Hampden, Goulburn Valley: Adam Dowie and Paul Newman coach for final time in grand finals

Adam Dowie and Paul Newman know what’s required for grand final success and would love one more premiership each before both bow out.

Between them they have coached nine flags in the Hampden and Goulburn Valley leagues and will coach for the final time in grand finals at the weekend.

North Warrnambool’s Adam Dowie and Kyabram’s Paul Newman also head into the biggest match of the year as underdogs against South Warrnambool and Echuca.

Dowie has coached six flags at three Hampden league clubs — Terang-Mortlake in 2004 and 2005, Warrnambool in 2010 and Koroit in 2014, 2015 and 2016 — and would like nothing more than leading North Warrnambool to its first flag after losses to Koroit in 2019 and last season. His successor has been locked in with West Coast premiership ruckman Nathan Vardy taking over.

Kyabram is still on the hunt to replace the man who has coached the club to its last three flags in 2016, 2017 and 2019.

Nathan Vardy will take over from Adam Dowie as coach of North Warrnambool. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Dowie said he had a “mixture of emotions” as he prepared for another grand final on Saturday.

“We really want to win,” he said.

“I’ve been here for five years, two years were affected by Covid, we’ve come runner-up twice to Koroit and North has never won one.

“But I’m also well and truly ready to hand it over.

“We will go in pretty big underdogs.

“On paper South Warrnambool’s team is really, really strong, but come Saturday they will have only played one game in 27 days while we’ve been playing pretty much every week.”

North Warrnambool coach Adam Dowie will be in charge of the Eagles for the final time in Saturday’s grand final. Picture: Supplied

Newman kicked almost 1000 goals in a brilliant playing career with Kyabram that also included a flag in 2013.

But as a player in 2009 and a coach in 2018 he knows the favourite can come unstuck on grand final day.

Kyabram went down to Mansfield in 2009 after thrashing Mansfield in the same finals series and its only loss between 2016 and 2019 was the shock defeat to Shepparton in the 2018 grand final.

Kyabram coach Paul Newman. Picture: Kyabram Free Press

Kyabram qualified for another grand final by downing Euroa in Sunday’s preliminary final with Newman fully respecting Echuca’s capabilities.

“A lot of things will need to go our way,” he said.

“Echuca is by far the best team in the competition.

“As a player and coach I’ve lost two grand finals where we were roaring favourites so I’m fully aware things do happen in big finals.

“The underdog can win from time to time, so we will give ourselves a chance.”

Paul Newman in action in the 2013 Goulburn Valley grand final that Kyabram won by 51 points. He has coached the club since 2016. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

He said he was also ready to pass on the coaching baton.

“It’s probably time for the club to get some fresh ideas and a fresh voice for the players,” he said.

“Every coach has their use-by date and I think my time is up.

“I’ve been very lucky with the calibre of footballer and person I have been able to coach.”