Jack Williams has put his VFL aspirations on hold to start his senior coaching career.
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The 23-year-old, who was listed with Werribee for the past three seasons, has been appointed co-coach of Camperdown with Neville Swayn for the 2019 Hampden league season.
Williams said it was a tough decision for him to inform Werribee of his choice, but the thought of leading the Magpies to premiership success was too good to ignore.
"At this stage I am just going to play at local level and then who knows in the future, but at this point of my life I just thought I wanted to focus on Camperdown for this year and not have any other worries,” he said.
"It was sort of nearly 12 months of thought process. Last year I was umming and ahhing and fully committed again to Werribee and played a few senior games.
“Once it got towards the end of the year and Werribee weren't going to make finals I just thought 'do I really want to be here?' and I really thought about it and I am enjoying my footy at Camperdown and I was just trying to win a flag down there.
"I think it is any coach's dream to win a flag and me being a player as well I still haven't won a senior premiership before, so I think it is everyone's dream to win one.”
The defender, who won Camperdown’s best and fairest last season, said he would draw on his VFL experience to help develop the club’s young list.
"I think I have got a lot of knowledge, even though I am not that old, to give to the younger blokes and even some of the more senior guys on our list,” he said.
"I wouldn't have taken on the role if I didn't think I could make a difference around the playing group.
"I have been down at state league level now for three years and I have seen a fair bit and how it is all done, so I think I have a few things under my cap that I can put towards the boys to help us have another good year."
Williams said he wanted to co-coach with Swayn due to living and working in Melbourne.
He said he would take training in Geelong for the Melbourne and Geelong-based players, while Swayn will take training at Camperdown during the season. With the pair then sharing coaching duties on game day.
Swayn is a former Camperdown under 19 premiership player and senior assistant who worked alongside coach Phil Carse in 2017.
The former Lismore-Derrinallum mentor, who was chairman of Camperdown’s match committee this season, said he was excited to work with the club’s young players.
"I will be really big on communication and one-on-ones with a lot of the players which I think helps when you have got a young and inexperienced group," he said.
"With working with Phil (Carse) closely this year a lot of the stuff will just flow on from what we have done this year.
"So from a player and club perspective a lot of the stuff will be very similar so it is easy for the club and players because everyone also knows Jack and myself.
"And it is not like we are going to come in and turn everything on its head and have completely different review systems and game plans it will all be very similar to last year.”
Camperdown president Kevin Russell said the club was delighted to have the pair coach next season.
"We searched far and wide really, but sometimes the right people are right under your nose,” he said.
"Jack has had a few clubs obviously chasing him down where he lives but it is great that he has re-signed and is fully committed.
"And Neville has got a fair insight into all of the players and the players sort of know him reasonably well so it will good from both fields."
