The Narangba Eagles Football Club are set to soar again in 2020, with the signing of decorated coach Nathan Walker spearheading their re-entry into the Brisbane Capital League.

Walker’s record speaks for itself, taking Caboolture FC from Capital League 4 in 2016 to the Brisbane Premier League in 2019 with three successive premierships, and coaching the Brisbane Warrigals to glory in three of the last four Australian Indigenous Football Championships.

“As soon as I sat down with him I knew we had to make it work,” Narangba president Alex Hollington said.

“We spoke for a couple of hours and I told him the ideas we have for the club and what we are trying to achieve. We both walked away feeling very positive.

“He’s an extremely humble guy who isn’t concerned with building his own legacy, but rather being part of what we’re building at Narangba and helping to achieve the vision.

“Our announcement on Facebook about his signing reached close to 11,000 people – which goes to show how respected he is in the game.

“On top of his record, he has all the values that we want to foster in the culture of the club.”

Walker will be a key figure at the club, offering guidance to coaches across the junior divisions as well as coaching the senior side.

“After deciding to not return to Caboolture, I was tossing up a few options and was approached by several clubs, but Narangba was really appealing to me,” he said.

“They’ve had pretty tough few years with senior football, so the timing lined up well with them re-entering the Capital League and me looking for a fresh start.

“We’re going straight for the jugular and pushing for promotion from the get-go. Quite a few Caboolture players have come over as well, including Ethan Wilson – who will captain the side.

“I’ll be doing a lot of recruiting and organising over the coming weeks leading into pre-season to ensure we’re a real threat to the competition.”

Poor results combined with financial issues forced the Narangba committee to withdraw the top side from Capital League 3 after the 2017 season, but the signing of Walker combined with a string of other changes at the club has positioned the Eagles as a threatening prospect.

“I don’t think it’s any secret the club was not in a good way financially,” Hollington said.

“There was a lack of volunteers, over-stretched committee members and a bit of a loss of direction and culture. The decision to withdraw from the Capital League was not made lightly, but at the time was deemed the right thing to do.

“The current committee was voted in this time last year and have worked tirelessly throughout the year to turn it around.

“The secretary Allison Kessey spends endless time answering emails and working on grants and other club matters, the treasurers Karen Steen and Kim Mattsson put a lot of work into finances and websites, and the vice president Brad Reggars is always at the club organising referees, painting lines and helping out wherever it’s needed.

“On top of the other committee members who give up their free time to volunteer around the club, it makes for a great culture. Any club can only be as good as the people who are part of it, and the volunteers that help to run it.”

Age group coordinators will be appointed for the upcoming season to help manage junior sides, with the aim of keeping promising youngsters at the club.

“Our plan is to establish ourselves again as a competitive club with a clear pathway for juniors through to a top-level senior side,” Hollington said.

“We’re really excited to offer the people of Narangba and surrounding areas the opportunity to watch a good level of football with a lot of homegrown talent, as well give young players in the area something to aspire to.”

Narangba FC have also signed a three-year deal with Veto Sports, who have come onboard to help with rebranding the club for 2020 including a new logo, colours and kits.

Trials for the senior and under-18 sides start this Tuesday, with prospective players and club members encouraged to head down or keep an eye on the club website or Facebook page for updates.

“We’re really excited for this fresh look and lots of new ideas to take us into the next decade, along with a strong level of competitive senior football,” Hollington said.

“The mood around the club is fantastic, with old players returning and new players signing on, a senior coach with a great reputation, a grant received for much needed renovations, a new look and great kit supplier!

“Who wouldn’t be excited?”