Justin Wenke appointed senior coach of Murrumbeena
One of the NAB League’s most respected coaches will make the move to the Southern league in 2021.
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Murrumbeena took its time appointing a new senior coach.
The Lions can say now the wait was worth it.
Last Friday their committee ratified the appointment of leading NAB League coach Justin Wenke, a coup for the Division 2 Southern league club.
Wenke is coming off four years at the Northern Knights, and was previously with the Oakleigh Chargers.
His stint at the Chargers took in the 2012 TAC Cup premiership with a team that included Jack Billings and Jack Macrae, who kicked a golden point in extra-time in the grand final. Wenke stood down early in the 2014 season for personal reasons, and the club went on to win another flag that season under Michael Stinear.
Wenke, 45, replaces Paul Howroyd, who resigned after two years and has bobbed up at Division 1 club Oakleigh District.
Wenke stepped aside from the Knights last month after the AFL made changes to NAB League coaching positions, taking them to full-time from next year. Coaches will also coach the boys and girls teams.
Wenke was unable to commit to a full-time role and joined a number of other NAB League mentors in withdrawing from the competition.
Murrumbeena represents his first chance to coach at senior level.
“Yeah, it’s something different for me after 20-odd years in the pathway, coaching the elite juniors,’’ he said this afternoon.
“I haven’t had a crack at the senior side of things before … as a coach you look for opportunities, and this is a whole different challenge with senior footy and what that looks like. I did cut my teeth at Doncaster junior footy club so I understand the community aspect of it and you take that to the senior level.’’
Wenke said he spoke to the Beena for at least a month before accepting the position.
“I think it was really important for me to do my due diligence and get a feel for where the club was at,’’ he said.
“With the people I spoke to, one thing that resonated with me was their passion for what they wanted to do and I suppose take the club in a little bit of a new direction. Certainly the alignment with the junior club was paramount for me, that feeder system. I think Murrumbeena’s last success was with one of their good teams that came through the juniors and Under 19s, so that model can work.’’
Wenke lives at Footscray, works at Keysborough and regards Murrumbeena as somewhere in between.
He said he knew a “ little bit’’ about the Southern league through his friendship with former Western Bulldogs star Lindsay Gilbee, who was coach of Port Melbourne Colts.
Before coaching the Chargers in the TAC Cup Wenke had a 10-year association with the club, starting as team manager. He served as head coach of the Under 16 program for five years and worked as an assistant in the Under 16 Vic Metro Academy.
Wenke was also head coach of the Yarra Junior Football League Under 15 interleague team for six years.
Murrumbeena believes his experience in player development will benefit the many young players in its squad.
“We’re really excited at the prospect of having someone of Justin’s calibre really wanting to take on the challenge of coaching a suburban football club,’’ Beena president Jay Cotsis said.
“It’s a different perspective on what he’s done in the past. But he obviously brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to it. Just talking to some of the players already, there’s a lot of confidence about the future.’’
The Lions finished 15-3 after the home-and-away rounds in 2019 but fell to eventual premier Doveton Eagles in the preliminary final.
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