Victorian Premier Cricket: Prahran coach Julien Wiener resigns

Prahran must find a new senior coach after 2020-21 premiership mentor Julien Wiener told the club he would be finishing up.

Julien Wiener after receiving life membership of Prahran.

Less than 12 months after steering Prahran to its first premiership in almost 40 years, club great Julien Wiener is standing down as coach.

True Blues president Nigel Parsons confirmed tonight that Wiener had told the club he would be finishing up at the end of the season.

Prahran will miss the finals, a disappointing result for a team with so much talent.

Last Saturday it had St Kilda on the rack but crashed from 2-92 to be all out for 138 and suffer a 22-run loss.

It followed a strong period of cricket in which Prahran’s performances were of the type that took it to last season’s premiership.

The flag added to Wiener’s legendary status at the club, where he’s a life member and hall-of-famer.

He started with Prahran as a schoolboy in the 1970s, played 102 First XI matches and advanced to the Victorian and then Australian team.

“Julien has provided outstanding leadership over the past four years since he assumed the head coach’s role at the start of the 2018-19 season,’’ Parsons said in a statement tonight.

“He was instrumental in developing and recruiting a talented set of players and coaches that took the club to its first First XI premiership in 37 years in 2020-21, and to its first Second XI premiership in 58 years in 2019-20.

“Julien is a life member of the Prahran Cricket Club and has rightly been inducted as a club legend and a member of our hall of fame.

“His dedication and commitment to the club have been second-to-none and he has led from the heart with a true passion, a sense of humour, and love for the game of cricket.

“He worked hard with the players to build their skills, challenging them to do better and to have fun.

“We wish Julien and his family our best wishes for the future. They will always be welcome at Toorak Park.’’