Sam Clohesy and Shaun Mannagh getting AFL opportunities at Gold Coast and Geelong respectively.
“There’s been a lot of transition and, and that’s great,” he said.
“Obviously you lose really good people, but those people are moving onto bigger and better things and the Werribee footy club’s been able to provide them with the opportunities.
“Like Mick to go into the AFL, you know, we lose a really good coach, but now it provides an opportunity for Jimmy Allen to show his wares.
“Obviously, we want success but to develop players and get them drafted and make them achieve their potential then we feel like we’re doing the job and if we can do that, then we feel like successful will be able to come.”
