On the football field, Altona was the old rival for Rodney Van Riet.
The former Deer Park star played many games against the Vikings as the two sides did battle in the Western Football League division 1 competition.
Fast forward to 2026, Van Riet will coach the Vikings after being appointed their new coach.
“A lot of people have reached out and a few messages out of Deer Park have been giving me a ribbing,” Van Riet said.
“They were the old foe and the toughest rival. I didn’t think this would be something that was on the radar.”
Van Riet, who previously coached Newport, said once the Altona job came on to his radar things moved pretty quickly.
He said right from the initial discussion with the president and vice-president it felt like the right fight.
“We were on the same page,” he said. “We had similar visions for the club and it felt like the right fit.
“I’m really fortunate to get the opportunity at Altona and I’m really excited and I’m ready to get into it.”
With his playing days over, Van Riet said the natural progression was to head into coaching.
Van Riet played more than 350 games and is an eight-time premiership player, with many of those coming in the Western league.
He said he still had a passion for the game and wanted to stay involved.
Van Reit said the Altona role stood out to him for a number of reasons.
“They are a wonderful club and have a great junior program,” he said. “They had a down season this year.
“I’ve been told it’s a good family club and a good place to bring my family down to.”
The Vikings missed out on finals this year, but Van Riet said they weren’t too far away if a bit of luck goes their way.
Van Riet replaces Travis Varcoe, who has stepped down from the coaching role after two seasons.
The new coach said the club’s desire to build success through its junior ranks was something that he wanted to be involved in.
“Looking at this year, the large majority of their list were Altona juniors,” he said. “They’ve given the kids a chance and aren’t bringing in players left, right and centre.”
Van Reit said they would look to add four or five quality recruits and hoped some of their Victorian Football League players might play a few games as well.
“We need a ruck and a big bodied midfielder,” he said. “We’ll look to fill some spots, but the majority of the list is already there.”
