EAGLEHAWK’s Luke Monaghan has bowed out after six years at the helm with one last accolade – the 2016 senior coach of the year.
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Monaghan was named senior coach of the year at the recent AFL Central Victoria Coaches Association awards.
In charge of a rebuilding Eaglehawk team this year that was tipped pre-season to be one of the big sliders in the BFNL – and it was looking that way when they were 3-6 at the halfway mark – Monaghan steered a stunning resurgence in which the Hawks made it through to the preliminary final, but fell short against Golden Square.
“Luke has put an enormous amount of work into his coaching over the past 10 years having been involved firstly with the Bendigo Pioneers, coaching Eaglehawk under-18s and then his six years as senior coach,” AFL Central Victoria development manager Rick Coburn said.
“He really developed his young players exceptionally well this year and is a coach who very much coaches to the code of conduct. He’s respectful and does the right thing by the opposition and his club in the way he conducts himself and is a deserving winner.”
In six years as Eaglehawk coach, Monaghan led the Hawks into five finals series – including the 2011 grand final – and built a 69-50 record from 119 games.
Other award winners were Strathfieldsaye under-18 premiership coach Bart Leahy (youth), St Francis under-12s coach Rowan Warfe (junior) and Bendigo Thunder’s Cherie O’Neill (female).
In other coaching awards, Brad McConnell, who coaches White Hills’ under-14s, was the Bendigo Junior Football League coach of the year.