Southern league: Ex-AFL Tiger Josh Caddy to coach Port Melbourne Colts

Port Melbourne Colts have appointed a Richmond AFL premiership player as their new playing-coach.

Richmond’s Josh Caddy (right) celebrates a goal in the 2017 AFL grand final. Picture: Mark Stewart

He kicked the Tigers’ opening goal in the 2017 AFL grand final.

Josh Caddy excelled on the big stage and was a Richmond favourite, playing a key role in two premierships.

Now he’s a Colt hero, after being unveiled as Port Melbourne Colts’ new playing-coach in Southern league.

The Caddy family has a strong connection to the Colts; Josh’s older brother Saul played in the Colts’ 2005-06 premierships — and Josh spent his teenage years knocking around JL Murphy Reserve.

“We’re all pretty excited,’’ Port Melbourne Colts president Stephen Duvnjak said on Friday.

“He will be awesome.

“His brother used to play with us, so Josh was hanging around the club when he was 14 and 15, he knows the club pretty well.’’

Josh Caddy.

Caddy playing for Greensborough. Picture: Hamish Blair

Caddy, who announced his AFL retirement in May after playing 174 games across three clubs, played the second half of the 2022 season with Northern league club Greensborough.

Port Melbourne Colts made contact with him through club sponsor Mick Hargraves and football operations manager Elton Stevens.

“We sat down and had a chat with Josh and we threw it out there if he’d want to coach,’’ Duvnjak said.

“And his eyes lit up.

“Josh’s thoughts on football and how a football club should be run completely aligned with our committee’s.’’

Caddy ventures into coaching after playing under AFL premiership mentors Chris Scott and Damien Hardwick.

He will take charge of a Port Melbourne Colts side that finished seventh, with a 7-11 record, in Division 1 this year.

“It was absolutely a no brainer after chatting to him that he’s a natural leader and is exactly the sort of person we’re looking for,’’ Duvnjak said.

“He was in the Richmond leadership group so he knows how to lead young men.

“I think going to Greensborough for his eight games was perfect for him, he’s seen what a local club is like and what works, what doesn’t, and I think this opportunity for him is going to be amazing because he can take his knowledge form the AFL system and playing at local level and develop his own methodology. Mate, I’m pretty excited about that.

“And he relates to the players because he’s a similar age.

“We’ve been building this list for five years.

“We’ve got a huge amount of young players around 20 but our core group is probably pushing towards their late 20s and they all want to push for finals and have that professionalism at a local club, too.’’