After a year as assistant to Will Overs at the Two Blues, and coaching experience at his former club Leeton-Whitton, Browning was itching to take the next step in his football career.

“I’ve always wanted to do the role and I’ve definitely done my apprenticeship – coaching 17s and as an assistant coach at senior level for a number of years now  – so I was just waiting for the right opportunity to come along,” Browning said. 

“I think having announced this early is good too. Usually it’s been a coach getting announced right at the start of pre-season so I think it’s a good step for the club and allowing me to make sure pre-season’s organised.”

The Two Blues are hopeful of retaining many of their key players and will also look to add some key players to their list (“A ruckman would be handy, but they’re hard to find,” Browning said). 

But the new coach’s focus is on continued improvement of their current list.

“It’s more about developing the guys we’ve got here,” Browning said. “It will be our fifth year in the league. Four years ago, the team we’ve got now would’ve won a lot more games I think but the rest of the league has improved as well. It’s about us trying to bridge that gap and developing the group of guys we’ve got there.”

Browning would prefer not to be relying too heavily on travelling recruits.

“As a coach you want people who can get to training two nights a week, otherwise it’s really hard to develop if a lot of your spine and your engine room aren’t there,” he said. “I’d like to have more locals, and just for the longevity of the club too. There’s no reason why they can’t play better football. I just believe we need the development and I’m hoping we can do that.”

Barellan president Jeff Mickan was delighted to make the announcement, believing it puts them in their best position to plan for a new year since rejoining the Farrer League. 

“He’s really keen and that was a big attraction – someone there who knew the club and wants to do the job, rather than trying to coax someone into the role,” Mickan said.

“He’s very astute. He’s taken training this year and had a very hands-on role in his assistant coaching position and he’s proven very capable – with his thoroughness and preparation in the pre-season and knowing what’s needed, his game-sense and knowledge and being able to read the situation.”

Browning’s appointment was confirmed on the eve of Barellan’s last game of the year and they’d love nothing more than to spring at upset at home against East Wagga-Kooringal, and finish Overs’ tenure on a high.

“We’re trying to finish off on a good note and you never know – we’ve got a few back and we’ll be a bit stronger than the previous weeks,” Browning said.