By David Nagel
Most people would normally snigger and roll their eyes at the thought of a near 40-year-old signing on as playing-coach in the ever-improving West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC).
But when the person that has just put pen to paper is Bob McCallum; the new playing-coach of Warragul Industrials in 2025, people instead raise their eyebrows and say ‘great signing’.
McCallum is one of the most respected figures in the region over the last two decades, since the ruck made a belated start to his football journey in the thirds for his home-club Drouin.
The Hawks remained his home club right through to 2012, although in 2011 his six games at Drouin were a secondary focus to his 18 outings for VFL club Frankston.
In 2013 he signed on for a two-year stint as assistant-coach under Paul Alger at Buln Buln; with premiership success in the Ellinbank League being celebrated in 2014.
McCallum returned to Drouin in 2015, winning the Trood Award and Rodda Medal as the best player in the Gippsland League in his first year as a senior coach.
He was thrown into the deep end when newly-appointed coach Clint Proctor stepped down due to work commitments on the eve of pre-season training.
McCallum took Drouin from winless in 2014 to seven wins and seventh place in his first season at the helm.
He coached Drouin for three seasons, before handing over to Jordan Kingi, and stayed with the Hawks until taking over the senior coaching role at Buln Buln in 2022.
He coached the Lyrebirds to a grand final loss in his first season, and leaves the club on legendary terms after enjoying back-to-back premiership success over the last two years.
In his last game with Buln Buln, McCallum was awarded the best-on-ground medal in a winning grand final over Ellinbank.
“It was a great way to finish, but I probably felt like it was time for me to move on and explore a new project, a new challenge,” McCallum explained.
“I’ve been with the boys for three years now and they’re fantastic, back-to-back premiers; but there was the potential for it to get a little bit stale.
“That’s both ways, from my end, and their end as well, and I’m really conscience of overstaying my welcome in a sense; because I’ve had that experience before of staying on a year too long and it falls apart.
“You look back and wish you could have made the change a little bit earlier.
“I’ve got no doubt that it could have been successful with me at the helm again; but I think in the best interests of the club I’m making the right decision.
“They could win the next three flags with a fresh voice and a fresh face; I think I’m doing the right thing by both the club, and by me, by making this change.”
The seven-time club best and fairest winner, and one of the most dedicated players to representative football of his generation – having played 11 interleague games and three games for Vic Country – said his decision to move on had been a fair-while in the making.
“I started entertaining the idea of what I should probably do next year about midway through the season,” he confessed.
“The Ellinbank League is split in two in a sense; you’ve got the top-five teams and the rest fall away, and we were going through a patch where we were playing the bottom teams and you roll up knowing you’re probably going to win by 100 points.
“That’s not being arrogant, that’s just the way it is, and I started to think about keeping the boys motivated and whether that could be an issue next year.
“I started thinking about it more and more, and then the Dusties approached; a couple of other clubs as well, and it all worked out really well in the end.
“I let the boys at Buln Buln know roughly a month ago and the transition was really smooth.
“No one was left in limbo in regards to what was happening; I think they should continue to be pretty successful.”
McCallum insists the challenge that stares him in the face at Western Park is exciting.
He already has an in-built connection at the club, having gone to school with Football Operations manager Dylan Smith and having coached the Beck boys – Bailey and Todd – at Drouin.
A new and improved junior program also adds to the magnetism, with the Dusties Under 16s winning the WGFNC flag and the Under 18s finishing runners up.
“The Dusties finished seventh, one spot out of the finals, and it felt really similar to where Buln Buln was placed when I took over there,” he said.
“It feels like a team that could be on the up, and if we fill some pieces and introduce a new game plan you never know what could happen.
“And regarding young players coming through, that’s one of the problems the Dusties have had for many years; they’ve had to bring in outside players so consistently and it’s not really a model that stacks up long term.
“Now that the junior system is in full flight, we will absolutely look to promote those kids and create an environment that’s full of one-point players; topped up with a recruit here and there.
“The future looks pretty bright for the Dusties over the next five years.”
McCallum already has holes to fill, with champion onballer Shane ‘Punky’ Brewster being appointed senior coach at Trafalgar, with the talented Kyle Beveridge joining him as an assistant.
McCallum has never been one to shy away from a challenge and is looking forward to pitting his skills and tactical nouse against the growing force in West Gippsland.
“I’m a bit of a footy nerd, so I do take note of most leagues in the area, and that was part of the pull to be honest; to see if what I bring as a coach can be implemented at that next level up,” he said.
“Most people would agree that West Gippy is a step up from Ellinbank, and to compete with the Phillip Island’s, the Inverloch’s, and those sorts of teams, it excites me and I’m really looking forward to the challenge.
“I can’t wait to get in amongst it and see where the journey takes us.”
If the journey takes you where we expect Bob McCallum…there won’t be an eyebrow raised!
