Rushworth has made the first step in its bid to return to the senior grade football competition with the appointment of a new coach.
Merrigum, and Undera have also named new coaches while Lancaster and Girgarre are sticking with this year’s coaches Tom Davies and Brendan Baumann respectively.
RUSHWORTH has signed on the well credentialed Mark Wheatley to try and resurrect the Tigers, who weren’t represented by a senior side this year.
Wheatley has an impressive CV, with time playing with Melbourne Football Club’s affiliate VFL side Casey as well as the Demons’ Next Generation Academy.
He has also coached Mildura Imperials in the Sunraysia League.
Wheatley said he had had no plans to continue his coaching career, but had been impressed with the Rushworth committee’s honesty and the challenge of the task at hand to help get the club back as a competitive force in the league.
MERRIGUM has named joint coaches for next year.
The role will be shared by Leigh Hall and Darcy Collins.
A former star player with the club Hall has had wide coaching experience at all levels with Merrigum originally, then Stanhope and Tatura in recent years.
He took the reins of the Under 18s in 2001-2003, winning back-to-back premierships in 2002-03, before coaching the senior side in 2005.
While coaching at Merrigum, Hall was appointed the league’s Under 18 interleague coach in 2002-04 and was also named the League Youth Coach of the Year.
He was Stanhope’s senior assistant in 2006 and played in their 2007-08 senior premiership sides with the Lions.
Hall has coached Tatura’s reserves for the last two years and hasn’t been ruled out of lining up with the reserves next season and adding to his tally of 450-plus games.
Collins played the majority of his junior and senior football between Corowa Rutherglen and the Billabong Crows, before a couple of seasons in the GVL at the Shepparton Swans.
He crossed to Merrigum mid-season in 2021, and has been an important player holding his own against some of the best key forwards in the league.
Club president Andrew Parkinson said his club was ‘‘super excited’’ to have Hall back and being assisted by Collins.
‘‘Leigh is very experienced and will work from the sidelines. Darcy, who stepped up to coach us for the last two games this season made a big impression,’’ Parkinson said.
Merrigum reserves will also have co-coaches next season.
Damon Zampaglione, who has been at Merrigum for the past three seasons, will share the role with Matt Wild.
LANCASTER and its re-elected coach Tom Davies will be striving for a three-peat of premierships next season.
The Wombats could have even boasted that honour now only for COVID thwarting its bid to win the flag when it was undefeated when the 2021 season was called off.
Premiership coach Michael Mott will again coach the reserves while Sam Spedding will take over the thirds coaching position from Scott Fleming.
GIRGARRE has stuck with popular non playing coach Brendan Baumann for the 2024 season.
A late appointee for the 2023 season, Baumann has been given a lot of the credit for creating a positive and friendly atmosphere at the club despite it winning only three games for the season.
While it had limited on-field success it has a lot of young developing players and Girgarre is confident Baumann is the right man for the job at the moment.
UNDERA has named experienced Glenn Hart to coach the club in 2024.
Hart has been involved in coaching roles with premiership winning teams at Merrigum and Kyabram reserves in recent years and also coached the Kyabram thirds.
A former Shepparton United player he is the brother of Brisbane Lions triple premiership player Shaun Hart.
He said taking on a senior coaching role had been on his bucket list for some time and he is now looking to do the hard yards to return Undera to a force in the Kyabram League.
No replacement yet
Kyabram Football Club is yet to name a replacement coach for Paul Newman.
The Bombers have been pursuing a possible replacement for some weeks but are now widening their net to try and fill the position.
President John Guinan said Kyabram was seeking a high-profile coach to take the club’s promising young group of players into the future.
Guinan said most of the players had recommitted to play next season including Melbourne based Brad Mangan and Liam Ogden.
Established stars in Lachie Smith and Kaine Herbert have already got on board for next season and many of its younger players have already committed.
GVBBL changes
The Goulburn Valley Bush Bash League will have a new franchise competing and a change of location for its Kyabram-based team this season.
The withdrawal of Cobram Panel Works Panthers has paved the way for Bendigo Cricket Association to field a team in the elite four team Twenty20 competition.
It will be known as the Bendigo Spitfires and will be based at the Kangaroo Flat Sports Club.
Kyabram’s Hurley’s Hotel Hounds, the reigning titleholders, Shepparton’s SRP Mud Dogs and Jarvis Delahey Crushers will again line-up for the fourth edition of the popular series which features most of the elite players from their areas and some high quality imports.
The Hounds will still have Hurley’s Hotel licensee Brenton Sheppard as the franchise owner, but will be organised by Echuca cricketer and Hounds player Matt Hinks and play its home game at Echuca’s Victoria Park on January 21.
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