Angus Monfries to coach Maiden YCW in the Loddon Valley league next season

A country club has signed an ex-AFL player in the first sign of the team’s future ambitions. Find out what the club is planning on doing.

Maiden Gully YCW hopes the signing of ex-AFL player Angus Monfries is the start of the team’s move to another competition in the future.

The Loddon Valley league has appointed the former Port Adelaide and Essendon forward to coach the club along with Shawn Filo.

Both coached Lake Boga in the Central Murray league last season, guiding the team to their first finals appearance in 12 years in 2022.

“It’s a younger group coming through and we were after someone who had experience coaching on and off the field,” president Chris Garlick said.

“Speaking to Shawn he said Angus might be interested and it just fitted what we were looking for.

“It happened fairly quickly.”

Monfries will be a playing coach with Filo to coach from the sidelines.

Both have signed three year deals with the Eagles.

Garlick said it had been done to secure the club into the future, wherever it might be.

The club previously applied to join the Heathcote District league, but had their application rejected.

The Eagles are now looking at joining the Bendigo league and currently have an application to play in the under-18 competition next year.

The side would take over the spot left vacant by Kyneton who have moved to the Riddell District league.

“It’s no secret we’ve got an application into the Bendigo Football League and the Bendigo Football League clubs have approved us putting under-18s in the bye that Kyneton has left for next year,” Garlick said.

“That sits with AFL Central Victoria to approve so we are going through the process as we speak.”

Ultimately, the club wants to be in the Bendigo league, and feels the experience of the coaching duo can help them if the club gets there.

“Realistically we’ll be a Bendigo club in the future,” Garlick predicted.

“We’ll take it as is comes, take it on its merit, it’s no good crystal balling anything but we do want under-18s next year in Bendigo.”

Garlick revealed the club would announce recruits soon.

Originally published as Angus Monfries to coach Maiden YCW in the Loddon Valley league next season