St Mary’s appoint new assistant coach to Anthony Vallejo, Karl Gundersen, and promise ‘no more player points heartache’ in NTFL

EXCLUSIVE: Never again will St Mary’s make the same mistakes of last season. That is the opinion of its new assistant coach, who will keep a close eye on all fly-in players.

Karl Gundersen – pictured during his time as a St Mary’s assistant – is back at the Green Machine to help head coach Anthony Vallejo. Picture: Brad Fleet

NEVER again will St Mary’s make the same mistakes it did last season regarding its roster management.

And that is because head coach Anthony Vallejo now has the support he needs where he won’t be distracted by time consuming off-field tasks in the upcoming 2021-22 NTFL season.

That is the opinion of new and respected assistant coach, Karl Gundersen.

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The former Green Machine star will take plenty of pressure off Vallejo, taking on a roster management role that requires a great deal of work.

It caused Saints plenty of pain last season after the club was fined a whopping $11,500, Vallejo was suspended for four games and four competition points were deducted by AFLNT effective from the start of the upcoming season.

The unprecedented penalties were because the club fielded two more players than the three allowed fly-ins during the qualifying final against Wanderers at TIO Stadium on February 27.

Karl Gundersen keeps a close eye over training in his past stint as St Mary’s assistant coach. Picture: Brad Fleet

Somehow, the club shrugged off the controversy to make the grand final and go within minutes of winning the premiership, losing arguably the greatest Territory premiership decider to Nightcliff by seven points in an extra-time thriller.

In a credit to Vallejo’s character, he took much of the heat for last season’s roster oversight.

But now he has Gundersen on board to assist him and take a lot of pressure off him.

And former assistant Andrew Wills is the new men’s coaching director.

“The reason why I decided to come on board and help was for Chopper (Vallejo),” Gundersen said.

“I played a lot of footy with him and, as a result, we built up a strong friendship.

“I’ve been in talks with Chopper about this role for the past 12 to 18 months.

“I last coached at Tiwi Bombers in 2012 and I’ve done some stuff with NT Thunder at under-17 level.

“A lot has changed over the past decade when it comes to points management for fly-in players, so that’s where I will help out Chopper.

“It’s mind-blowing the amount of work clubs now have to do on their rosters with the points system.”

Karl Gundersen in a past role as Tiwi Bombers head coach. Picture: Stuart Walmsley

A deep love of the game and vast management experience are other qualities Gundersen will bring to the role.

“I’ll bring a calmness to the team and I’ll also do a lot of work with our juniors, and help develop them into senior players,” Gundersen said.

“We’ve seen the great work Jarred Ilett has done in developing our junior girls into senior women’s players, and I’ll be doing similar stuff with our junior boys.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity, and the high-quality players I’ll be working with.”

Gundersen has had a distinguished career in the police force throughout the Territory, and it has been through this role where he will bring a real love of the game back to St Mary’s.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate to have been able to work up and down the Stuart Highway,” Gundersen said.

“I’ve worked in Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, and smaller communities like Yuendumu and Santa Teresa.

“And football is such a significant part of these communities – it’s the No.1 sport in the Northern Territory.

Karl Gundersen addresses his players during his time as Tiwi Bombers head coach. Picture: Stuart Walmsley

“You can be working in these small communities and kick a ball on your own, and then all of a sudden 20 people will want to join you.

“Football is a great connecting tool where everyone can speak the same language.

“No matter what major centre or community you go to in the NT, you’ll always see four posts up end of the ground, and four posts up the other end.

“I just love being around football clubs.

“And, even after a bad day, going down to a football club always puts a smile on my face.”