Premier Cricket: Pilon, Carr join Casey South Melbourne’s coaching panel

Former first-class wicketkeeper-batsman Nathan Pilon will lend his coaching expertise to the Swans in 2019-20, following Will Carr to Casey Fields.

In more than one sense, Nathan Pilon and Will Carr are first-class additions to Casey South Melbourne’s coaching panel.

The former Victorian players have joined the Swans to support returning coach Brian Keogh.

Brett Lewis, another former Casey South Melbourne head coach, is also back at the club in an assistant’s role.

Mat Pearson, who has been running the Damien Fleming Academy, rounds out the coaching team.

Carr continues to coach Berwick in the DDCA but he has committed to a minimum of 30 sessions at CSM.

He was also instrumental in enticing Berwick clubmate Pilon to the club.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Pilon retired at the end of last season after a superb career in which he represented NSW and Victoria, played much good, attacking Premier Cricket for Carlton, and was in the St George team of the century alongside some of Australian cricket’s most luminous names, including Sir Donald Bradman.

“We’re just absolutely rapt to have him involved in the coaching group,’’ Keogh said this afternoon.

“Clearly he’s got a great cricket mind and he’s been incredibly successful in the game.

Will Carr celebrating a wicket for the Vics.

“He’ll work very closely with Dev (Swans wicketkeeper Devin Pollock) and all our keepers. We think Dev has got another level in him. We think he can play first-class cricket so Nathan will be a great help to him. But we’ll also use him in regards to game sense and leadership and also with our batters.

“I think he’s going to be fantastic for us.’’

Keogh said he sounded out Pilon about a role with the club a few years ago.

“With his friendship with Will, Will said to us, ‘I think it’s worth having another chat with Nathan’,’’ he said. “I think Will has been a great advocate for what we’re doing at the club … he’s really invested in what’s going on … and he probably gave Nathan a nudge and we followed up and it all fell into place.’’

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Keogh said the involvement of Pilon and Carr also strengthened Casey South Melbourne’s ties with the DDCA, something new president Shaun Petrie and director of cricket Craig Lambden were keen to do.

“Will will bring some Berwick guys down to Casey Fields for some training and we’ll occasionally send some of our players to Berwick,’’ he said.

The Swans had more good news this week when emerging pair Shobit Singh and Evan Allaway were included in the Victorian Country Under 17 team to play at the national championships in Queensland from September 20 to October 10.