Narre Warren appoints Steven Kidd as senior coach for 2024

Narre Warren’s new coach explains why his appointment is so special to him, and reveals his plans for 2024.

Steven Kidd is chaired from the ground in his last game in 2010. Picture: David Trend

He is Narre Warren from top to toe.

Steven Kidd grew up playing junior and senior football with the Magpies and has experienced some of the happiest moments of his life in black and white.

Now, at 46, he will fulfil a long-held ambition to be the club’s senior coach.

“It’s awesome,” Kidd said after being unveiled as Narre Warren’s coach for 2024.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do having been there for pretty much my whole life so it’s a great opportunity.

“At the end of the day the playing group is probably the reason it makes it so appealing. They’re a great bunch of guys. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Narre Warren legend Shane Dwyer will relinquish the coaching reins after this weekend’s Outer East Premier division grand final against Wandin.

Nicknamed Skidsy, Kidd is a Narre club legend boasting a brilliant playing career of 259 senior games and three senior premierships.

Steven Kidd playing for Narre Warren in 2009.

He also has an extensive coaching career both as an assistant and as a senior coach (he coached Warragul for four seasons, helping it climb the ladder).

“I’ve had enough experience so looking forward to it,” he said.

“I’m pretty keen to continue to bring the young fellas through. The under 19s are in the grand final and the reserves also.

“There’s some quality in both those teams so we’ve just got to keep working at bringing through our own which we’ve done. We’ll just keep going with that.

“And whatever league we end up in…the main thing is we’ve just got to try and keep it successful.”

Kidd played junior football at Narre Warren and was only 16 when he joined the club’s senior ranks.

At 19, he was made club captain by then coach Cameron Stewart.

“I did it for two years,’’ he said.

“It was probably a bit more than I was ready for at that stage but when I look back at it, it probably helped me to get to where I am now.’’

Kidd finished his playing career in stunning fashion.

He was best-on-ground in Narre’s 2010 grand final win over Beaconsfield in the MPFNL’s Casey Cardinia league.

The star defender was overcome by emotion as the siren sounded having been pivotal in the victory with his terrific defensive work against Beaconsfield’s plethora of power forwards.