The 48-year-old will return to senior coaching for the first time since serving as an assistant coach at North Ballarat around 20 years ago, after his AFL career.

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"When my young bloke's under 14 side needed a coach a couple of years ago, I don't know what I was thinking, I put my hand up and got dragged further and further into it," he said.

"It's nobody else's doing but my own, my enthusiasm has just come back.

"I love the teaching side of it and get the most out of it by watching all of them (young and old players) improve."

Holmes played 63 games with Sydney and Fitzroy in the early to mid-90s, but has now called the North East home for around a decade.

"Our thirds (under 17s) have been successful for a long time, I've got to try and figure out why that hasn't transferred into senior success," he said.

The Roos won three straight under 17 flags from 2015, with the last team boasting current Murray Bushranger Jay Hillary and exciting Wodonga Raiders' youngster Johann Jarratt.

Interestingly, the club hasn't played senior finals since 2010.

"We've got kids that are 20 that are as raw as a greyhound's dinner, but you can see that they can play," Holmes said.

"We've got 16-year-olds, right through that range, that can play and combined with some older guys that have been here five, six, seven, eight years, maybe they just need a bit of pace in that team and you never know what can happen."

Despite the fact he hasn't coached at a senior level for many years, the straight-shooting Holmes says what worked then still works now.

"There's no magic trick mate, it's hard work and that's what I'll be forcing down their throats," he said.

"I suspect some of the guys will be expecting me to work some magic, but there's no such thing.

"You don't get better in front of the tele mate.

"There will be some discipline and fitness, but there will be a focus on practice, you get better by practicing.

Holmes will take over for the next two years from Brent Lillis, whose team sits 10 points out of the top five with five rounds left.

The Roos face just two teams in the top five, starting away to fifth-placed Tallangatta on Saturday.

They then meet Dederang Mount Beauty (10th), Barnawartha (2nd), Wahgunyah (12th) and Rutherglen (8th) as they look to snap that nine-year finals drought.

The Roos have five wins and eight losses, with Trent Castles kicking 10 against Wodonga Saints last week.

He now has 78, but still trails Chiltern's Ricky Whitehead by five.