Newly-appointed Colac co-coach Jason Armistead has labelled his return to Central Reserve as a “progression” in his ability to commit to a senior role.
Armistead was announced on Friday as joining former St Kilda star Seb Ross in leading the Tigers in 2025 following the long-serving Rowan McSparron’s departure at the season’s end.
The inaugural Geelong Falcons Girls coach spent this year as an assistant coach at Bellarine club Modewarre and was due to lead the Warriors’ reserves in 2025.
“In 2023, I was helping Row a little bit behind the scenes, and I was training at Deakin (University) with the Colac guys that trained there on Tuesdays a little bit.
“It rekindled my relationship with the club that way, but I still wasn’t keen on being involved any further; I didn’t have the time for the commitment.
“‘Hoves’ (Mark Hovey) got me at Modewarre this year, and I put a lot more time into it.
“It’s just a progression back to being able to put 100 per cent of my commitment into the footy club, so I thought I’d put my hand up, and it’s gone from there.”
Armistead played 161 games for Colac, debuting in their last Hampden premiership year of 1993 – before being dropped for the grand final – and departing after the Tigers’ second year in the GFNL for South Barwon.
He won the 2004 best-and-fairest at the Swans and played in their 2005 and 2007 premierships.
Following retirement, Armistead coached Anglesea in 2015-16 before taking on the Falcons role in 2017.
He guided a team featuring several future AFLW stars to a premiership in 2018.
Armistead says it’s only in the past fortnight that talks around a role at the Tigers have ramped up.
“I’d had conversations with the club earlier when the season was still going, and I said ‘no’ at the time,” he said.
“Just a few things have happened personally that made me feel like I could put a hundred per cent of my time towards it.
“And ‘Joffy’ (Jonathan Simpkin) was constantly in contact with me.
“I’ve had a couple of meetings with Seb over the last couple of weeks, and that’s where it started and finished.”
Armistead is confident that despite Colac missing the finals for the first time in nearly a decade, McSparron has left a solid foundation.
“There’s a core group of players that have been the whole time,” he said.
“Hopefully, Seb and I can add a little bit more to what’s already put in place.
“A fresh voice can make a bit of a difference, so we’re hopeful of that.
“And Seb’s going to help on game day, as well, which is going to be important.”
Meanwhile, Armistead says he was “proud” to see Nina Morrison claim her first Geelong AFLW best-and-fairest.
Morrison was a standout in the Geelong Falcons’ 2018 premiership before becoming the Cats’ first draft selection later that year.
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