WILLASTON has signed former Gawler Central premiership coach Damien Herzick as one of its two senior assistants for the 2020 Barossa, Light & Gawler football season.
The former Tigers mentor departed the BL&GFA following Central’s grand final loss to Barossa District in 2016, before coaching Virginia in the Adelaide Plains in 2018 and ‘19.
Herzick will join Grant Hemmerling as a senior assistant to A-grade coach Shaun Baker.
Willaston president Kieran Sankey said it’s a great get for the Donnybrooks ahead of the new campaign.
“It was a mutual thing in the end,” he said.
“We’ve been looking at trying to get a senior assistant to help Shaun, he’s a young coach.
“We wanted to get someone with experience in, Damien’s name popped up, we had a chat with him and here we are.”
The Donnybrooks finished seventh in 2019 and believe the experience both Herzick and Hemmerling will bring can help guide the side into finals in 2020.
“I think Damien’s got some experience he’ll draw upon – especially with the BL&G and success and how to win in the comp – and Grant is a fantastic communicator,” Mr Sankey said.
“He came to Gawler Central, was originally from South and now he’s done the full circle.
“He (Hemmerling) has seen the under 17s come up to the seniors, and now to be able to step into the role as the reserves coach, he’ll be able to work with players he’s worked with before.
“It’s a great group we have together.”
The Donnybrooks have just one off-season move to date, welcoming back Brayden Coombs after he had a year off in 2019.
Coombs played 12 A-grade games in 2018 as the Donnybrooks made the preliminary final.