EFNL 2023: Heath Black appointed South Belgrave coach for 2024
South Belgrave has locked in an ex-Docker and Saint of 192 AFL games’ experience as its next senior coach. Latest here.
Eastern
Don't miss out on the headlines from Eastern. Followed categories will be added to My News.
SOUTH Belgrave has unveiled its next senior coach with an ex-AFL Docker and Saint to lead the club in 2024.
Heath Black has signed as the Saints’ mentor for the next two years, succeeding dual premiership coach Luke Galliott, who will step down at season’s end.
Black is no stranger to the Eastern league having coached Mooroolbark in 2018 after playing stints at Noble Park and Vermont.
His AFL career took in 192 games across Fremantle and St Kilda from 1997-2008.
Black’s son Cayden plays in the South Belgrave senior team, with the midfielder featuring in the club’s Division 2 premiership last year.
South Belgrave football director Cameron Kidd said Galliott approached the club “six or seven weeks ago” with his decision to call time.
The club then got to work on finding a replacement – with a fleeting encounter at a function setting the wheels in motion for Black’s appointment.
“We always look at stuff internally first and I had a brief five-second encounter with Heath and said ‘You could actually be steering the ship as well as Luke if you really wanted to’, and it sort of grew legs from there,” Kidd said.
“Me and Luke had a chat and Luke and him (Heath) have had a chat over the last three or four weeks and we sort of just went from there.
“About two or three weeks ago he (Heath) said he was keen, so let’s have a fair dinkum chat.
“With Cayden playing there it’s also something he had to agree to and then we went through the process.”
Black coached Narre Warren to the South East league grand final in 2017 before landing at the Mustangs in Eastern’s second tier in ‘18.
The 44-year-old currently works as the wellbeing lead for the Coates Talent League.
Kidd said Black’s connection to the club and its emerging talent stood out in the interview process.
“We did interview a couple of other prospective coaches, but we just thought, why cast a net out when you’ve got a guy that’s played at the highest level and is really invested in the footy club anyway?” Kidd said.
“It’s just going to fit – he’s got a really good rapport with the young kids we’ve got there now.”
Galliott told Leader last week the club had “the right person waiting in the wings for the handover.”
“It felt like all the ducks had aligned and I’m leaving the post in a good position and it’ll be handed over to someone who’ll continue to take it in the right direction,” he said.
South Belgrave sits unbeaten on top of the Division 1 ladder from 17 matches this season – and is currently on a 23-game winning streak.
It will compete in the same division next season regardless of if it wins the flag, with no promotion to the top-flight offered by the league this year.
“It’s a very good opportunity for him (Heath) to build on next year,” Kidd said.
“We’ve got a group of about 15 core kids that are 23 and under that really need some nurturing and to take us through the next four or five years and that’s the next plan.
“He’d be perfect with it.”
Latest Eastern league coaching moves
The coaching appointments continue to flood in as the season nears the end. Keep up with all the latest moves here ...
Grand final wins and a shock or two
Finals accelerated in local footy with plenty of grand final winners as elsewhere there were stunning results as teams looked to qualify for the decider. Here are the talking points from Saturday’s football.