Hurstbridge has installed co-coaches for 2022 NFL Division 1 season

Teammates, brothers-in-law and now co-coaches, Jarrod Tilley and Brayden Shaw will combine to lead NFL club Hurstbridge next season.

Hurstbridge co-coaches Brayden Shaw and Jarrod Tilley.

Friends, teammates, brothers-in-law – Jarrod Tilley and Brayden Shaw have been just about inseparable.

The pair will now team up to co-coach Hurstbridge in NFL Division 1 in 2022 with Shaw stepping up from assistant coach.

Tilley and Shaw played Northern Knights together, at Bundoora together and joined Hurstbridge together in 2015, winning the Division 2 premiership in 2016.

The Bridges are no strangers to co-coaches with Rob Dyson and Trevor Frost combining to lead the club to the 2016 flag.

Shaw was looking forward to leading the club with his best mate.

“Jarrod and I have worked very closely, he’s my brother-in-law and best mate for a long time, and both got young families,” he said.

“We’re extremely excited, it’s a new approach and I think we will work well together.

“We’re both similar in the way we think about the game, working together for the last three years and playing together for a long time.

“I’m sure we’ll get in a couple of blues every now and then, that’s all part of it, but we’ll work together and get the best out of the group.”

With the home-and-away season called off early due to Melbourne’s current lockdown, Hurstbridge finished eighth with just the three wins.

However, the Bridges were denied two games against Whittlesea and one against Macleod and wooden-spooner Northcote Park.

Shaw had nothing but praise the way Tilley has held the group together this season and continued to build the club.

“Jarrod has been brilliant in the way he’s coached the boys after being thrown into the role as a young coach,” Shaw said.

Hurstbridge coach Jarrod Tilley. Picture: Josie Hayden

“The boys love him and I’m just going to come in and help him as much as I can and just add a little bit more to what he’s done.

“It’s hasn’t been our best year, we’ve had some back luck along the way and had some horrific injuries, but we’re going to go hard and try to recruit over the off-season.”

Hurstbridge secured one of the recruits of the season in Joel Naylor.

The key forward booted 36 goals in 12 games to sit third on the league goalkickers list, while teammate Bailey Jordan wasn’t far behind with 20 majors.

However, the Bridges have lost star forward and assistant coach Cameron Cloke after he was forced to stop playing earlier this year due to repeat concussions.

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“Clokey’s really well but he’s not going to stay around, which is unfortunate,” Shaw said.

“It’s a big loss for the group with his leadership and knowledge of the game.

“He’s given so much to the club and our young forwards, especially our young forwards like Joel Naylor, Bailey Jordan and Cooper Perrin – they look up to him so much.

“We couldn’t have asked any more out of Cam, he and I are so close, we’ve done so much together, I’m going to miss him.”