The Coburg Football Club has announced that in 2023, the team will be led by its longest serving player on the list, Jesse Corigliano who becomes the club’s 56th Captain in its 131 year history.
Corigliano succeeds Ryan Exon and Peter McEvoy who were Co-Captain from 2019 till the end of the 2022 season with McEvoy retiring from Coburg and the VFL and Exon returning in 2023 as a member of the playing group.
Jesse Corigliano joined the club in the leadup to the 2015 preseason and in the first few rounds of the 2015 VFL season, Jesse missed out on playing for Coburg in the VFL and also missed out on being selected in the club’s Development League (Reserves) team too. Determined to prove his worth at the level, Corigliano fought his way into the Development League team towards the end of 2015, won the Development League Best and Fairest in 2016 which was also the year he made his VFL debut with the Lions and in 2017 became a permanent member of the Lions backline.
In 2019 he was selected in the VFL’s team of the year and in 2022 he became a Jim Sullivan Medallist as the club’s Senior best and fairest. He has now reached 80 senior VFL games for the club
In 2023, Corigliano will be assisted by Co-Vice Captains Mitch Podhajski and Nathan Boucher.
When asked why Corigliano was the right person for the captaincy, Senior Coach Andrew Sturgess said “There are a lot of reasons, loyalty is the first thing that comes to my mind. He is the longest serving player on the list, he cares deeply about the club, he was unanimously voted upon by his peers as someone who should be a part of the leadership group and he is ready.”
Jesse Corigliano’s story of persistence and an undying passion for both the club and his own development is one that young players can look at as proof that patience and motivation are key ingredients required to make it at VFL level.
When asked for a comment about where captaincy ranks among his achievements at the club, Corigliano said “I love our club and I’m very proud of my achievements, but to lead the club as Captain is easily the greatest achievement. To have the faith of Andrew Sturgess and the playing group is an amazing feeling and because I love this place so much and I have been here for such a long time, my care for this club runs really deep. I want to acknowledge both Peter McEvoy and Ryan Exon and their support for me whilst I was in the Vice Captain role. I have learnt so much from Pete and Ex and to be in the position those guys were in, I am really honoured.”
Supporting Corigliano as Co-Vice Captains are 53 gamer Mitch Podhajski and 38 gamer Nathan Boucher and both were heavily endorsed by their playing group peers to be elevated into leadership group positions.
Podhajski said of being made a Vice Captain “I’m really excited to be a vice captain and support Jesse and the playing group even more in 2023. On reflection with Sturg and Seb at the end of the season, I said to them that I felt like I was getting those leadership qualities back and in a better position within the club to be a leader. I was in the leadership group in 2019, I was still quite young and trying to find my way into the team so to get another opportunity in a different role is something I am really excited about.”
Nathan Boucher was also asked what the honour of being a Vice Captain meant to him and he said “I’m very honoured to get the respect from my peers and the coaching group, I’ve really wanted this role and I think with the two standing next to me in Pods (Podhajski) and Rigga (Corigliano) we are going to make a really good team and hopefully lead Coburg to some success. ”
Please click here to watch a Captaincy announcement video which the club has prepared.
The Coburg Football Club will continue to make Men’s and Women’s team announcements throughout the off season and the best place for you to see them will be on the club website or Facebook page.
