Sport
23 July, 2026
First three taking track again
BIRCHIP Watchem and Wedderburn have joined Donald in re-appointing their senior football coaches for next season.
BIRCHIP Watchem and Wedderburn have joined Donald in re-appointing their senior football coaches for next season.
The experienced Ash Connick, who took the Bulls to the grand final last year and has them in fourth place with five rounds remaining, will lead the side for a third year. Connick was named as Birchip Watchem coach just weeks after winning the Bendigo league premiership with Sandhurst in 2024.
His appointment was regarded as a major coup for the Bulls and the North Central league, and the team was undefeated during the home-and-away season last year.
However, the Bulls fell narrowly short in both the second semi-final and grand final, losing both games to Calder United.
“Ash is widely regarded as one of country football’s most respected and accomplished coaches, having enjoyed success across the Central Murray, Sunraysia and Bendigo football leagues, interleague level, and now with the Bulls in the NCFL,” the club said in a statement.
Donald has reappointed senior coach Matt Walder for 2027 after the team’s dramatic resurgence this season.
The Royal Blues are still in with a chance of playing finals football this year after a winless 2025 and Walder has been rewarded for his critical part in the turnaround.
Walder has coached this season alongside playing co-coach Daniel Pearce, but it is unclear whether Pearce will assume the same role next year.
Club president Marc Adams said several announcements about coaching and player re-signings would come in the next few weeks.
“We’ve got big things happening,” he said.
Walder, whose coaching experience goes back more than 25 years, has made an enormous impact with the playing group in his first year at Donald.
“He has been great for player development across the board,” Adams said. “It’s not just with the best players or the juniors – he works as well with a 15-year-old kid as with a 34-year-old bloke.”
Adams said the club had recognised that Pearce had too much on his plate as a solo coach last season,
“We went down the path of appointing a senior coach given that we didn’t have a good side and there was too much for Daniel to do on his own,” Adams said.
Flag favourite Wedderburn will play under Tom Metherell for a fourth season in 2027.
The Redbacks are undefeated this year after a major recruiting effort led by Metherell, who has continued to star in defence.
He said the decision to re-sign was an easy one to make and announcing it early made it easier for recruiting and for player retention. “How we are going this season is quite exciting, and this announcement gives some reassurance to the current playing group,” Metherell said.
With the contract out of the way, the focus now was firmly on winning the premiership.
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