Southern league: South Yarra rising under young first-year coach

Scott Steghuis well knew the man he replaced as senior coach of the Lions. It was his father, Darren.

Darren Steghuis handed over the South Yarra coaching job to son Scott.

When South Yarra changed its senior coach at the end of last season, it did something unusual.

Keeping the job in the family, it replaced Darren “Daisy’’ Steghuis with his son Scott.

The handover was smooth.

After a long time in the coaching game and three years with the Lions, Steghuis senior wanted to pull back.

He told the club as much before the season was out, and officials identified Scott, one of the club’s leading players, as a good replacement.

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Offered his first senior coaching position, the 29-year-old bobcat operator accepted — with the support of his father.

Steghuis senior is running the bench for his son, and finding football a lot more relaxing.

“I think he’s just enjoying having less pressure and not having to get to training two nights a week,’’ Scott said.

“He was wanting to put the feet up a bit.’’

Father gave son some advice before he stepped into the role, telling him to “follow your own style, do it how you want to do it’’ and to define the line between being a mate and being a coach.

“He just wanted to make sure when it was time for footy I could be strict with them when I needed to be,’’ he said.

Scott Steghuis marks for the Lions.

Scott said his father was “pretty old school’’ and could “give a great spray’’, something the rookie coach hasn’t had to do this season.

A glance at the ladder shows why.

The Lions lost their first two games but won their next six, and are third after 10 rounds, behind Lyndhurst and Frankston Dolphins.

It’s some welcome success for a club that has known much adversity in the past few years.

Last season it battled in Division 3 and its home ground at Fritsch Holzer Reserve, built on a former tip site, continued to sink, to the point that the Southern league asked the Lions to find another oval.

There was uncertainty ahead of the season and it appeared South Yarra would have to play every game away.

It decided to drop to Division 4 and “start from scratch’’.

After the season started officials secured Leigh Park in Balwyn.

The playing surface is excellent, but the changerooms are side-by-side — “You can hear everything the other team is saying,’’ Scott said — the Lions and their opponents must share showers after the game.

The visitors are given first use of them.

Julian Belfrage in a ruck contest.

Leigh Park is also without lights, meaning Steghuis must train his troops at Fritsch Holzer.

It wasn’t ideal, he said, but the players simply got on with it.

A few country boys living and working in town have strengthened the team.

Jack Callaway trained with the Lions last year but played at Morwell in central Gippsland. Tired of the travel, he signed at the Yarras.

The situation was similar with Shaun Fella, who was at Glengarry.

Ace ruckman Brenton Lockhart came from Drouin and has been in excellent form.

Ditto for Brandon Bird, who kicked seven goals last Saturday against Carrum Patterson Lakes; Zac Maher, a back flanker with a strong boot; full-back Tom Rogers, who also serves as a co-president; and ruckman Julian Belfrage.

David Cannizzo marks for South Yarra.

The Lions were whacked with the injury stick last season — there were four ACLs — but players are slowly returning and creating pressure for positions.

Captain Chris Merchant is on the way back, as is last season’s skipper, Mark Symons.

The young playing coach has led from the front. He joined South Yarra from Silvan in 2016 and won the 2017 and ’18 best and fairests.

The Yarras have three senior men’s, one senior women’s, over-35s and over-50s football teams, under-8s, Auskick and four netball sides this year.

And they have an enthusiastic young senior coach who learned a lot from his father and his predecessor.