By Lance Jenkinson
Vinnie Turcinovich is ready to turn a new chapter with Braybrook after a tumultuous parting of ways with Yarraville-Seddon Eagles.
Only weeks after leading the Eagles to the Western Region Football League division 2 premiership, Turcinovich was told his services were no longer required at the Yarraville Oval.
It was one of the shock developments of the off season when the Eagles decided to replace Turcinovich, the AFL Victoria western region coach of the year.
There was no one more shocked than Turcinovich, who is still none the wiser about why the relationship soured.
“I’m lost for words,” he said. “They still haven’t given me a reason. What did I do to the club? I would love to know.”
Yarraville-Seddon could not have produced much better results last season, taking out the flag. Turcinovich said he did everything humanly possible off the field to make the Eagles a better club.
“I don’t think anyone has dedicated as much time to a footy club than I have with the first year not missing one training session, last year I had a car accident and nearly died and two days later I’m back at the club,” he said.
“I coached the women’s for four weeks before Christmas because they had no coach and didn’t want the girls to feel like they had to go somewhere else.
“I worked with the under 18 boys and spoke to them about 2020.
“I had six players that wanted to come down to Yarraville and now they’re playing div one footy elsewhere.”
Turcinovich was in coaching limbo because he had to wait until the Yarraville Seddon coaching process took its course.
He might not have been coaching in 2020 if it was not for Braybrook coach Robert Scardamaglia pulling out of the position due to personal reasons.
When the coaching position opened up, Turcinovich jumped at the chance to lead the Brookers.
“I’ve been envious of the club for a long time and I’m humbled to even be named as a senior coach of the club,” he said.
“Knowing the players that have come out of there like [Doug] Hawkins and [Ted] Whitten, it’s amazing.
“I’m ready for the challenge and I’m ready to get the Brookers where they deserve to be.”
Braybrook, being a division 3 club, will be more of a project for Turcinovich, but he is ready to get to work.
He wants to lift training standards as a starting point with the Brookers and increase the overall professionalism of the football operations.
Once that is instilled over summer, Turcinovich wants to entice wayward Brookers back to the club and have the local community pack the terraces.
The only way he can achieve that is by promoting an entertaining brand of football.
“I’m hoping to have the most supporters in the competition going watching a local side.
“They’re going to be excited watching the brand of footy we play.”
