• January 31, 2014

Under Shane’s Wing

The Western Jets continues to soar to exceptional heights due to the guidance of Shane Sexton, who is in the driving seat as manager of this Australian Rules TAC Cup, U/18 Football Club. We caught up with Shane to find out about his role of nurturing the upcoming players and his love of the game.

How old were you when you first picked up a football and what has been your football experience?

“I was a little kid when I first picked up a footy and I’ve been involved with football my whole life really. I had plenty of fun playing and loved the sport, then was very fortunate to land a fulltime job in the industry. I was a country kid and played at a pretty high level of footy in the bush.”

How long have you been working at The Western Jets?

“This is my 13^th year as manager of the Jets. I’ve been working for AFL Victoria for 23 years having started as the Development Manager in the Wimmera in 1992. I also had a three year stint with the Calder Cannons before joining the Jets.”

Was your dad into footy and have you passed on the love of the game to your own family?

“The old man played a limited amount of footy in the Colac District but it was around the time of World War II and he also worked on the family dairy farm so he didn’t have a lot of spare time. I have passed on my love of the game to my own son, Danny, who is currently an Assistant Coach at the St Kilda Footy Club. I also have a seven year old grandson who is very keen on his football”.

What’s your typical day like?

“I get into the office relatively early to beat the traffic, it’s a good time to get some administrative work done. Today we’re contacting all of our local leagues to update our database and have had a few sponsorship matters to follow up. Training commences following the holiday break and from now on we will work into another busy season.”

If you weren’t doing football, what would you be doing?

“I was an Automotive Machinist before full time football.  At this stage of life I would probably be following another hobby, the thoroughbred industry”.

Who do you barrack for?

“I was born in Geelong so as a kid I was a passionate Cats supporter. I watch the Saints now when I get the chance.”

Do you have any spare time?

“Spare time will be pretty limited from now on.”

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“It’s a great thrill to see our young players graduate to the higher levels of the game and succeed, especially at the AFL level.” Shane Sexton.