Anthony Robbins replaces Wayne Butcher as Maffra coach

New Maffra coach Anthony Robbins has a tough task ahead — surpassing the five flags won by his predecessor — but he’s hoping history will repeat itself.

Anthony Robbins has a well prepared response when hit with the obvious question about taking over Maffra’s senior coaching job from club, league and statewide coaching legend, Wayne Butcher.

“I’m too old to worry about that sort of stuff,” he said.

After more than 200 matches as a player for Maffra, Butcher transformed the club into a modern day powerhouse as coach.

He departed the role last year with a record of 168 wins, including five flags, from 212 matches at the helm in two stints.

But his 54-year-old successor doesn’t shy away from the enormity of the task awaiting him despite a lengthy coaching apprenticeship of 159 senior matches as a player, reserves and thirds coach, chairman of selectors and football manager roles.

“If you don’t have a go at something now you might regret it later on,” Robbins said.

“We were looking at some different people to do the job.

“After two years of having everything all over the shop, to keep maybe that same cultural bent, knowledge of the club and workings of the players, hopefully it proves the right way to go.

“But it’s a bit of a challenge of course.”

Club president John Brunt said Robbins was a logical replacement for Butcher given its reluctance of pursuing “outside stars”.

“We’ve looked at what we’ve got because we’ve had great success,” Brunt said.

“He deserves his chance to coach and has always been keen to do it.”

Robbins’ uncle Graham is also a dual Maffra premiership coach.

The Eagles’ modern day success has been built on loyalty with the playing group again staying largely intact for the coaching change.

“A lot of them could have gone elsewhere for more money or whatever else, maybe even opportunity, but have stayed and played a lot of reserves and senior footy,” Robbins said.

“(Butcher) is doing a little bit for me still without having too much of a presence.

“The players have responded very well and been very supportive.”

Maffra won the last grand final played in 2019, but slipped to seventh last year before Covid returned to bring a premature end to the season.

Anthony Robbins will take charge of the Maffra senior team for the first time this year. Picture: Laura Ferguson

Robbins attributes the slide partly to “Coviditis”, but concedes every club could use the same excuse.

“We recently had a camp and talked through a lot of those things and the players are really invested again,” he said.

The major changes to the Eagles ranks this season include Tom Gray’s return from the SANFL, but it’s been tempered by brother Sam heading back to Adelaide.

Former Sandringham Dragons player Jack Challands has moved to the area for work and Josh Stubbe returns from Heyfield with younger brother Jordan.

Homegrown players Harry and Max Gravener and Lachie Allman will also push for regular senior matches.

Robbins said one of Maffra’s great rivals from the last two decades, Leongatha, were among multiple teams capable of winning the flag.

The Eagles and Parrots played off in four grand finals for two wins apiece in the 2010s with the clubs’ rivalry cemented from the 1989 flag decider when Robbins was part of the Maffra team which went down by three points.