FORMER Carlton footballer Peter Green will return to where it all began and coach Barellan next season.
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The Two Blues have wasted no time finding a replacement for outgoing coach Alex Lawder with Green set to return home to the region and take on the position.
Green made his senior debut at Barellan as a 15-year-old and went on to enjoy a successful career that included one AFL game at Carlton in 1994.
Having spent the past 23 years coaching in different capacities in Melbourne, Green's impending return to the region coincided with the senior coaching vacancy at Barellan.
Green, 49, took little convincing to take on the senior coaching job at Barellan.
"It's very much about building up the foundations that have already been put in place at the club," Green said.
"That was one of things, I wanted to know and understand, the culture that I experienced when I played there, back in the early 90s, was still there and it very much still is.
"The people there are terrific, I've got fantastic memories of Barellan. I see it as my home club. It was the first club I played senior football with as a 15-year-old and they just welcomed (my father) Bert and I in.
"When you've got good clubs, it's sort of a catch 22, it attracts good people. They're just genuine. When you've got genuineness and authenticity, you know where you stand with people. It doesn't mean you always agree, you have disagreements but you're able to work through them through conversations and communication.
"Coming back home and taking on the role as the senior coach, I see it as giving back to what they gave me all those years, 30-odd years ago."
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Green has spent the better part of the last couple of decades coaching in the Eastern Football League.
He coached Warrandyte to a premiership before finishing his playing days in the Riverina League with a season at Narrandera in 2008.
Since then he's spent a lot of time as a development coach. He's assisted at Eastern Ranges in their pathway programs, while also spent time coaching junior teams at Monbulk, Rowville and this year is at Upper Ferntree Gully.
Green has also been involved in a number of interleague campaigns.
Barellan coach Jeff Mickan was thrilled to welcome Green back to the club.
"He's got a heap of experience, a heap of knowledge, well-contacted, a good fella and he started his senior football career at Barellan back in the day when we were in the Farrer League the first time," Mickan said.
"We're very excited and quite pleased.
"Our stock standard preference has always been a local playing coach but when this opportunity came up, that went out the window because this is a great fit for us. He's quite big on junior development so that's something going forward we'll hope to utilise.
"We're really enthusiastic next year due to his appointment."
Green, with the development background, prides himself on getting the best out of each individual.
"What I want to do with Barellan is build the strength and capability within the playing group to improve their football. Make us competitive week in, week out. That will be teaching players their role within the team structure and providing maximum effort in doing those roles," he said.
"It's never about the result for me, it's always about the process. If you get the process right then the results take care of themselves."
Green hopes to pass on what he's learnt to the next generation of Barellan footballers.
"I've got a very strong, passionate love of the game," Green said.
"I want to be able to pass that on knowledge and wisdom that I've learnt from some of the best that I've been coached by and the lessons that I've learnt and pass that knowledge onto Barellan's playing list and build that capability.
"When you provide an environment that people can improve and grow and learn in, that equals enjoyment.
"One of the things that frustrates me, people say you've got to have fun. No, if you want to have fun you go to a party. Football's hard work, the enjoyments comes through the reward you get from that hard work, from doing it with like-minded people that have the same passion and belonging that you have, and you achieve that in the highs and the lows. And sometimes in the lows, that's where you get your most learnings from.
"Because there's so many lessons that we can learn from football that can carry over to life as well.
"Jeff's told me that we've got a fairly young list also so if I can assist in parting that knowledge and teaching them how to be better players and better people, then as far as I'm concerned, I've done my job."
Green is already splitting his time between Melbourne and Barellan but plans to have he and his family back in the region full-time come the new year.
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