WRFL Division 1: St Albans coach Sam Butler opens up on playing future
A candid St Albans coach Sam Butler addresses his future on the field after he “stunk it up” last year and how the Saints can climb the WRFL Division 1 ladder in a wide-ranging interview.
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Sam Butler arrived at St Albans midway through last season after a 14-year AFL career.
Having only exited the AFL system in 2017, the West Coast premiership player was expected to slot in seamlessly at suburban level.
But according to Butler, his two games for the Saints were anything but memorable.
“I had delusions of grandeur about what I used to be like and didn’t realise I wasn’t that kind of guy anymore,” Butler said.
“I played a game and stunk it up but was also impressed by the quality of the league, the players out there and realised I had to do a little bit more to match it with these guys.
“I then had to go away for work for a bit, started training and came back to redeem myself in the second game and ended up doing my hammy.
“I think I felt horrible for the boys after those first two games, but they were nice enough to keep me around and let me help out around the club a bit with coaching and the training drills.
“But the more time I spent there, the more I enjoyed it.”
The 34-year-old was appointed coach of the Western Region Football League club a few months later and was set to also take the field in 2020 before the season was scrapped amid the coronavirus crisis.
Butler said he was “really pumped when they offered me the role” and had little hesitation in re-signing for next year when it was decided he would stay put in Victoria.
But Butler’s playing days appear all but done.
He is keen to pour all his energy into coaching, while St Albans is also tackling a player points squeeze.
“I think next year I’ll be looking forward to committing all my time to coaching,” Butler said.
“I found it quite hard trying to coach, and implementing a lot of new philosophies, and trying to train as well. It was borderline impossible.
“Who knows? I might get the itch and might get real selfish (laughing) and try again, but at the moment I think it’s just coaching for me.”
Butler praised his players for their enthusiasm after he “almost put them through two pre-seasons” because of the complications of the pandemic.
But he has identified key areas where the Saints can improve, with the club last contesting Division 1 finals in 2014.
There has been constant change in the coaching ranks, with Fabian Carelli (two years), Brad Murphy and Perry Meka (both one) all having short stints – for varying reasons – in the top job from 2016-2019.
There has also been plenty of change in the senior squad in recent years.
Butler acknowledged the movement would be “frustrating for the players and fans”.
“I didn’t have any concrete expectations for the first year (2020),” he said.
“We wanted to improve and the boys weren’t too far away from it the year before. We had a pretty good side.
“I think we’ve lacked a bit of continuity over the last few years. I don’t know if it’s indicative of the league as a whole or whether it’s just been at St Albans, but it feels like we’re starting to build something in that space.
“I feel like we’ve got some really great people around the club that want that stability and great things for the club for many years to come, that sustained success.
“We’ve got a fantastic group of core players who are passionate and have been there for a while.”
Butler said the likes of Tim Jenkins, Jack Sims and reigning Barry Priest medallist David Kovacevic formed “the backbone of our club”.
He lauded champion midfielder Jenkins, who won the competition’s top individual honour in back-to-back seasons (2010, 2011) and is a four-time club best-and-fairest.
“From the very first day, I was really impressed with a lot of the guys,” Butler said.
“Probably the biggest standout is Tim Jenkins. He’s been in the league for a long time, captain of the Team of the Decade, has all the accolades and is still (performing) at such a high level.
“He’s getting on a bit, but he had a reputation of being the hardest trainer and the most dedicated, and I’ve seen that. He’s a great leader for our club.”
Butler’s former West Coast teammate Josh Hill has also recommitted as a playing assistant coach at the Saints.
The pair boast 339 appearances at the top level between them and have plenty of knowledge to pass on St Albans looks to become a power in the top flight.
“He (Hill) was a big reason I went down there in the first place,” Butler said.
“He’s a really good guy and a good footballer. He knows where I’m coming from with a lot of my philosophies in football. Obviously some of those have come from the West Coast days.
“He’s great to able to bounce things off … and he’s just a genuine guy. That’s what we want around the footy club.”
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