🏆 Sport

Eagles welcome Tyson Edwards as league football coach

Tailem Bend Football Club marks a new chapter with the announcement of their 2025 League coach.

Glenn Power

Dec 4, 2024 — 4 min read

Tyson Edwards arrives in Tailem Bend for the clubs opening training session for what is expected to be an exciting 2025 season for the Tailem Bend Football Club. Photo: Glenn Power

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The Tailem Bend Football Club, a cornerstone of the River Murray Football League since its inception in 1946, has witnessed many ups and downs over the decades.

Today, the club is on the verge of something colossal, and excitement is building with the appointment of the club’s new head coach, Tyson Edwards.

For the Tailem Bend Eagles faithful, the arrival of Edwards represents not just the start of a new season, but the dawn of a new era.

Tyson, a former AFL legend with 321 games under his belt, has always had a deep connection to the Murraylands.

Born in the Karoonda Hospital in 1976, Edwards grew up on his family’s Wynarka share farm with the Mallee and football in his blood.

As a teenager, his commitment was evident.

Between the ages of 11 and 15, his mother, Jan, would drive him on a 250-kilometre round trip to Adelaide a couple of times a week, to ensure he could train with West Adelaide’s junior squads.

That dedication paid off when Edwards was recruited by the SANFL, eventually debuting for the Adelaide Crows in 1995.

Over the next 15 years, Edwards became a fan favourite at the Crows.

Known for his reliability, composure under pressure, and versatility on the field, he played a key role in two premiership-winning teams.

In 2009, he celebrated his 300th AFL game, a testament to his durability and consistent performance.

Just four games later, he and close friend Andrew McLeod set a new VFL/AFL record for the most games played together as teammates.

Tyson Edwards putting the players through some general skill training. Photo: Glenn Power

Though Edwards retired from the AFL in 2010, his passion for the sport has never waned.

He transitioned into coaching, spending several years as an assistant coach at Port Adelaide Football Club.

Tailem Bend, however, offers something different: a return to his roots, a chance to build something special from the ground up.

“I have always been interested in returning to grassroots coaching at some stage – when the time was right – and now seems to be the right time,” Edwards said.

“Coaching my youngest son Brodie also helped with my decision, along with my brother and his family’s long-term association with the club.

“Football clubs are built on community, and that’s something I understand deeply.

“We have a unique opportunity here at Tailem Bend to not just compete but to create something lasting.

"The club’s history is rich, and I want to add to that.”

It’s not just about the senior team for Edwards; he’s already shown a keen interest in helping develop Tailem Bend’s junior players, recognising that the future of the club relies on nurturing young talent.

“The juniors are a huge part of our plans,” Edwards says.

“We’ve already identified some players who are close to being ready for senior football.

My goal is to make the transition from junior football to senior football as seamless as possible, by playing a consistent style throughout the club.

“My experiences at AFL level have given me some fantastic tools to help teach and grow each player I work with.

“Anyone wanting to improve their game will be given the help and the platform to be able to do that.

“The challenge of building the club back to a very competitive organisation is something I am really looking forward to, and I think that can be a lot of fun and can happen quite quickly.

“Our supporters will enjoy watching the style of football we’ll be playing, and we will be hard to play against.”