Recently crowned ‘Emerging Coach of the Year’ Lucian Lauofo knows a thing or two about preparation.
Appointed ahead of the 2020 season as the Wyndham Seniors head coach, the father of four has only managed to experience the thrill of match day 11 times in two and a half years.
That’s a lot of sessions plans, preseason planning and training punctuated by a handful of team songs.
“It just feels like it’s been really long preseason,’ explains Lauofo, who’s side has just drawn 2021 premiership leaders Brimbank in the opening round.
“I actually said to the boys last night, we waited all last season to play Brimbank, and now we face them Round One. There’s no easing into the season.
“They’re excited by that. I wouldn’t let them get daunted by something like that. “
The Wyndham senior program has had a chequered history since the Rhinos started in 2004 after changing from rugby league to rugby union.
Despite a flourishing junior program, inconsistent numbers in seniors has challenged their player pipeline. It’s been left to figures like Lucian to roll up his sleeves and ensure there’s a home for those who want to pursue rugby in the west.
“We’ve got new facilities, our grounds have been upgraded and with the amount of talent coming through in the west, I thought to myself ‘we got to keep not just our kids in the game and the adults who travel across the bridge to play for other clubs.”
It’s not just the threat of other clubs that have threatened the existence of the Wyndham Seniors program (with much of last year’s squad rumoured to have jumped to Footscray), but its close proximity to numerous rugby league clubs has left the club battling on multiple fronts.
“We’ve got Altona Roosters, Truganina Rabbitohs and Werribee Bears all within five kilometres.
“So the short term goal is to keep us up and running with good numbers and the long term goal is obviously to get into the Dewar Shield in the next five to ten years.
“It’s something you can’t rush. We need to keep our juniors so we can say that there are kids who have played from u/7s right through to seniors.”
Lucian’s passion for the juniors grew from his formative years as a coach. In 2013, with his eldest son Felix playing u/7s at Wyndham, Lucian put his hand up to help coach the team whilst the Club struggled for volunteers.
The coaching bug bit and Lucian continued guiding his son’s team through to the u/14s, when eventually the senior team came knocking.
With Felix now playing u/16s, Lauofo knows it’s feasible he may yet coach his son again one day in the seniors.
“He’ll tell me, ‘oh dad, I can’t wait to play first grade with you.’
“I tell him, mate, you’ll be playing for the Rebels by then!” laughs Lauofo.
With three younger daughters also under the Lauofo roof, Lucian is quick to acknowledge his own coaching success, which saw him claim the Rugby Victoria Emerging Coach of the Year award in 2021, is only possible because of his wife Pene.
“She’s known as a rugby mum; we have a lot of them at the club. She managed the team with me when I was coaching my son’s team.
“When match day comes around now, the family comes along. They don’t mind the travel.
“They see all the work that goes into it.
“I still take a lot of advice from my wife. She had very supportive parents when she grew up as a netball player. I think that’s why helping out at the club, putting your hand up was never an issue for us.”
Wyndham train Monday & Wednesday nights at Mossfiel Reserve from 6pm. All welcome.
