There would not be many footballers in Australia with a record like this

Bryce Curnow (centre) coached Sandhurst to the 2024 Bendigo Football Netball League premiership against Gisborne. File picture

Yarrawonga's new non-playing coach Bryce Curnow will carry a remarkable grand final streak into his Ovens and Murray Football Netball League career - contesting eight successive deciders.

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Curnow won four premierships in that stint, primarily in the Bendigo Football Netball League (BFNL), and remarkably would have played more grand finals before that had he not overqualified for community football while at VFL club North Ballarat.

Yarrawonga played successive grand finals in 2023-2024, edging out Albury in the first year before a shock loss to Wangaratta Rovers.

The Pigeons then missed finals, but bounced back to contest the elimination final this year, so they will be hoping Curnow's grand final streak over his two-year deal can hit double figures.

The 35-year-old was considered one of the finest operators in the BFNL. He is incredibly driven, highly professional, tactically astute and a pivotal figure in Sandhurst's successful junior program over the past four seasons.

That is no surprise given the teacher controls the Athlete Development Program (ADP) across Bendigo's five public high schools.

"I develop footballers for a living I guess in my job and my football job as well," Curnow said. "There's more than 100 footballers and I coach the various teams four mornings a week, plus there's a strength and conditioning component and I teach regular PE-Health classes as well.

Bryce Curnow celebrates a goal for North Ballarat against Geelong in the 2014 VFL season. File picture

"We get nutritionists and psychologists in externally to round out the athlete better.

"I'm really passionate about the development path and giving back to others."

Yarrawonga football manager Xavier Leslie praised Curnow's focus on player development when the club announced his appointment last week.

"As a schoolteacher by trade, seeing people develop over numerous years is part of what teachers do every day," Curnow said. "If I can play a small part in people getting the best out of themselves, it gives me greater satisfaction than playing."

Curnow, who is a distant relation of three-time AFL Coleman medallist Charlie Curnow, played 61 games for North Ballarat before claiming premierships at Loddon Valley outfit Calivil United, BFNL clubs Strathfieldsaye and Sandhurst, along with Kerang.

He was an assistant playing coach for two flags and head playing coach for the other two. He did not play last season.

Curnow served as an assistant during Bendigo's 20-point win over Ovens and Murray at representative level in May.

"I've always known a lot about the league but took a larger interest this year. After four years at Sandhurst, it was the right time to move on and give myself another challenge," he said.

"I've spoken to a lot of people and did a lot of background checking on Yarrawonga and I didn't hear one bad word about them."

The Pigeons suffered the league's worst injury toll in 2025 and are coming off another horror season, losing five profile players to season-ending knee injuries.

Bryce Curnow gains possession against Sandringham in the VFL. File picture

Curnow has spoken to the leadership group on the injury toll.

"I know externally there has been a lot of chat about that injury toll, but internally I hope to bring a belief to the players that it doesn't matter who is on the ground, it's system-based and next-man-up mentality," he said. "I don't think the playing group has thought about it too much, but I don't want it to be the narrative.

"Everyone externally can talk injuries this, injuries that and it can become your mentality, thinking, 'it's OK, we lost because we had players unavailable', the focus will be going into every game thinking we can win."

The injury toll has meant the Pigeons have used more players than any other club, including 47 this year.

"I want to celebrate the work of (former coach) Leigh Williams and the amount of players he's been able to develop. I'll obviously be the beneficiary of that," he said.

Curnow and his family will move to Yarrawonga just before Christmas.

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