EDFL: Steve Burns named as Charles Cuzzupi’s Taylors Lakes replacement

Taylors Lakes has turned to the club’s only senior premiership coach to lead the club forward, appointing him for the next two seasons just a week after the former mentor departed.

Steve Burns will be at Taylors Lakes for just a little bit longer than the remainder of the 2022 season.

The Essendon District league Division 2 club has confirmed Burns will remain in charge for the next two years after he was appointed to replace Charles Cuzzupi who left the post after last weekend’s game against Jacana.

Burns coached the Lions to their only senior premiership in 2010.

Club president Dave Darcy said it was pleasing to have Burns “settled”.

“We interviewed several different people and thought Steve was the best person for the job,” he said.

“He’s been around the club before and knows a lot about the place. But he’s a new face to a lot of our current playing group and we’re looking forward to seeing him work with them.”

Steve Burns (centre) has been named as Taylors Lakes coach for the next two seasons. Photo: Facebook.

The Lions currently sit sixth on the ladder and remain well in finals calculations, just half-a-game behind fourth placed Hadfield.

Despite Burns labelling the rest of the season as a “transition period” he said the club was continuing to look for improvement.

“We want to keep winning games of footy,” he said.

“The next few weeks will give Steve an idea of what he has to work with in the playing group and what he might like to add on a recruiting front for 2023.”

Taylors Lakes host premiership contender Oak Park this weekend.

CUZZUPI OPENS UP ON HIS DEPARTURE

Charles Cuzzupi says he has been left with an “empty feeling” after coaching Taylors Lakes for the last time.

The outgoing Lions mentor stepped away from the job after his side’s 28.18 (186) to 1.7 (13) win over Jacana on Saturday.

After three-and-a-half years at the helm, Cuzzupi said the time was right to move on and allow the playing group to continue developing under a new voice, Steve Burns.

“It’s a bit of an empty feeling but I’m comfortable with the decision,” he said on Monday.

“Not going to training on Tuesday or Thursday this week is going to be a little strange but I’ll adjust to a different routine now.

“I feel like I leave the club in a better place than what it was in when I arrived in January 2019. I was behind the eight ball when I started but a lot of people worked hard to get the club to where it is now.

“This decision hasn’t come from left field, the club and I had been having discussions throughout the season. I needed to do what was best for them as well.

“It feels like the right time and now we will see what the future holds for me and my family.

“I can’t wait to see what Taylors Lakes is able to achieve going forward.”

Cuzzupi led Taylors Lakes through a tough period which included relegation to Division 2 after going winless in 2021.

While he also had to navigate the ever changing world of the Covid pandemic.

Charles Cuzzupi has stood down as Taylors Lakes coach. Photo: Hamish Blair

“In the past few years it became a bit more about being a coach,” he said.

“I grew a significant connection to the players and so much has changed over the past few years. There were some pretty dark conversations but I was never going to turn my back on the club or the group.

“That’s not the type of person who I am.”

Saturday’s win was highlighted by four goals to Mason Lalor while Anthony Tiricola, Oliver Lake and Tomi Ibarra all finished with three apiece.

Ethan Caffari was named the best player on the ground.,

The sixth placed Lions will next face Oak Park.

EARLIER: TAYLORS LAKES PREPARES FOR MID-SEASON SWITCH

Taylors Lakes bid to play finals footy will be led by a new man.

The Lions have announced senior coach Charles Cuzzupi will step aside after Saturday’s game against Jacana after four-and-a-half seasons in the role.

He will be replaced by Steve Burns for the last six games of the EDFL Division 2 season.

Confirming the news in a social media post on Thursday night, Taylors Lakes said Cuzzupi had cited family and work commitments as the reasons he would go continue into 2023.

Cuzzupi’s time at Lionheart Reserve, which started in 2019, has seen the club grow on a number of fronts.

Those achievements include the re-establishment of an under 18s team which has 29 players in 2022 and a senior playing list of 60 — having grown from 45.

The social media post said the club also sees itself in a “better financial and cultural position”.

“While the role of senior coach is huge on its own, Charles also took on the role of football manager for 2022 which was an enormous undertaking,” the club said.

“Over the four years that Charles has been with us, he has also mentored the junior coaches, helped to drive our sponsorship and events and gone above and beyond in every way.

“When Charles first joined us, he and Yvette were ‘parents-to-be’, but now they have two young children and the time has come for them to enjoy the next phase of their lives with their young family.

“We look forward to Charles and his family still being part of our club and cheering our teams through 2023 with us.”

Taylors Lakes sit sixth on the ladder with a 3-5-1 record, one-and-a-half games outside the top four.

They’ll take on Jacana away from home.