EFNL 2024: Matt Johnson appointed Coldstream coach for 2025

The Eastern Division 3 club has found its new mentor following the exit of Jarrod Bayliss. The incoming coach discusses his plans ...

A successor has been found close to home.

Coldstream has unveiled its next coach, with senior assistant Matt Johnson stepping up following the resignation of Jarrod Bayliss after a season at the helm.

The curtain fell on Bayliss’ tenure after the Cougars were eliminated from the Division 3 premiership race a fortnight ago.

Johnson, a former Coldstream player, served as right-hand man to former coach Chad Rogers from 2021 to ’23 before flanking Bayliss this year.

“I’ve done three years, like you could say, an apprenticeship, so once it got to the point where Jarrod decided he was going to step away, the club approached me (and asked) if I would be interested,” Johnson said, who also coached the Cougars to three veterans premierships.

“I definitely jumped at the chance – it’s a passion of mine, I’ve been there a long time and it (the club) means a lot to me.

“It wasn’t until the season was done and dusted that I was fully committed to doing it, and I obviously still went through the interview process, so it wasn’t 100 per cent mine.”

EFNL 2024: New Coldstream coach Matt Johnson. Picture: Supplied

Coldstream finished the home-and-away season in fourth with a 12-6 record before a second-week exit from the finals at the hands of Knox, falling to the tune of 62 points.

Johnson said while most of the pieces were in place, the club would hunt a key defender and some outside pace this off-season in a bid to go further next year.

“We’ve definitely got the nucleus … I don’t need to reinvent the wheel, but more reinvest in what we’ve got – our structures, our game plan, you’ve got to put more time into these things each year because things develop and players develop,” he said.

“I know what we need, so I can target players now that will help us.”

Bayliss arrived at Coldstream fresh off back-to-back premierships at Outer East club Powelltown, bringing with him a swag of key names – Brock Castree, Gary Conyers and Jake Sherriff among them.

Johnson said he was confident Bayliss’ contingent would stay on next season.

“The guys that Jarrod (brought) in, they’re all good people,” he said.

“Hopefully I’ve built good enough relationships with them now that they see me as their coach moving forward.

“A lot of water’s got to go under the bridge and a lot of phone calls have got to be made, but I’m pretty confident I’ll get them on board as well.”

EFNL 2024: Outgoing Coldstream coach Jarrod Bayliss. Picture: Davis Harrigan

Johnson said the tutelage of premiership coaches Rogers and Bayliss couldn’t have prepared him any better for the rigours of the top job.

“Having Chad and Jarrod guiding me in the last three years, they’re both premiership coaches and I couldn’t have been in better hands,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”