MPFNL 2025: Why new coach Nathan Burke is so bullish about Karingal
AFL Hall of Famer Nathan Burke has taken over as Karingal’s new coach. He gives a snapshot of what’s ahead for the Bulls in 2025, names the youngsters to watch and reveals what will underpin the club’s new era.
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Nathan Burke’s eyes lit up as he arrived for training at Ballam Park on Wednesday.
Out on the ground a bunch of young men were sprinting up and back, sweating it out on a warm February afternoon.
Oscar Hanson, Teddy Banks, Taylon Valentine and Campbell Chambers — some of Karingal’s most promising young players — were putting in the extra work an hour before official training was set to start.
Burke, Karingal’s new coach, nodded in approval.
“They organise their own pre training running and they’re doing 200s and 400s as I’m pulling in, before we actually train,” Burke said.
“It’s giving the guys licence...we’ve got to get that sort of thing spreading through.”
Burke has taken over as Karingal’s new coach, and says work ethic will underpin the Bulls’ new era.
The St Kilda great was appointed six months ago and has already had an interesting time of it, with the Bulls losing roughly 15 of their best players over summer.
Burke admits the departures will make the Bulls’ task tough in 2025, but he believes it will also allow others to step up and flourish as new leaders.
“It’s allowed Levi Dixon and Cal Dixon and Laughlin Cowell and these guys to really stand up and say, ‘it’s us now’, and they’re really good blokes,’’ Burke says.
“Levi is doing all the running and fitness stuff. I was away for three weeks before Christmas and the boys just trained themselves and they just ran it all.
“To give them a bit of ownership and allow them to stand up and share things is great. I think this year we’re probably going to struggle but in the long term I think it’s a far healthier situation we’re going to be in.’’
On top of the player departures, Karingal is also likely to be without star youngster Reuben Hanson, who has got a contract with Richmond VFL.
Another quality youngster Harry Van Raay will miss the season after choosing to play cricket in England in winter.
And in a big blow, gun teenager Jackson Burke injured his cartilage playing cricket and is out for the year.
As far as recruits go, Karingal has welcomed Jimmy Bedford from Frankston Bombers (he’s a ripping bloke, a good senior club man’’, Burke says), Harry Cook from Dromana (“he’s going to be a gun, young Harry’’) and Jake Pusch from Pines (“he’s a ruckman who has come across and will learn his craft’’).
Burke says a Bendigo league recruit and another from the Outer East league are also in the pipeline.
“There’s a huge amount of upside in these blokes we’re bringing in,’’ Burke said.
“Can we keep our best 25 fit? Because if we do we’ll be competitive. But if we have a stack of injuries the depth is probably not going to be there to be honest.’’
Burke, who played 323 AFL games, said he’s been enjoying coaching and teaching the players.
“I told them we’re never going to do a drill where you say to me why are we doing that?’’ he said.
“If I can’t relate it to how we play the game, the game plan we want to put in place, you can kick me up the arse.
“I’ve told the guys flat out we’re not going to be able to beat up a team and blow them off the park. We need to get all the little things right around our balance around a stoppage and how we stand and defend, and if we’re buggered do we stand in front or behind them. All these little parts of footy they’re going, ‘oh, I didn’t realise’. We need to get all of those right.’’
Burke said there were many sons of former players on Karingal’s list.
“And they said, ‘I’m sick of the old man saying what a great place this was, why don’t we build that?’,’’ he said.
Karingal’s women’s football program has had a “re-design’’, with Daniel Watts overseeing it and a general manager and new coach appointed.
“They’re going great guns, they’ve got people banging on the door,’’ Burke said.
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