The trainee becomes the master.
Harley Taylor-Lloyd, the assistant coach of Nagambie’s senior side in 2023, will become head coach in 2024.
Taylor-Lloyd grew up playing football at Seymour, but switched to the Lakers for his senior career.
The local was honoured to be given the opportunity to coach at Nagambie.
“It’s something (in) the last two or three years I’ve really tried to set myself up for,” Taylor-Lloyd said.
“I’ve had a bit of a hip injury in the last 12 to 16 months, so that’s kind of stopped me from playing.
“So I think coaching is something I can look forward to for the coming years.”
Taylor-Lloyd had signed on to play football with the Lakers in 2023, but a persistent hip injury forced him to hang up the boots for good.
But when one door closes, another one opens.
Taylor-Lloyd took to the assistant coaching role like a Nagambie duck takes to the lake.
“Yeah, that (taking on the assistant coach role) was great,” he said.
“Funnily enough, I grew up with Tyrone (Muir, the 2023 senior coach).
“We’re family friends, so he was like a big brother for me growing up through primary school and all that sort of thing.
“To be able to work with him this year was great just to set up what we have and it was good.
“He was really an idol and someone I can bounce stuff off still.”
The new Nagambie mentor has hit the ground running, with his first pre-season briefing already set for Sunday, November 19.
Taylor-Lloyd is determined to see his side go one step further after losing the Kyabram District League grand final in 2023.
“I want to try and just take the next step towards professionalism and commitment. It can go a long way,” he said.
“We’re very young. That may be bit of a downfall for us this year, just inexperience.
“I think we had 10 boys under the age of 21 that played in that grand final side.
“So we’ve already agreed we don’t really need to go out and spend heaps of money like other clubs would that have just come runners-up.
“I think we’ve got a lot of development in the club and I’ve already had boys going for runs, logging runs, sending them through to me already and, yeah, we’re not due to start training for a couple of weeks yet.”
The Lakers’ football program is one of the best in the region and having a senior men’s and women’s side is something the club is proud of.
Taylor-Lloyd is looking forward to working alongside and bouncing ideas off senior women’s coach Breanna Davison, who is also his first cousin.
The Lakers’ new leader is grateful to all the people who supported him in his journey to becoming the senior coach.
“A big mentor of mine in the last five years has probably been Ben Davies (Seymour coach),” Taylor-Lloyd said.
“He’s been great for me and, even now, I still ring him and text him every couple of nights, just asking questions.
“I think he’s been great for me.
“Jake Lloyd (Nagambie president), he was great for me last year.
“I signed last year to play, but yeah, this hip injury (went into) the downward spiral and he’s been great as a president and someone I can bounce off.”
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