Go West: Steve Wright appointed coach of Kilcunda-Bass
Almost three decades after making his start in coaching, former Sydney Swans star Steve Wright is still going strong — and he reckons he’s a due for a premiership as he joins the West Gippsland league.
Bass Coast News
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Steve Wright has a simple explanation for why he continues to coach.
“Well, it’s the closest thing you can get to playing, isn’t it, and we all want to keep playing, but most of us can’t,’’ the former Sydney Swans star was saying last night.
“To still be involved with younger people keeps you young and sharp yourself. I still enjoy it and I still believe I’ve got something to offer.’’
Wright was speaking a couple of days after being appointed at Kilcunda-Bass, the latest in a long list of clubs he’s called home since retiring from Sydney and heading to Clarence in Tasmania at the end of 1992.
He had been coaching Meeniyan Dumbalk United (MDU) in the Alberton league since 2018, but “Killy-Bass’’ is closer to his Phillip Island home.
Wright was in talks with MDU about continuing on and leading the Demons in their move to the Mid Gippsland league. Kilcunda-Bass came calling with a good offer: two years with the option of a third.
“It made sense. Killy-Bass is 20 minutes away, whereas MDU was an hour and 10, so all of a sudden on every training night you pick up a couple of hours,’’ he said.
“MDU were trying to put a plan together for someone to come in under me and take over, but Killy-Bass rang out of the blue.
“When you weigh things up you put down the fors and against for both clubs and going to Killy-Bass outweighed going back to MDU.
“You’ve got the travel and the length of the contract … three years. I’m 59 and I’ll be 60 before next footy season. There aren’t going to be too many deals coming my way for that length.’’
He said Kilcunda-Bass had recruited well, most notably signing former AFL player Campbell Brown as assistant playing coach.
Brown is friends with KB president Shea Eden, a horse trainer.
A brick-hard, quick and courageous rover who gave nothing less than his best, Wright played 246 matches for the Swans, winning two best and fairests and gaining selection in their team of the century. Former teammates talk about him with great admiration.
Wright’s move to Clarence as playing coach brought immediate success, with premierships in 1993-94.
In the years since his stay in Tassie he’s had only one year off from coaching.
From Clarence he crossed to Central District in the SANFL, and then took on the NSW/ACT Rams in the TAC Cup.
Roles followed at Queanbeyan, Weston Creek, North Ballarat in the VFL, Caulfield Grammarians in the VAFA, Highett, and Oakleigh District and Murrumbeena in the Southern league.
He had a break in between coaching Highett and the Oaks, but was called in to guide the Southern league representative team and help with Heatherton’s reserves.
Since his three years at Clarence, Wright has coached in seven grand finals, coming up short every time.
“You could say I’m due!’’ he said.
But he pointed out that except for Murrumbeena, every club he coached went on to a premiership within three years of him leaving.
“That’s what it’s all about. You want to leave the club in better shape than when you got there,’’ he said.
“I hang my hat on that a little bit. You’re not just there to take, take, take. You’ve got to make sure you play the kids and if that means you’ve got to take a bit of pain, you take it. Hopefully the club ends up with a 10, 12-year player.’’
Wright has always liked to push up the young bucks. “They’re honest. What you see is what you get. They’ll try and they’ll do what you ask them to do. They’ll give you everything,’’ he said. “That’s enough for me.’’
KILLY-BASS PRESIDENT SHEA EDEN ON STEVE WRIGHT
“We were very impressed after our first catch-up with Steve, just with his enthusiasm, not only for senior coach job but being involved in the football club and junior development. It was pretty obvious to us that he was the right bloke to be chasing, that he shared the same values that we’re trying to instil at the club, get that good, country culture up and going again. We had a second interview and he came back and said he’d be delighted to take the job. It’s fantastic to be able to appoint someone like him, with all that experience and knowledge. He’s forgotten more about football than most of us know.’’
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