Woodend-Hesket coach Alistair Rae discusses grand final heartbreak, recruiting plans

Woodend-Hesket coach Alistair Rae says taking on the coaching job helped him move on from the Hawks’ grand final loss, while he discusses off-season plans.

Kyle Baker in action for Woodend-Hesket. Picture: Hamish Blair

New Woodend-Hesket coach Alistair Rae said taking the Hawks’ coaching reins has helped him get over September’s grand final defeat.

Rae takes the reins from Josh Pound, who stepped down following the club’s agonising loss to Diggers Rest, due to work commitments.

After breaking a 16-year drought to reach the RDFNL decider, Woodend-Hesket will look to go one step further in 2024.

The Hawks have lost Pound, as well as Team of the Year ruckman Tim Martin (Banyule), Jack Arceri and Sam Medland (both Aberfeldie).

However, have added Glenelg youngster Will Wiseman, Strathmore duo Jack Duggan and Luke Cuffe and Woodend junior Jack Hayward and expect more signings in the new year.

Rae said it had been good to dive into off-season preparations to help move on.

“It was good in a way, I was pretty shattered after the grand final loss, so this got me to stop sooking around,” he said.

“I got stuck straight into player retention and getting new guys in, this will be my seventh season at Woodend and I’ve been involved in this the whole way.

“It hasn’t been too different but the pressure and responsibility all comes back to me now.

“It’s been a different pre-season because we went so deep.

“We were used to coming back in mid-November, itching to get back into it, so it hasn’t been a slow start but it has been a different pace.

“We haven’t dealt with it too much as a group but I have individually, I’ve spoken to everyone in the playing group and had a lot of convos – everyone wants to go one step further.”

Rae has strong connections at Strathmore, which helped secure Duggan and Cuffe.

Duggan captained the Mores’ reserve grade premiership and made 14 senior appearances, while Cuffe had a season off.

Jack Arceri has left Woodend-Hesket for Aberfeldie. Picture: Hamish Blair

Meanwhile, Wiseman joins his older brother James at Gilbert Gordon Oval, arriving after eight SANFL reserves games and has Rae excited by his potential.

“Will looks like he could be anything. I saw some footage of him playing for Glenelg reserves and he’s a gun,” Rae said.

“He’s 196cm, a big boy, can play forward, back or ruck but I’m thinking probably up forward, there’s not that many good big key forwards around, but his brother says he’s just as good at centre half-back.

“I’ve known him Jack (Duggan) since 2009, his dad was my assistant coach at Strathmore and Jack would always be done there as a six or seven-year-old keen kid at every training session.

“Luke had the year off too so I thought I’d have a crack at him and he’s keen to be involved, he’ll be a good versatile defender for us – tall, small, can lockdown or intercept.

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“We lost a few players, there were a couple I tried to keep, but I’m confident come next year our team will be even better.”

Woodend-Hesket’s record-breaking year earned star midfielder Daniel Toman the Bowen Medal as the league’s best-and-fairest, with Martin finishing third.

The pair, along with Marcus Stapleton and Rory Patterson were named in the Team of the Year and Pound was crowned Coach of the Year.

The club will also be looking to defend its maiden A-Grade Netball premiership, while the women’s football team reached the finals and Mariam Habib claimed the league medal.