Gilday, a former Carlton-listed player in the late 1970s, was in attendance for the club’s crisis meeting on Wednesday, January 19, as the Timbercutters sought to fill committee roles.
Reappointed club president Melyssa Banks said Gilday would be a “new face with a bit of experience” as Mathoura continued its rebuild.
“He turned up to the community meeting and, obviously, we were saying we needed to find a coach,” Banks said.
“We had a few potentials we were talking to and he put his hand up to put his name in the ring.
“Brodie Unwin and Blake Keach went and had a meeting with him on Thursday, had a discussion and we appointed him Thursday night.
“We just thought he’s a new face with a bit of experience.”
Banks is hopeful Gilday’s appointment will start to attract players back to the club following an exodus of the senior playing list, pointing to his experience as an ex-VFL player and coach.
“It was an announcement that needed to come sooner rather than later,” she said.
“Hopefully we can entice a few players with the fact that he does have that VFL experience; he’s played the game, he’s coached VFL sides, so he knows his stuff.
“It’s pretty exciting.”
Gilday, 61, comes in as the replacement for Darcy Robinson, who stepped away from the role in October.
For the Timbercutters, it’s another positive step out of a difficult situation.
At risk of not competing in 2022 after a positive 2021 season, Mathoura was forced to hold multiple crisis meetings in the past several weeks in an effort to fill the executive and general committees.
The club was then rocked by the departure of club president Andrew Pridham.
A call to arms issued by the club had nearly all roles filled and, now with a senior coach appointed, the prospects for footballers at Mathoura are set to be much brighter now that pre-season is under way in earnest, from Thursday, January 27, at the club’s Morris St ground.
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