WFNL: Travis Varcoe prepares to make coaching debut with Altona

From overseeing the “evolution” of its playing list to his hopes for the year ahead, new Altona coach Travis Varcoe is excited ahead of his first game in charge.

It’s a new era at Altona this season under Travis Varcoe. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Travis Varcoe will be hoping his Altona coaching career starts as well as his AFL grand finals.

He twice kicked the first goal in the AFL’s biggest game and will be hoping the Vikings start their 2024 Western Football Netball League Division 1 season in the same scintillating fashion.

After being given a bye in the opening round, Varcoe’s coaching debut will come against last season’s grand finalists, Point Cook.

“Coaching has been a new challenge for me but it’s something I was looking to get into,” he said.

“I played against majority of our side this year while I was at Yarraville Seddon and once this opportunity came up, I thought it fit pretty well with what I was looking for.

“It’s been a good pre-season getting to know a lot of the players and the people involved around the club, it’s a really exciting place to be involved with.

“I feel like we’ve had a really good pre-season but until you get there against real opposition you probably don’t know where you’re at. It’s one of the most exciting things we have to look forward to.”

Varcoe’s mission is to keep Altona in the premiership hunt with a very different looking list to the side which claimed the 2022 premiership.

Several stars have since departed while there has also been changes to the team which reached a preliminary final last season.

“That’s the evolution of local footy clubs,” he said.

“You’d love to have guys be there forever but it’s not what happens at local or the higher levels. People move on presents a great opportunity for others to make their mark.

“I’ve been really impressed with how the guys have progressed through pre-season and brought into what we’re trying to build.”

With a list of young talent, Altona remains somewhat of an unknown.

But it’s something that excites Varcoe.

“With such a young group you’re going to have ebbs and flows throughout the season,” he said.

“If we can get a win, it gives us a good platform to build off. Either way, we’re going to learn a lot against a high quality side.

“We’re just keen to get into our first.”