New Kyneton coach Luke Beattie up for the challenge as the Tigers chase their first finals appearance in 12 years

NEW Kyneton coach Luke Beattie has been thrown into a sink-or-swim situation but is ready for the challenges that will confront the club as it looks to break its finals drought.

Bendigo FL football: Kyneton V Gisborne. (L-R) Kyneton's Luke Beattie and Gisborne's Ben Sonogan. Picture: Josie Hayden

NEW Kyneton coach Luke Beattie has been thrown into a sink-or-swim situation.

The Tigers’ premiership player has been appointed as Mark Adamson’s replacement with the club on the cusp of a return to Bendigo Football League finals for the first time in 12 years.

Adamson was sensationally axed after failing to attend a Sunday training session he called in the wake of Kyneton’s 68-point loss to Golden Square.

Beattie, a former Sunbury assistant and Daylesford coach, told Local Footy he was ready for the challenges that would confront Kyneton over the final month of 2015.

“It was an opportunity that arose earlier than expected but one that I’ve jumped at,” Beattie said.

Beattie took training for the first time as senior coach last night and was pleased with the response from the club’s playing group.

“They were informed about what had transpired and also the interim measures that the club had put in place,” he said.

“As a result of that I took training and the boys were very responsive and certainly got behind me.

“Being someone that’s played with them over the course of the last two years, I’ve got a fantastic support base in the player group that is there.”

A father to three children, Beattie said he would use the remaining rounds to assess whether to apply for the permanent role in 2016.

“There’s no hiding from the expectation from us as a group and that is to capitalise on the position that we’ve got ourselves into,” he said.

Adamson informed the club 2015 would be his last year at the helm about a month ago, but Kyneton president Rob Waters said Sunday’s missed training session forced the club’s hand.

Waters said the Tigers had “great confidence” in Beattie, who will be a contender for the coaching post in 2016.

Kyneton’s remaining matches are against Strathfieldsaye, Castlemaine, Kangaroo Flat and Maryborough.

The Tigers sit fifth, one game clear of Castlemaine, Gisborne and Kangaroo Flat, after 14 rounds.