Experienced Western Region Football League coach Vinnie Turcinovich has landed at Tarneit for the 2024 season.
Turcinovich has an extensive resume that includes a premiership at Yarraville-Seddon in 2019 division 2, a division 3 flag with Braybrook in 2022 and a 2019 WRFL coach of the year.
Turcinovich has also coached in the Victorian Football League under Gary Ayres at Port Melbourne and played for Werribee and Williamstown in the WRFL.
Turcinovich replaced Brent Sheean who stood down from his post as coach of Tarneit at the end of the season, to spend more time with his young family.
Under Sheean this season the Titans finished in fifth position, with a win, loss record of five and 11.
“I’m excited to get back into the Western Region,” Turcinovich said.
“I’m pretty happy to go to a club that’s probably been struggling the last few years.
“I think they’ve got potential oozing out of the seams, they just need someone with a little bit more experience to help steer the ship.”
With the WRFL moving from three to two divisions, as previously reported by this masthead, the Titans have a massive task on their hands, competing with some of the division’s best sides.
“There’s no hiding from what’s going to be happening, the challenge is enormous,” Turcinovich said.
“The challenge is going to be huge for your bottom of division 3 clubs.”
Turcinovich said internal improvements will be the most important focus for the upcoming season, with his eyes set on the long term over the short.
“Structurally, clearly I’ve got a game plan that works,” he said.
“The win-lose ratio probably isn’t going to determine how good we’re playing or how good of a year we’ve had.
“It’s going to take a year or two before we get on our feet.
“Hopefully with a couple of inclusions, a better game plan, a better mindset, hopefully it’s going to be a pretty good season.”
Turcinovich said recruiting is also a major focus of his in the build of the Titans. He said he is hoping some of the relationships he has formed with players at the clubs he has previously been at will help his recruiting drive.
“They probably need five or six players to help the young kids,” he said.
“You always hope [you can recruit some players] as a coach, to try and improve the list.
“I’m being proactive and doing my hard work early, talking to players, messaging players.”
