Current coaching director Anthony Vitler and star forward Rana Baker will take the coaching reigns in 2026.
The Yass Magpies are turning the page on a new chapter, officially announcing the appointment of Rana Baker and Anthony Vitler as the club’s 2026 first-grade coaches. The news marks a significant step in the club’s long-term strategy, pairing the fiery on-field leadership of a star player with the deep-rooted experience of a club veteran.
For Yass Magpies President Tim Clayton, the decision was the culmination of a thorough process. “It’s very exciting for us to have those two gentlemen selected,” Clayton said. “We went through a selection process after expressions of interest were called, and got some really good candidates.”
The choice came down to the unique blend of attributes offered by Baker and Vitler. The president was effusive in his praise for Rana Baker, who has become a club favourite in his three seasons at the Magpies.
“Rana probably leads by example on the field. He is arguably one of the leading front rowers in the competition, and he leaves nothing on the field; he puts everything he can into it,” Clayton noted. Baker’s tireless commitment, often playing the full eighty minutes, makes him a natural fit for a leadership role.
“He will add that on-field leadership, which will help us, and he is also very keen to get into the coaching side of it and develop into that role and certainly act as a leader at training and on game day.”
Baker’s journey to Yass was also a testament to the club’s community feel. He arrived three years ago through a relationship with a teammate from the Blues and has never looked back. “He likes the club, he likes the community. We certainly appreciate what he’s trying to do and what he does for us. So we sort of picked him up through a relationship, and he’s liked it and stayed.”
This respect is mutual, as Clayton pointed out Baker’s high standing in the wider rugby league community.
“Rana is certainly well respected within the Canberra rugby league community, and for what he does and how he does it on the field, and we are certainly hopeful that we think now moving into a coaching role, that may entice some players with links to Rana to potentially look at Yass as an option for themselves.”
On the other side of the partnership is Anthony Vitler, a man with a lineage deeply intertwined with the Magpies.
“Anthony Vitler: he comes from a long line of family that’s played for Yass over decades. He will add a wealth of experience.”
Vitler’s coaching credentials are also strong, having coached the reserve-grade side to numerous successful seasons and the Women’s KFS (Katrina Fanning Shield) side to a Grand Final in recent years.
“He’s also been heavily involved in the club over the last three years as a coach and director, and he has a wealth of experience and a lot of knowledge.”
It is the synergy between the two that truly excites the club. “I think with the combination of Anthony and Rana, with the leadership on the field, and then the leadership off the field, I think it will be a good combination.”
This belief in their combined skill set led to their selection over other strong contenders. “As part of the selection process, we had plenty of good candidates. We just felt at this point, they were probably the best candidates for what we needed at this point, because they’ve sort of both committed to a hopefully longer-term strategy to coach and be involved for a few years.”
Clayton emphasised the importance of having a local presence, though he stressed that it was their skill set that truly won them the job. “It certainly helps to have a local, it doesn’t hurt, but you have also got to have the right skill set to do the job, and I think we’ve met that with these two guys.
The appointment is the first crucial step in the club’s push for stability and sustained growth. “We have chatted about it before in the fact that we need to try and keep a coach for a longer period and try and keep the playing group for a longer period so that we can get that growth in year one, hopefully better growth in year two and hopefully better growth in year three, so that’s what we are hoping will progress.”
The president is hopeful this continuity will help the team reverse its fortunes in close matches. “We’ve mentioned that in games this year we have been in really strong positions and put up really good fights just to be run over late, so keeping the squad for a few years, hopefully that will boost that, and those close losses or losses we get will turn into victories for us and make us more competitive.”
While the exact length of the term is still being finalised, the club is prioritising the immediate future. The pair have committed to a one-year agreement, with the hopes of a longer partnership.
“The big thing was to get our coaches out there and let the players know how they go, because if you go and ask the player: Do you want to come and play for X, Y or Z?, the first thing they are going to say is ‘who’s the coach,’” Clayton explained. “So the first tick in the box is well, these are the coaches, now we can start looking at retention and recruitment.”
This recruitment effort is already underway. “Over the last little period, we have certainly been speaking to the players that are currently with us, that we are certainly very keen on keeping. I’ve been having a conversation with them, and Rana and Anthony have certainly been active in having conversations, but it’s sort of hard because the comp is still going to a point and then some of the other guys, they are just coming off a pretty big season and they might to have a little period off without thinking about footy, but we are certainly trying to be active in the recruitment and retention area because we need to be.”
For Clayton, the measure of success isn’t just about the scoreboard. “How do you gauge success? That’s a variable. As long as we are improving and performing on the field, which I think we did this year, we were competitive for longer, and the other key thing would be the players that we’ve got, we can develop to their potential.”
He summarised the club’s goals simply: “We want to be more competitive in our games and have the playing group we have improve to the ability that they have.” This promising coaching announcement comes at a celebratory time for the club, with the reserve grade side heading to the Grand Final and the KFS side making the semi-finals.
“It was also very good to have the reserve grade side now in a grand final, which is really good for our club and certainly our community and our sponsors,” Clayton concluded. “We are certainly very excited about that. We don’t overestimate the achievement; it is for all the hard work that has gone into it by the players and the coaches, and everyone involved.”
– Tully Potts
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.
