Brad Thomas to coach Hamilton Kangaroos in season 2024

Brad Thomas has replaced good friend Hamish Waldron in the role for the 2024 Hampden league campaign.

Thomas, 38, returned to the Roos mid-season in a playing capacity but is committed to being a non-playing coach in 2024.

He coached Hamilton Magpies, which merged with Hamilton Imperials to become the Kangaroos - and played for the new entity during its first few seasons in the competition.

He has also spent time at Central Murray club Tyntynder, Wimmera league outfit Stawell as the Warriors' mentor and at Hampden rival Port Fairy.

The father-of-four - he's dad to Taima, 12, Mischa, 10, Navvi, 8, and Chilli, 7 - lives and works in Hamilton and is excited about implementing a holistic approach to its football program.

He said the Kangaroos would "be uniformed in the way we go about it" from seniors to juniors.

"For all country towns the footy club is the heartbeat of the town and community so I'm pretty keen to get involved," he told The Standard.

"There's a lot of surrounding clubs in the Mininera and South West leagues and we want to support those clubs as well but if you don't barrack for Hamilton, we want to be everyone's second favourite team.

"We just want to make sure we can become that really professional club that can push Hampden level and push Warrnambool-based teams in the finals."

Thomas, who built a career as a hard-working and skilful midfielder, said there would be strong standards, starting on day one of pre-season on November 1.

"At the end of the day, we finished second-bottom on the ladder (in the seniors) so we know where we're at and it's basically about building up a strong game style that goes through the whole footy club," he said.

"I'm going to put in a lot of time and effort into our coaching staff and make sure we are developing a Hamilton Kangaroos' style of footy.

"We want to be a contested ball team."

Recruiting will be a focus for the Roos as will developing their teenage cohort.

"We want to become that pathway where young kids can succeed going through the Hamilton footy club," Thomas said.

"Our juniors won a premiership last year and they're going well this year in the under 18s (and will play in the preliminary final). We have a lot of talent there.

"It's pretty exciting - a lot of these kids do have jobs in Hamilton so we just want to build these young kids up, build the depth and get the community right behind the footy club."

Hamilton Kangaroos chairman Lachy Patterson said the club was rapt to secure Thomas' signature.

"This is a decision that has been made after an extensive campaign and is one that has been met with great enthusiasm by our senior playing group," he said.

"Since re-joining us mid-season, Brad has impressed everyone involved with his maturity, professionalism, communication, strategic thinking and a strong desire to see the club improve on and off the field.

"Combined with his extensive senior coaching and playing experience, we feel Brad is exactly what our club needs right now in an important time of transition for the Kangaroos.

"While he has outlined a tough pre-season, he is also fully aware of the disruption without access to a home ground (due to upgrades) and planning on how to overcome and embrace this."

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