Eastern league: Brenton Sanderson appointed Balwyn coach

The Eastern league’s Balwyn has appointed another ex-AFL name to lead the club following Rodney Eade’s departure. Latest here.

BALWYN has replaced one ex-AFL coach with another.

The Eastern league Premier Division club has unveiled former Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson as its new mentor, following Rodney Eade’s departure last week.

Sanderson coached the Crows from 2012 to 2014, leading the club into a preliminary final in his first season in charge.

He played 209 games across Adelaide, Collingwood and Geelong from 1992 to 2005, winning the Cats’ best and fairest in 2001 in his 199-match stint at Kardinia Park.

The 48-year-old served five seasons as an assistant to Nathan Buckley at Collingwood, moving on at the end of the 2021 season.

Sanderson (left) served five years as assistant at Collingwood. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

He’s also held assistant roles at Geelong and Port Adelaide and later served as the AFL national academy head coach.

Sanderson’s most recent posting had been as the AFL’s community umpiring development manager.

He said he was “really excited to have the opportunity to coach back at the community level”.

“It’s where I came from and for my coaching and more broadly my football journey, to continue at Balwyn will be an opportunity to bring all my learnings to this great club,” Sanderson said.

“Our family are really looking forward to becoming a part of the Tigers club and getting to know everyone involved.”

Balwyn president Richard Wilson last week declared the club would seek experience as its No. 1 priority in its search for the next coach.

“The way the system is, we need an experienced coach who can help recruit, lead and really invest in the club,” Wilson told Leader on September 1.

He said following Sanderson’s appointment: “The club is extremely proud to have the calibre of person and experience that Brenton brings to Balwyn and I’m sure all will welcome him to the Tigers in due course.”

Sanderson coached Adelaide to a preliminary final in 2012. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Eade finished at Cherry Rd with a 44-23 win-loss record and a highest result of second in 2019 culminating in a preliminary final after landing the coaching role in January 2018.

The Tigers finished fourth this season with a 14-4 record, suffering a first-week elimination final defeat.

“It was just time for Balwyn to move forward,” Wilson said of the shock split last week.

“It’s been five years and he’s (Eade) done a significant job for us. For both of us it was an opportunity to go into the next chapter of our worlds.”

Sanderson becomes the second ex-Crows coach to land in the Eastern league, following Gary Ayres’ appointment at Montrose last year.