Katunga coach Damian Kennedy, nicknamed ‘‘Gypsy’’, has announced he will hang up the clipboard at the end of the 2023 Picola District Football League season.
A Swans leader of five years, Kennedy has taken Katunga from the doldrums to the dizzying heights of the competition since coming aboard in 2019.
Footy takes a toll on the body, but coaching is more of a mental strain and Gypsy is keen to free up the mind and relax after a long stretch of senior mentorship.
“I probably need a break from it; anybody who coaches footy knows you put a lot of time and effort into it,” he said.
“The plan was to build the club up and I think that’s what I’ve done with the help of a lot of others.
“Obviously everyone wants to win a premiership, but it’s not all about that, it’s nice to win them and that sort of thing, but it’s more about leaving the club in a good spot.
“We’re leaving on very good terms and as I’ve said there are a few other things I want to do.
“It does take a lot of time up, so it’s just time to have a break from it ― to sit back and have no commitments next year will be good.”
Kennedy arrived at Katunga with a handy rap sheet to fall on.
He played all of his football at Katamatite bar a year at Yarrawonga, running out in many a final for the Tigers before going all the way in 1996.
Five years on Kennedy coached the club to a flag and after a long stint at the wheel he sat in the passenger seat as an assistant coach at Barooga in 2014 and 2015.
Once he moved house a few years later, the coaching itch was ready to be scratched again.
“They’ve (Katunga) always had good juniors and I thought if I ever wanted to coach another club that would be quite a good club to coach,” he said.
“The retention of players since I got there, we’ve built up kids and they’ve stayed and that’s helped us build a good group.
“That’s one of the secrets; just getting people to hang around and just building up.
“After the first year when we won two games and then recruited some players from the amateurs, got games into kids and now it’s all kind of come to fruition that we’re around the mark and are a bit of a chance.”
The way Katunga is tracking under Kennedy now, it’s easy to forget the Swans did in fact win just two games during his first season in charge.
A pair of COVID-19-interrupted campaigns followed, and many would’ve surely forgiven Gypsy if he ran for the hills.
But he didn’t and the Swans are thanking their lucky stars that is the case.
Kennedy said there were “too many moments to mention” when reflecting on his time at Katunga, but a couple sprung to mind.
“Obviously the excitement of last year, we got through the top four and then the exciting final where we drew with Tungamah and then got beat in extra time,” he said.
“This year was a little bit the same, we nearly won again going straight into a prelim.
“But just the player and group development, (there’s) a bit of resilience now, we’ve been headed a few times and we’ve come back and challenged sides.
“It’s that sort of development, I love that sort of stuff.”
A win on Saturday over Katandra punches the Swans a ticket to the preliminary final.
They would take on flag fancy Strathmerton, a fearsome opponent, but Kennedy never backs down from a challenge. Not now, not ever.
“The belief is that we can mix it with the best when we bring it to the table,” he said.
“Belief is growing all the time and it doesn’t matter who you play in the finals, you’ve got to respect every opponent.
“This week, Katandra’s a dangerous side too, you’ve just got to bring that again, repeat it and try and book ourselves a shot at Strathy in the prelim.
“It would be great to win (a premiership), but that’s fairytale sort of stuff.”
Whether Kennedy gets his fairytale ending at Katunga is up to 22 men and fate alone.
However, it’s safe to say Katunga won’t see the last of Gypsy when the curtain drops on the season.
“I’m a bit crazy, I love me footy training, so I’ll probably go and train occasionally,” he said.
“Most people probably think I’m too old, but I actually still get around not too bad.”
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