SPOTSWOOD’S Ben Kelly was named the Western Region Coach of the Year last week.

The Woodsmen playing coach who has led his side to the last three Western Region Football League Grand Finals was honoured by the award given at The Brook, Point Cook last Monday and took the opportunity to emphasise his reasons for holding on to the Woodsmen’s top job.

“This (award) is good but the main thing I coach for is the players and to be honest, to win,” he said to the crowd which included AFL legends Stan Alves, Peter Daicos, Peter Schwab, Williamstown coach Brad Gotch and Victorian Women’s Football League star Shannon McFerran.

“It’s the only reason I turn up Tuesday, Thursday and spend all summer chasing players and talking to players is to represent the Spotswood footy club.

“It’s proud down there and I am just proud to push the barrier for us.”

Kelly praised his club’s junior contingent with the senior end reaping the rewards.

“The strength at Spotswood at the moment is the junior program, which is sensational.

“Every year you probably have five or six genuine players who are pushing up to play senior footy. It helps with recruiting.

“Also you are just trying to recruit the right people to your footy club. If it’s a good environment then people are happy with it and the kids want to stay; happy players, happy club.”

Spotswood co-captain Daniel Mangan praised his coach of the past two seasons and said he was a deserving recipient of the award.

“He’s a very good coach, good with young kids,” he said.

“Very dedicated, very passionate. Pre-game he is very passionate, he gets his message across.

“He loves his training, he is always one of the first ones down there and setting up the drills and things like that.”

Kelly is a shining example of one of the toughest roles in local footy – that of a playing coach. Mangan said the side relies on Kelly in both aspects of the game.

“He actually said to me he reckons he would be able to coach better if he wasn’t a player.

“I think he does a good job of it. If we didn’t have him playing it would be a big loss.”

Kelly beat Darryl Craig (Sydenham/Hillside-Essendon District Football League), Mark Greenshields (Melton Centrals-Riddell District Football League), Dallas Harvey (Laverton-WRFL), Glenn Hopkins (Diggers Rest-RDFL) and Grant Setterfield (Sunshine-WRFL) for the honour and now goes in to the running for the Victorian Coach of the Year award.

North Footscray Under 11 coach Mark Roach also won an award, taking out the Junior Coach of the Year award.

“I’m absolutely honoured. It’s not something you do the job for,” he said.

“The best friendships you have in life are through your team sports… to have the kids starting off being mates playing in the same side, hopefully they can go all the way through and be best mates for life and that’s what sport is all about.”

Craig Newlands from Sayers Rd Auskick Centre in the Hobsons Bay District took out the Auskick Coach of the Year award.

“Auskick may not be the most serious thing in the world but… there is nothing better on earth as far as the rewards we get as coaches,” he said.