Football
4 April, 2026
WFNL 2026 preview: New Demons leader a man on a mission
New Demons leader Jake Short is a man on a mission.
He wants to move the footy side up the ladder, from last where they finished the 2025 season, and he has the bar set.
"Horsham Demons, last to first," he replied when asked what his goals for the side were for the 2026 season.
Short has been committed to Redan Football Netball Club in the Ballarat Football League for many years, and it's clear that despite the change of colours this season, the club is still going to mean a lot to him.
"I started in the under-12s I think and this is the first year changing clubs," he said.
"Throughout my time with Redan I've been lucky enough to be an assistant coach (2023, 2024 and 2025) and co-captain (2025).
"I love Redan and have made lifelong friends at the club and I hope they have success soon."
In what is his first time in a coaching role in seniors, Short said he was enjoying the challenge so far.
And he has particularly enjoyed working with a hungry and young group who have the passion and willingness to get better and improve.
"I see myself as a facilitator, helping guys realise how good they can be and how their role helps success with the team," he said.
"I'm certainly not the most talented player but I have always held myself to high standards when it comes to doing the team things.
"Repeat defensive efforts rather than the number of kicks a player might get on a given day is something I really value.
"Leading by example with on- and off-field habits is something I'm applying to the group and so far its been reciprocated really well."
Short accepted the coaching position at Horsham following a decision to move to the region.
"My wife, Ginger, is a local, my parents are from here and I have a lot of extended family still here," he said.
"I was fortunate in that a few different teams rang and asked, but ultimately Horsham and its great young group reminded me of the youth and talent at Redan so it seemed a relatively straightforward choice.
"To be completely honest, I really struggled with the idea of playing for another team other than Redan, let alone coaching another team.
"I really loved my time at 'The Den'; it has always been a huge part of my life."
But ultimately, after living apart from his wife while she created a business in Horsham and he stayed in Ballarat with their children, the decision had to be made.
"My wife opened an osteopathic clinic called 'Each and Every' in town," Short said.
"She worked and stayed here while I stayed in Ballarat with our two young kids but after a month or so of this we just realised it wasn't sustainable and change was needed.
"Luckily, the business has taken off and it was a no-brainer to move here so we could all be under the same roof."
With the business thriving, the family together and the couple's kids, daughter Harper and son Lennox, enjoying motorbike rides through the back paddock and catching yabbies in the dams, it was clearly a good move.
Short, an electrician for CHS, is loving life in the Wimmera too – with camping on the farm one of his favourite things to do now.
"Doing heaps but not much, if that makes sense," he said.
And if he isn't doing that he can always find a sport to watch.
"I love sport: anything from cricket and footy to darts and tennis, I'll watch it," he said.
But he hasn't forgotten his Ballarat friends and said he still had a bunch of close ones who caught up for brekky every Friday morning in Ballarat.
"It's the best way to start the day," he said.
No doubt those friends will be keeping a close eye on Short's coaching journey at the Demons to see if he can take them from rags to riches.
"It's easy to look at it and say they had a 'bad' year with the one win," he said of the 2025 season.
"But I look at it with a glass half full.
"They had five games where they came within two goals, lost to a grand finalist by less than a kick, lost some key experienced guys to long-term injuries while having probably the youngest list in the league.
"It was a season of learning and playing a lot of young, talented kids who really relished that exposure and now understand the standard they need to be at to compete."
Having said that, Short said, the side was under no illusion they had a long way to go.
And he added there were some good sides in the league that would take some beating.
"We are focusing on ourselves: training has been at a really high intensity and we are focused so far on skills under fatigue, fitness and being a good teammate," Short said.
The Demons have announced only a couple of recruits in Brait Headon and Charlie Dinning so far and the coach is keeping his lips sealed on any others to come for the 2026 season.
"Charlie is a goal-kicking midfielder from the SANFL," Short said.
"We're stoked to have Charlie and his partner, Kaylee, to the club.
"His experience at a really high level of footy will be invaluable for not just the group but me.
"Already he's shown a real willingness to lead and help, which has been great."
Joining the side from Harrow, Short said Headon has missed a bit of footy after doing an ACL but was flying at training.
"He's ready for the season ahead," the coach said.
"He's a big, strong defender with wheels so the sky's the limit with him.
"A great fella, too."