INCOMING Whorouly coach Michael Newton is looking forward to taking the reins at his home club next year.

Newton will make the move from Wangaratta Magpies at the end of the O&M season, returning to the club which kickstarted his glistening football career.

The 38-year-old was part of Whorouly’s premiership-winning thirds side in 2002 as a teenager, and a mainstay of the club before his work with the Murray Bushrangers saw him drafted to the Melbourne Demons in 2004.

Whorouly head of football operations Scott Grant said the club was elated at Newton’s appointment to the top job.

“I think any club in country Victoria would be thrilled with a full-circle story – someone who played juniors, got to play footy at the highest level in the land, and has had a really illustrious career,” he said.

“We’ve been speaking informally for a number of years, but really respectful of where Mike wanted to go with his Ovens and Murray career - it’s a really celebrated career from an O&M perspective, and we know that’s not finished until the end of the season.

“I’d also like to recognise the efforts of Lachy Moore this season, his commitment to learning and leading this team at a young age is very well regarded around the club.

“We’re thrilled that Lachy will be staying on in the coaching group as an assistant to Mike.”

Newton’s homecoming has been a long time in the works.

“The phone’s been ringing for the last 10 years, I reckon, through various people,” Newton said.

“It’s one of those things, with my cousins at work, Andrew and Josh, and with the family connections - my grandparents can come down and watch, they can’t come to watch me in Wangaratta anymore because they can’t drive the car up to the fence.

“They’re excited, the whole family’s been putting a little bit of pressure on over the last couple of years.”

Newton said he was looking forward to getting stuck into the challenge of coaching at the Den in 2025, but was keenly and primarily focussed on playing out the remaining season with Wangaratta.

“My main priority at the moment is Wangaratta, we’ve still got a job to do there,” he said.

“Hopefully we can go out on a high there, we’ve still got seven weeks until the grand final, so I’m keeping my focus firmly on being part of that.

“It’s exciting, coaching is certainly going to be a new challenge, and something I’m looking forward to.

“I’m obviously still going to play and still going to do my best as a player, but being the head coach is going to add a new dynamic to the Saturday and the weekdays, that’s for sure.”

Whorouly has struggled in recent seasons, having not played senior finals since 2019, with just two top six finishes in the last decade.

In contrast, Newton is bursting with finals experience, and knows what it takes to elevate a team to the top of the competition.

“I’ve been involved in finals series since 2011, I know what we need to do to get there and how to develop squads,” he said.

“Culture’s a massive part of it, and they’ve got a great culture at the club, so it’s just trying to build on that.

“There’re obviously things to turn around, add some players to the list, but there are some good players here already so we’ll try and develop those players.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to take whatever squad we’ve got now, add a couple of cogs to it, develop it and turn it into a finals producing side.”

The Lions take on Greta at home this weekend to close out their 2024 season.