When Dean Young returned to the Sunbury Kangaroos last season, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
Having just coached Glenroy for two seasons, Young still had the coaching bug and decided to join his old club the Kangaroos as an assistant coach.
This year he will step up as a co-coach alongside Shanon Carroll.
Young said he and Carroll get along really well and were excited for next year.
“He got in contact with me early last year and said we’re keen on getting you over,” he said.
“I’d been there for 13 years before I went back to Glenroy.
“It was hard and very enjoyable. Being the main person for a couple of years going back as an assistant I wasn’t sure how it would go.
“Three weeks into pre-season, I was like this is a lot of fun. Able relax a little more see things a little bit clearer.”
Young said he was always keen to have another opportunity at a senior coaching role.
He said after getting a number of offers for assistant coach roles last season he knew that he was still on the right track.
The Kangaroos said the appointment of Young allows Carroll to place greater emphasis on youth development.
“It was sensational last year,” he said. “We played six under-18 kids and they played between five and six games each.
“We played our captain of our under-17 side and played about the same games. They would have played more, and did not want to expose them too much.
“They were brilliant. They gave everything and they learned so much and it’s going to benefit us next year.
“There’s a couple of them that we’re really hoping to see big things of.”
Young said the work the junior club had done and ensuring they had the right people in the right places was showing through in the kids coming through.
In good news, Jayden Eales, who was a playing co-coach last season, will remain at the club as a player.
Young said with the squad that they had put together and with their recruits it’s shaping up nicely for 2026.
The Kangaroos finished seventh this season, three and a half games outside the top five.
Kangaroos president Marc Bullows said it was exciting for Young to step up.
“Dean and his family are no strangers to the Kangaroos,” he said.
“I was rapt to have him back last year as an assistant coach, but now, stepping up as co-coach alongside Shanon, I can only see positives.
“They make a great team.”
The Kangaroos have announced the signings of recruits, Corey Salvador, Michael Brown and Jakeb Coles.
