OUTGOING St Albans co-coach Chris Carlon is confident St Albans can break the GFL’s longest finals drought sooner rather than later.
Carlon, who was co-coach with Adam Boshevski in 2019 and was to share the role with Ben Patrick before the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19, is confident Patrick is the man to take the Supersaints to some overdue success.
“I saw my role as caretaker coach, in the manner I got the job,” Carlon said of replacing Hayden Best in January last year.
“I wasn’t really geared up to do the job in my own head; I got it by default.
“It was more to find the person that could take on the role full-time, and I could look at what I want to do from there.
“To see the interaction between Ben and the players is enough to know he’s the guy to take them forward.”
GFL: CARSON TO CONTINUE ON AT ST JOSEPH’S
Despite Carlon and Boshevski’s late appointment, St Albans claimed five wins and lost seven games by 25 points or less.
They pushed eventual premier St Mary’s to 17 points in Round 12, while the defeats by grand finalist Colac were by 21 and 24 points.
“The most pleasing thing is there a good foundation now, and the players know what it’s like to be competitive and feel like they’re in games,” Carlon said. “They can go to games confident thinking they can win.
“Adam and I tried to give them the confidence that if they took a risk that it was going to come off.
“Now it’s up to Ben to add the little bit of polish, and I’m sure he’ll bring that.
“I think finals are a real possibility in the near future rather than the distant future.
Carlon, who has coached Newcomb, Geelong West (GDFL) and former Colac league club Forrest, as well as being a crucial part of Modewarre’s off-field staff when it the BFL premiership in 2018, hasn’t ruled out coaching again.
“(But) everything’s got to be right,” he said. “The timing’s got to be right; I’ve got to want to do the job.
“And if I can get myself in the right headspace to do the job rather than being thrown into one.”
Carlon will stay on if St Albans takes part in AFL Barwon’s plans for a modified proposal gets off the ground.
He said the Supersaints’ players would have the final say on the club’s involvement.
“If they’re whole-heartedly into it and they want to play, we’ll absolutely (enter a team),” he said.
“If we get enough guys who are interested in doing it, we’ll definitely move forward with it.”
Twitter: @tom_king79
