Ovens and Murray: Wodonga signs GV star Jack O’Sullivan as co-coach

Wodonga’s wish to repeat this year’s drought-breaking Ovens and Murray finals appearance in 2024 has received a huge boost. See which star has made the move.

Dual Goulburn Valley league best and fairest Jack O’Sullivan will join Ovens and Murray club Wodonga in a co-coaching role next year.

O’Sullivan won the GV Morrison Medal again this season after his success in the Covid-shortened year of 2021 playing for Seymour.

He is the second Seymour player to take on a coaching job outside the GV next year with Michael Hartley appointed coach of Bendigo league club Castlemaine.

Jack O'Sullivan, left, playing for Romsey before he joined Seymour. Picture: Rob Leeson

Melbourne-based O’Sullivan will co-coach with Jarrod Twitt, who is making a comeback in the top job after being in charge in 2007-09 when Wodonga lost three successive preliminary finals.

Twitt then coached Holbrook in the Hume league before retiring as a player.

“It’s only been the last few weeks the idea of being a playing coach, helping out Jarrod, came about,” O’Sullivan said.

“It really piqued my interest.

“It will not only be a great opportunity to learn off him, but the group is going in a really good direction.”

O’Sullivan, 25, will train with Wodonga’s Melbourne-based players during the week and also focus on post-match feedback to players and opposition analysis.

“I will largely be guided by (Jarrod),” he said.

“We should bounce off each other pretty well.”

Wangaratta Rovers coach Sam Murray is also lives in Melbourne.

The co-coach set-up at Wodonga replaces Jordan Taylor, who led the club into its first finals series since 2009 when Twitt was the coach.

Wodonga’s Jarrod Twitt representing Victorian Country against the VAFA in 2005.

It beat Wangaratta Rovers in the elimination final before losing to Wangaratta in the first semi-final.

Taylor has returned to his original club, Finley, in the Murray league as coach after being plagued with injuries in his three seasons in the O & M.

Wodonga will have two players named Jack O’Sullivan on its list next year with a former Koroit player with the same name playing 13 games in his debut season with the club.

Goulburn Valley representative Kaine Herbert will co-coach Kyabram next year. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

The addition of midfielder O’Sullivan will help offset the departure of star player Angus Baker back to Canberra after two years playing in the O & M.

O’Sulllivan didn’t play a match in 2022 after seriously hurting shoulder in practice match on the eve of the season.

But he bounced back strongly and also captained the GV against the O & M in an interleague match played at Albury in May this year, which the O & M won in a thriller.

O’Sullivan beat Kyabram’s Kaine Herbert by one vote in the Morrison Medal count this year after Euroa star Will Hayes was the hot favourite to win, but finished outside the top three.

Herbert has also been appointed to a co-coaching job at his current club alongside Corey Carver.

They replace club legend Paul Newman in the top job.