Rushworth FNC announces experienced senior coach appointment following year on the outer

Wheatley arrives at Rushworth following stints with Melbourne’s VFL affiliate Casey as well as the Demons’ Next Generation Academy in the past five years.

It was an “out of the blue” phone call that led Wheatley to entertain the thought, ultimately choosing to sign on even without a senior roster assembled.

He also coached Imperials in the Sunraysia Football Netball League in 2022.

Wheatley acknowledged there is plenty to do in getting the Tigers off the ground once more but said he would relish the work ahead.

“I had no real inkling of senior coaching, but I was impressed with Rushworth’s football committee and the honesty they showed with where they were at,” Wheatley said.

“That pressed a few buttons for me to get to a club that’s on its knees and was on the verge of folding.

“Nobody wants to see a club falling over; that motivated me to get up and going and see what I could do.”

Rushworth’s new coach is motivated to see the Tigers start to become competitive as soon as possible for 2024 and beyond.

However, his mindset will not revolve solely around outcomes on the field during this overhaul period.

“I’m a competitive beast and play to win, but to base success on wins and losses, you can be in for a lonely time,” Wheatley said.

“We’re going to base it on clear goals fielding Under-14 teams up to reserves and seniors.

“Only one side can win a flag, so it won’t go too well if you choose just to look at those things.

“Our first goal is to field a side and be competitive, so we’ll be recruiting strongly and building belief in local guys.”

Wheatley will have ample time to instil his philosophy on the prospective roster for when the Tigers’ time comes to run out in round one next year.

“First and foremost, I’ll run a conscious-based team,” Wheatley said.

“If you can’t retain the ball, you’ll be running and chasing all day, so we want to keep things focused on that.”