EFNL 2023: Justin Whitcher appointed East Burwood coach

He wore the Rams’ colours as a player in their last senior men’s flag almost 25 years ago – now Justin Whitcher is back as coach, keen to help return the Eastern club to its former glory.

East Burwood has welcomed back a dual premiership player as its next senior coach.

Justin Whitcher will lead the Rams in 2024, returning to the club where he won top-division premierships in 1999 and 2000.

He makes the move back to the Eastern league after serving the past two seasons as coach of Old Paradians in the VAFA’s Division 2, having also held assistant roles at four different clubs across a decade.

Right-hand man to Northern league coaching great Garry Ramsay for Macleod’s 2015 Division 1 premiership, Whitcher has also served as women’s coach at Montmorency and a skills and development mentor at the Calder Cannons.

He carved out 10 years as a player at Montmorency after stints at South Fremantle in the WAFL and a brief run with the Carlton and Collingwood reserves in the early ‘90s.

The two-time premiership Ram said the Eastern league club had enquired about his services in years gone by, with a recent chat setting the path for his appointment.

He succeeds David Jensen in the role, who exited the club during the 2023 campaign.

Justin Whitcher has served in coaching roles across several football clubs. Picture: Supplied

“East Burwood had actually spoken to me the last three years or so about getting involved,” Whitcher said.

“I’ve got good relationships with many of the players from that era and blokes that are still part of the club.

“The two years I played there were the two years we won flags … I’ve stayed in contact and when you’ve won a couple of quality grand finals you have a bit of an affiliation to that club and a soft side for it.

“I thought third time around I’d at least meet with them and have a chat.”

Whitcher highlighted his two-time East Burwood premiership coach Alan Richardson as one of his greatest influences.

“‘Richo’ was the best I learnt from, to be honest – I’ve never forgotten a lot of his learnings from back then,” Whitcher said of the ex-St Kilda AFL coach.

East Burwood celebrates its 2000 Division 1 premiership win at Waverley Park.

East Burwood missed the finals in Division 2 this season, finishing seventh with a 9-9 record.

It has signed a package of recruits this off-season, welcoming midfielder Ned Mullins, wingman Andrew Bottomer and ruckman Joe Gorman from Balwyn.

Whitcher believes the club is poised to bounce back next season, with the recruits set to combine with a host of names returning from injury – and the emerging talent.

“They were a bit unfortunate – quite a large number of their better players had decent injuries (in 2023) and therefore their depth got exposed maybe a little bit more than they were ready for,” Whitcher said.

“But I believe they’re all up and running and ready to go again, and the club’s been really active and recruited already – four or five quality players that’ll add value from levels above.

“I have been informed over the last few years that there’s plenty of young talent on the way through … I think the benefit of the injuries meant some of those younger boys got opportunities they might not have got for another year.”

East Burwood last won a senior men’s premiership in 2000 – Whitcher’s last season as a player at the club.

The Rams slid from the league’s top-flight to Division 4 in less than a decade, contesting the Division 4 decider in 2019.

They were promoted to Division 3 at the league’s discretion following the ’19 season – and from Division 3 to 2 at the end of 2021.

Whitcher is keen to help the club back to its former glory.

“They’ve clearly gone through a journey in the last 15 years of dropping their way down and working their way back up hopefully, so if I can do anything within a few years to get them back to where we once were, that’d be an awesome feat,” he said.

“Life’s all about challenges, so take it on and let’s see what we can do.”