Wally Galbraith Interview

8th May 2007

After the success of the first interview with Peter Forsyth, I thought it would be good to also hear from reserves coach, Wally Galbraith, on how the reserves are travelling at this point in the year. Thanks very much to Wally for taking the time to respond to my questions. I hope you enjoy this interview too.

Chris Mirtschin: Can you tell us a bit about your football history, which teams you’ve played with from your junior years onwards, what are the highlights so far etc?

Wally Galbraith: I don’t have a huge history of junior football due to the fact that I grew up near the beach and was into surfing more than anything else (school included). I did however play one year of under 15’s for South Barwon Football club and one year of under 16’s for the Torquay Tigers Football club. Both years were lots of fun and I enjoyed playing with and against some of my best mates from school.”

CM: How have you found the coaching role to be so far? What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had in the gig so far?

WG: I’m really enjoying the coaching role so far. I was a little skeptical at first when it was mentioned to me last year, but the support that was shown from the club and my teammates really helped me make the decision.

The hardest thing so far is definitely selection, with a list of 40+ players to choose from, it creates a real headache on Thursday nights. It’s really hard to keep everyone interested and motivated to keep on training etc when a lot of the time they won’t get a game.

CM: We’ve had a little bit of rain. How have you found the ground surface down at HE Parker, given the drought situation?

WG: The grounds are slowly getting better but the situation during pre-season was a real challenge for all of the coaching staff. Due to the council restrictions, other training alternatives had to be put in place which made things a little more complicated than normal. To the credit of Pete though, we got through pre-season better than a lot of clubs. I guess time will tell weather the grounds will affect us with many injuries this year or not.

CM: How’s the morale amongst the reserves players at the moment, especially with such large numbers to choose from and knowing that a certain amount will miss out each week?

WG: Morale among the reserve players is pretty good considering. I guess all the guys are really trying to do everything to ensure there spot in the side, but I guess it’s not hard to figure out that 45 players won’t fit into a side of 22.

Having said that though, I give full credit to the players who miss out and the way that they take the news. A lot of them will be the first ones to put there hands up to volunteer to help out on the side lines which is really good. I suppose that everyone understands the situation and that I can’t keep everyone happy all the time, but I can imagine that it must still be frustrating for a lot players.

CM: How does it feel to have two solid wins already? The confidence would be lifted a fair bit…

WG: The first two rounds were great!! It was exactly the start that I wanted for the club and it shows how talented the side is. Round 1 was a bit of an unknown due to the fact that we had never played against Glen Waverley Hawks before, but we dominated that game right through. Surrey Park was another game that we controlled for 90% of the game, and came out with another strong win.

We knew that Forest Hill was going to be tough, and they were. Unfortunately we went down, but we went down fighting and showed some really positive signs against a strong opposition. I think that confidence is reasonably high in the team which is a good sign, but as a team we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves either.

CM: Can you give us a rundown on some of the new players at the club who have played in the reserves?

WG: There are a number of new players this year that have played reserves. Some players who have been promoted from last year’s under 18’s are Todd Lucas who is the reserves deputy vice captain, Jason Newbury, Joel Batten and Patrick Danaher. Other new players are Tim Holman, Paul Lamanna, Simon Kawanishi and Simon Gray.

The club has also welcomed back Andy Rodwell, Brenton Pearce and Haydn Judge. All of these players have made valuable additions to the side when given there chances. Its such a good sign for the club to have a number of new faces playing this year, it just adds to the depth of the side overall.

CM: Which of the established reserves players has stood out improvement wise during the pre-season?

WG: I think it’s hard to point out one or two players that have stood out more than others. Ryan Condron has really put his hand up throughout the pre season and was named the reserves captain due to his commitment and experience. He had a very strong pre-season and has already shown some very good game day performances.

Andy Woodcock is another that worked hard throughout pre season and the team is really benefiting from him being in some great form. Cameron Browne and Matt Welch also had solid pre seasons and both are performing well.

CM: We had a good group of colts last season. Tell us about a few of them that have moved up to play in the reserves.

WG: As I mentioned earlier, Todd Lucas, Jason Newbury, Joel Batten and Patrick Danaher have all come up this year to play at open age level. Each of them has played in the reserves so far and have been a great addition to the side. Due to the selection process they all haven’t played every game, but the games that they have played have been very commendable. Certainly, they all seem to have made the step from under 18’s to a senior level which is very pleasing and will in time strengthen our side even more.

CM: How’s Matt Welch going since his return to the club?

WG: Matt Welch is a great return to our club and as I mentioned his pre-season was really good, rarely missing a night. He has kept himself fit in his time out of football, which has put him in the best position for a strong return to the game. He was named vice captain in the reserves because of his commitment and his game experience.

He has had a great start to the year with the first three games all being very strong. He plays in the ruck 90% of the time and he is one of our hardest workers around the ground, he focuses on his job each week and puts everything into it!

CM: How is the strength of our list looking for this year?

WG: I think due to the abundance of numbers, we will naturally have a strong list. This has shown in the first two games. We are lucky to have a very broad age range in the reserves as well, with a few 19 year olds at one end and some mid 30’s players at the other. It creates a good balance between young and quick and experience, which will make our side even stronger. We just need to focus on forming a bond within the players group, this is difficult due to the numbers coming in and out each week, but is something that we will be working on in the weeks ahead!!

CM: Who do you rate as the main contenders for 4th division reserves this year, and specifically, how do you think Heathmont will go?

WG: It’s hard to say who will be the main contenders this season, being so early in the year. I think that The Basin will be quite strong, as will Whitehorse and Forest Hill. I rate Heathmont as real top four contenders as well, so I guess that time will tell how we match up against some of these other sides. I’m confident that with the current list we have to choose from, we will be able to match it with any of the reserves sides in 4th division.

CM: What do you think of Cam Browne’s effort in playing his 300th game in the near future?

WG: I think that it’s a fantastic effort, and anyone would agree. He has been in so many ways, the heart and soul of Heathmont footy club over the years and I’m sure that anyone who knows the club would know Brownie!

He is one of my closest mates and I know for a fact that he lives and breathes to play footy for Heathmont! He won the reserves best and fairest last year and he has started off this year in fine form again, he is one of the fittest blokes at the club and with his years of experience he is also one of the most valuable players we have.

I think that his efforts both on and off the field are due for the highest praise and I will be the first to congratulate him on his amazing milestone!

CM: Do you think you’ll ever reach this milestone yourself?

WG: I think honestly I would have to say no. I think that it’s something that only a very select few have ever reached. I played my 150th game last year and I’m probably sitting on about 160 now, so for me to be just past the half way mark to such a milestone says that I probably won’t reach 300.

For those who do reach it, it’s something that is very special and stems from a huge amount of commitment and sacrifice. Right now I’m committed to coaching a successful side, not to the amount of games I can play!

CM: What’s the best thing about playing at Heathmont Football Club?

WG: There are so many things that I could list here for me. Heathmont is the only senior club that I have been involved in so I can’t really compare to other clubs, but for me it’s been an amazing few years where I have made some friendships that will last forever. From the first time I came down, I was made to feel welcome and ever since then I have tried to make new players feel the same way that I did.

We have such a good playing group now that is supported by a very effective committee that is backed up by a strong, close knit coaching team. The playing group is reasonably young, especially in the seniors, and everyone here gets along together really well. There are no select circles to try and fit in with, everyone is seen as an equal whether it be seniors, under 18’s or reserves.

It’s become a real family orientated club too which is great. It’s somewhere where everyone can feel welcome and at home, something that I think a lot of clubs don’t have! We are looking forward to a good year at Heathmont and everything is in place for us to be successful. Please come and support the club and the boys this year!

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