Western Rams mentor Kurt Hancock named NSW Country under 18s coach

The Western Rams mentor has been named coach of the NSW Country under 18s side this season, an appointment which ranks as one of the finest on his already packed resume.

It is a step up after he acted as assistant coach for the NSW Country 18s last year and Hancock can't wait for what lies ahead.

"I've been assistant a few times so it's a bit of a transition. They try and share it around a bit with everyone that's been putting in the hard yards with country footy," Bathurst-based Hancock said.

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"The way they do it now is pretty awesome, they go away to a three-to-four-day camp down in Sydney and go the Centre of Excellence. Brad Fittler comes in and sells the Blues way, in many ways it is like a Junior Blues camp with the City and Country under 18s.

"It's a pretty good education as far as footy goes for the young fellas.

"I just thought it was that good last year, it was well run, even the content they did. Brad Fittler was there with Andrew Johns, Paul McGregor, Mark O'Meley, Nathan Hindmarsh to name a few of the players that were there - it was a pretty special week last year, I had a blast."

While Hancock has coached junior Western Rams outfits over a number of years, found success in Group 10 with St Pat's, guided the Cowra Magpies and fostered the Panorama Platypi's development squad, prior to that he impressed as a player.

It led to him earning NSW Country honours a year after he moved to Bathurst - Hancock now one of the rare few who has coached and played at that level.

"I came here in 2003 and then in 2004 I captained the Rams when we won the Country Championships that year. I made the Country side with five or six other boys from around the area then I was the only player to make the New South Wales Residents out of the Country side," he said.

"You don't see it too much these days, I know life gets busy for a lot of people who would like to do it [coach], it's a pretty big commitment, you are pretty much volunteering your time."

Hancock made a point of praising all the players who have worked him in the Western Rams system for helping him get the NSW Country appointment, saying "Good players make good coaches."

"I've been pretty lucky, we've had some really good squads now for the last six or seven years and without their buy-in to what we're doing, I wouldn't be here," he said.

"I'm grateful to all those boys that have played underneath me because as much as I hate to say it, it is performance based and I wouldn't be here if we'd been losing games."

While unable to take the full coaching staff he has worked alongside at the Western Rams with him to help at Country level, Hancock said will be getting help from Dave Elvy.

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