By Marcus Uhe
A suite of talented youngsters and an impressive finish to the year made the decision to apply for the senior coaching role at Pakenham an easy one for incoming coach Paul Carbis.
Carbis comes to Toomuc Reserve on a multi-year deal with a wealth of experience under his belt at the local level, including premiership success at Leongatha in 2018 and Gippsland Coach of the Year honours in 2019, following stints with Casey and Frankston in the VFL Development League, and most recently, at Garfield in the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition.
He replaces Ash Green, who led the club to a Division One runner-up finish against Doveton in 2019 and a semi-final loss against Woori Yallock in 2023, the club’s best finish in the Outer East’s Premier Division to date, in his second period as the club’s senior coach.
It was those performances in September against Upwey Tecoma and Woori Yallock that crystallised Carbis’ ambitions for the role.
“They were pretty impressive when I went and watched them and I’d be mad not to put my hand up,” Carbis said.
“Ash Green has built a really good footy team and they’ve got the basis of a team that can really go further.
“They’ve got some really good young players and are a big footy club, so I’d be mad not to apply and there are some exciting times ahead for the footy club.”
Carbis headlines a raft of changes at the club following an extensive review of the football department, with a new reserves coach in Matthew Vaiano replacing Shane Easton, and James Perkins appointed as the club looks to reboot its Under-19 program after not fielding a team in 2023.
While on-field, a number of new faces have put pen to paper, including Officer ruck Kaleb Brice and Cora Lynn trio Kade Perkins, Jai Rout and Caelen Addis, to join recommitted stars Jordan Stewart, Jake Barclay, Stephen Morey and Tahj De La Rue.
“It is a brand new start and not only exciting for the coaching group but also the playing group,” Carbis said.
“If you’re going to change the senior coach then it’s as good a time as any to get a new under 19s coach.
“They didn’t have a 19s side last year so they’ve got players coming back to fill those spots.
“Matt (Vaiano), who’s been at the club and is now our reserves coach, it gives him an opportunity and I’ll be developing both those coaches.
“It’s what I’ve done in the past, not only coaching players but coaching coaches as well so that we’re all on the same page.
“I’m there for the long term as long as the club will have me and that’s how you sustain success, you get that stability right throughout the club.”
He described himself as an “educator” as coach and does not feel that success is too far away.
The Lions held a three-point lead at the final change in the first semi-final against Woori Yallock before conceding six-goals-to-four in the final team to fall 13 points short.
It was the second time they had had taken the fight right up to the previous season’s runner up, while having also kept Wandin to under 100 points twice and Narre Warren once in impressive performances against the competition’s benchmarks.
“There’s some raw talent there and I think if we can structurally set up a little better and add to what they’ve done, I think we’re very close,” Carbis said.
“There were parts of that Woori Yallock game where they were tremendous and then they let Woori get a couple of goals and let it slip a little bit, but they kept fighting it out.
“The grand final showed that, I think everyone would have tipped a close game and that Narre Warren might have got up, but if you’re on and you work hard for it, Wandin have showed that you can do anything.
“I think that’s pretty exciting and from what I’ve seen, in my short time, is that the whole league is quite close; anyone can really knock each other off at any stage depending on the players that are out there and the mental capacity of the group.”
