Adelaide private school appoints Sturt legend as footy coach

After more than 150 SANFL games and three years as coach, a premiership player is taking on a new role with an Adelaide private school.

Seamus Maloney during his stint as Sturt Football Club coach. Picture: Stephen Laffer

An Adelaide private school has pulled off a coaching coup, securing the services of Sturt life member Seamus Maloney as coach of their boys First XVIII footy team.

Seamus Maloney played more than 150 games for Sturt in a career spanning eight years from 1996-2003, winning the club best and fairest in 2001, and playing in the 2002 premiership side.

He then moved to country Victoria, winning three premierships, including two as playing coach, with the Mildura Imperials.

In 2011, he returned to Sturt as assistant coach, before taking the reins as head coach from 2012-2015.

Now, Mr Maloney takes on a new challenge at Westminster School as the newly appointed coach of their First XVIII team.

Seamus Maloney is the new coach of Westminster’s First XVIII. Picture: Noelle Bobrige

Mr Maloney has volunteered as a runner for the team for the past two seasons, a decision he made due to close family and friend connections at Westminster.

“A good friend Tim Weatherald was coaching, and my kids are at the school, so it’s kind of a nice connection to be involved with the footy program,” Mr Maloney said.

Since finishing up at Sturt, Mr Maloney has completed a teaching degree and begun working in primary schools, which he says has allowed him to develop and improve as a coach and educator.

“That teaching skill, along with the experience of coaching and football, has given me a nice blessing to be able to probably improve my coaching.”

Taking on the head coach role was something Mr Maloney said he was “keen on”, and coincided with him taking on a job in Westminster’s preparatory school.

“I knew Tim was standing down, so I just sort of inquired about what they were thinking, and they came to talk to me at the same time, so it’s worked out really well.”

Westminster principal Simon Shepherd was full of praise for Mr Maloney.

“He’s a very considerate, empathetic, gentle and constructive person,” Mr Shepherd said.

“He tends to bring out the best in players by looking at how they need to be spoken to and need to be coached, and then does that.”

Mr Maloney takes charge of a Westminster team coming off recent success, having won division two of the Sports Association for Adelaide Schools (SAAS) footy competition in 2023, and taking a victory against division one heavyweight Rostrevor.

He says there’s some “really good quality” in the playing pool at Westminster.

“I think we’ll be very competitive,” Mr Maloney said.

“We’ve got a really keen bunch of players.”