EFL 2019: Ben Osborne announced as new coach of East Ringwood
Veteran Bayswater batsman Ben Osborne has informed the VSDCA club he would not be playing this season after accepting the senior coaching position at East Ringwood Football Club.
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A win for East Ringwood, but a loss for Bayswater.
Ben Osborne’s appointment as coach as the Roos in the EFL has forced him to retire from the VSDCA.
Osborne, 38, was unveiled as the Division 1 club’s new mentor on Wednesday, replacing Marcus Buzaglo.
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He was Bayswater’s leading runscorer in Sub-District Cricket last season for a second time but has informed the club he would not play in 2019-20 to focus on his football coaching.
Osborne is also a soon-to-be father — his partner was due to give birth on Monday.
“With the little one due and first-time senior coaching, I want to give it everything I can,” Osborne said.
“I think it would be a detriment to East Ringwood Football Club if I had my fingers in too many pies.”
Osborne played in South Croydon’s 2001 and 2009 EFL premierships and was an assistant coach when the Bulldogs swept to the 2017 Division 1 premiership — their first top-flight flag — before joining VFL club Coburg under Leigh Adams.
He was also a member of Ringwood’s 2007-08 and 2008-09 Premier Cricket triumphs.
Osborne said he hoped his success across two sports during a decorated playing career would translate to helping East Ringwood end a lengthy finals drought.
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The Roos last played finals in 2008.
“I don’t know the culture as well as the people inside (the club) but I know what good culture is,” he said.
“Fortunately I’ve been around some Ringwood premierships when we went from the bottom to the top.
“South Croydon from Division 3 to Division 1 premiers. I’ve seen growth and I’ve seen how that works.
“It’s not a magic fix of, ‘OK, we’re going to make finals and wins finals’. That will be on the back of how we set up the culture of the club.
“It’s all about getting the things in the right place, the structure around the group and around the club and finals will take care of itself.”
Osborne said he was impressed by East Ringwood’s professionalism and facilities.
The Roos’ under-17s side also won the top division premiership last month.
Osborne tipped there would be an influx of junior talent come through the club in the coming seasons.
“That’s probably my strength … getting those young guys to come through and play good senior footy,” he said.
“The good thing about the club’s perspective is they know they’re building for something long-term instead of short-term gain.
“(They want to) build with what they’ve got coming through and really set up for the future and then to be able to get up to that top tier in a really strong position.
“It should be set up really strongly for the future over the next five to 10 years if we can get that pathway through from junior to seniors.
“If we can get that right, the club will be very strong for the next decade.”
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