EFNL 2023: Jason Heffernan appointed Wantirna South coach

The Devils have locked in a former star of the club as their next senior coach, who declares the improvement’s “got to come pretty quick” as they look to climb the Division 1 ladder next season.

A returning favourite son will steer Wantirna South in its bid to climb the Eastern league Division 1 ladder next season.

Jason Heffernan will coach the club in 2024 after recently calling time on his seven-season stint at the helm of Southern league outfit St Paul’s McKinnon.

A two-time best and fairest at Wantirna South, Heffernan captained the club to its 2002 premiership amid a six-year stay as a player from 1998-2003, earning a spot in its team of the half century (1952-2001).

He took St Paul’s McKinnon to a Division 1 premiership in 2018 after stops at VFL clubs Casey and Port Melbourne as development coach, also serving as an assistant at the Northern Knights.

Jason Heffernan was twice named the SFNL coach of the Division 1 Team of the Year. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Heffernan, who replaces Brett Moyle as coach, said his trust in the Wantirna South hierarchy made the role an attractive prospect.

“I did speak to them last year when they were looking (for a coach),” Heffernan said.

“It’s a good place and the president was one of my first coaches at Wantirna South, the footy ops is a former teammate and the reserves and under-19s coaches are ex-teammates.

“When I spoke to them last year, it was pretty close but what swayed me to stay at St Paul’s was that first year after Covid and getting things nice and solid – to leave after that didn’t feel like the right thing to do.

“When I pulled the pin with six or seven games to go, I didn’t know what was going to happen as far as footy, then the stars aligned a little bit.

“It’s the connection you’ve got to the club (Wantirna South) and more so, you know the people running the club – my trust was already in with them.”

Heffernan captained Wantirna South to the 2002 Division 3 premiership.

Wantirna South hit the halfway mark of the season with six wins and three losses – on track for a second-straight finals appearance – before a run of six consecutive defeats derailed its campaign.

It won just two games from the last nine, losing a string of players to overseas travel.

First-year coach Moyle stepped down from his post with one home-and-away match remaining as the club finished seventh with eight wins and 10 losses.

Heffernan is confident he’ll have consistent numbers to work with next season.

“I don’t know if this has happened at Wantirna South prior … four or five guys going away overseas and it’s really disruptive,” he said.

“While we appreciate the young fellas and it’s a rite of passage … local footy all hangs by threads – you get three or four go away, two or three injuries and I reckon if you took seven players out of Vermont or Rowville, they might struggle as well.

“It probably won’t happen again next year so therefore you’re going to have a consistent 45 to 48 players that are there on a weekly basis.”

Jason Heffernan (right) lifts the 2018 SFNL Division 1 cup. Picture: Hamish Blair

Heffernan declared his new team must improve to keep pace with its rivals – including reigning premier Mitcham, runner-up South Belgrave and relegated Premier Division pair Park Orchards and Doncaster.

The Devils missed the finals this season by two points and percentage.

“The improvement’s got to come and it’s got to come pretty quick because that competition’s going to be hell for leather,” Heffernan said.

“They believe that the core is there, and they’ve got strong juniors and the reserves won the premiership.

“Internal improvement is expected, and I think at any level you’ll lose two or three (players), so you’ll want to recruit two or three.

“I don’t think there’ll be a massive turnover.”