Reynella announces Josh Vick replacement as Craig Austin takes on Wineflies' senior coaching role
Reynella has named a replacement for former A grade coach Josh Vick following the 36-year-old’s decision to step down last month.
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Reynella Football Club’s Craig Austin is often known to have a ‘Midas touch’ with juniors.
Now he is about to test himself in senior ranks as the Wineflies’ new A grade coach.
Reynella announced Austin would take over the role last week after ex-mentor Josh Vick quit in September to concentrate on his job as principal at Warradale Park Primary School.
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Austin, 55, said he had received plenty of support since his appointment and was looking forward to the challenge of leading the Wineflies next Southern Football League season.
“It was really nice, there were plenty of people saying ‘well done and good on you’,’’ Austin said.
“My style of coaching is being able to liaise with the players.
“The message is that A grade premierships don’t come easy.
“Guys have to knuckle down and make sacrifices.
“Hopefully I can have a bit of an influence.
“We have to keep up with the way footy is going which is a lot of running, being a hard team and an attacking one.
“We also need a lot more conditioning, the very good teams like Flaggies, Noarlunga, Christies (Beach) have all big, strong bodies. We need to get to that level.”
Austin was the senior coach of the club’s B grade in 2018 and this past season helped Vick with the A grade, which lost the elimination final to Port Noarlunga.
Before that he enjoyed an outstanding run of leading the club to four junior premierships in under-14, under-16 (twice) and under-18.
He also coached SFL association junior sides in 2016 and 2017.
Reynella president Dave Denyer said the club was thrilled to have Austin in the senior position.
“Craig will be taking over a young but quickly developing senior team and we know he is the right choice to take these boys and the club back to being a serious finals’ contender over the next few years,’’ Denyer said.
Austin has been involved with Reynella since he first pulled on the boots as a seven-year-old. He also enjoyed short stints at South Adelaide but was never far away from the Wineflies’ Oval Rd base.
Meanwhile, SFL and Christies Beach Football Club Hall of Famer Darren Mason has been appointed as the Saints’ coach.