May Community Coach of the Month Award

At the VAFA, we’re proud to recognize the incredible efforts of coaches who give their all to support their clubs and live out the values of our community. Every month, we hear powerful stories of leadership, dedication and impact, and May brought forward some truly inspiring nominations 

Congratulations to Traolach O’Sullivan from Power House AFC who has been named the Carruthers Executive Community Coach of the Month!  

Traolach was nominated at various times throughout the month by Lara Cartwright (Club President), Ric Dakin (Club Volunteer), and David Cameron (Player) for his outstanding dedication and his strong embodiment of the VAFA’s core value of Respect. Below is the nomination submitted by Lara Cartwright (Club President): 

“TO’s nomination for Coach of the Month is under the VAFA value of Respect. The current 2025 season results speak for themselves, Power House are currently undefeated and sitting top of the table with 7 wins in a row which is an outstanding start to the season. 

It is beyond the results where TO really shines. TO has been involved at the club for over 13 years and has been coaching for the last 7 years in the club. He has played a massive role in getting players down to the club, his connections within the community and gaelic teams bring in a large Irish contingent in and often get in touch with TO to come on down. The respect that TO has within the club and playing group is amazing to see, the players love working with him and doing him proud every Saturday. He spends time getting to know each individual player and fostering those relationships and really cares about them as people. The cultural vibe that TO brings to the team really contributes to their success; he brings the element of a fun, safe and inclusive environment all whilst being competitive on the field. The team knows exactly what is needed of them each and every time. As soon as TO’s name is mentioned it is followed up with a chant of his name, which just shows the respect he has and the positive energy he brings. 

TO is at every training session, working well with the Men’s Team head coach and has really helped develop that one team mindset where we don’t have Seniors vs Reserves. This is awesome for the club as it has created a really great culture whereby everyone is pulling in the same direction. He is a regular to check in on players and is always on the end of the phone for whatever the team need – this approach is really felt when you see him with the team. 

The 2025 season at Power House has seen us with quite a bit of depth within the men’s sides which creates its own challenges of a number of people missing out each week. In addition to this there have been a number injuries and holidays which have forced changes within the sides and largely affect TO and the reserves team, he handles this brilliantly. His communication with the playing group is outstanding ensuring people understand why they may not have been picked and offering a fair environment with rotations throughout the team ensuring everyone stays engaged and motivated – which is one of the hardest jobs out there. TO is sure to have players that are either injured or missing out on a game involved in the team, in roles such as water, runner and supporting on the sidelines. This again helps foster an inclusive environment and keeps people at the club. 

After a match on a Saturday, TO does a quick change and is ready to run out with the Seniors as team runner. Just another example of TO’s commitment and efforts for success on and off the field. 

In summary, TO is an extremely worth candidate for Coach of the Month in May. He is living and breathing the values of Power House and also of the VAFA. He leads with integrity, offers an inclusive, safe and equitable environment working well with the local community and in particular new to football individuals, but it is level of respect he gives and received for the ultimate reason for the nomination.” 

We sincerely commend Traolach for his enduring commitment to his club and to the broader VAFA community. 

Nominations for June are now open! Submit your nominations for Carruthers Executive Community Coach of the Month, now recognising contributions aligned with any of the VAFA values.