Daniel Foley and Damian Willis won’t be facing off this time. Instead, the local products have been appointed coach and assistant coach, respectively, of the Junee Diesels First-Grade side leading into the 2024 Group season. Image – Junee Diesels.
The Junee Diesels will have two familiar faces leading their First-Grade outfit into the 2024 Group 9 competition. Daniel Foley will step up from assistant coach to head coach, taking over from the outgoing Damion Fraser, while local product and Group 9 stalwart Damian Willis will take on the role of assistant coach.
Foley, who has been a Group 9 and Riverina representative player, has long been touted as a potential coach of the Blue and Gold, and he was thrilled to be taking on the top job. Still, he reiterated that he was only capable of doing the job with the assistance of Willis.
“It has always been something I wanted to do at some point in my career, but with my work, it’s been hard to do it, and even now, it will be difficult,” Foley said.
“Without having someone like Damian, who can be there all the time, I wouldn’t be able to do it.
“Plus, he’s played a lot of footy at a high level and knows his stuff; he’ll bring a few more players in, some of his ideas, and I’m sure we’ll get a lot out of having him around the team and club.”
Foley and Willis aren’t the only Junee coaches named heading into the 2024 season, with Gavin Lamb staying on board as the Diesels League-Tag coach, while John’ ‘Wal’ Makeham and Terry Douglas will lead Reserve-Grade.
In the juniors, Mick McDermott will coach the under-18s Weissel Cup outfit and Jackson Metcalfe has been charged with leading the under- 16s Sullivan Cup side.
“It’s a massive boost for the club,” Foley said.
“Where we are now compared to this time last year is a testament to the club; we’re just in a really good spot, and we’ve had a really good start.
“We’ve also brought some fresh faces in to help the local young guys, and we’ll announce some of those signings in the next couple of weeks.”
Season 2023 was a testing year for the Diesels. Still, in their well-documented return to the Group 9 First-Grade competition, they landed significant wins over South City and Temora while giving Young and other heavyweights some serious scares along the way.
Foley and Willis will look to build on that same youthfully exuberant squad, and fostering Junee’s burgeoning talent will be the pair’s focus as they look to solidify the club’s future in the Group 9 competition.
“I think a couple of guys were sprung into First-Grade earlier than planned last year, butthey did a great job, and continuing their development is a big focus of ours moving forward,” Foley said.
“After missing the two years in First-Grade and coming back last year, I think a lot of people might have thought the Diesels were done and dusted and that we might have been flogged all year, but we are looking as strong as we have in a very long time.
“It was a lot of those young guys that stepped up and played First-Grade last year that made a difference, and it’s really exciting moving forward.”
Foley won’t commence preseason before Christmas, but he plans to hit the ground running in the New Year.
“We are going to start training on January 9, and we’ll look to go to the West Wyalong knockout and have one trial (against Gulgong) before the season,” Foley said.
As always, the Junee Independent is the home for all news relating to the Diesels, and readers can stay up to date with more stories on coaching appointments and player signings in the coming weeks and months.