Brad Rossborough returns to MPCA in coaching capacity
Former Kingston Hawthorn coach Brad Rossborough is back in the game, so to speak, after linking with an MPCA Provincial club as a specialist coach and mentor. But will he put the pads on?
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Eating fish and chips while watching local games — that’s been the extent of Brad Rossborough’s cricket involvement over the past 18 months.
But the former Kingston Hawthorn player and coach is back in the game, so to speak, after linking with MPCA Provincial club Old Peninsula as a specialist coach and mentor.
He will mentor the Pirates’ leadership group, including new captain Will Crowder and Rhys Whitling, as well as working as a batting coach.
Rossborough’s friendship with Old Peninsula coach John Forrest led to his role.
“Listening to John bounce things off me got me a little bit invested,’’ he said.
“Once I saw they’d signed Rhys (Whitling) and Justin Grant, and appointing Crowds as captain, and investing in their future which is good to see…I just asked if he’d be interested in me helping on a limited basis.’’
Rossborough, 31, played with Prahran and Kingston Hawthorn, and coached the Hawks in 2018-19, stepping down at season’s end to spend more time with his young family.
“I watched a lot of MPCA cricket on weekends with the boy (son Jagger),’’ he said.
“I went around, picked a game each Saturday, got fish and chips and went and enjoyed it.’’
Rossborough’s return to cricket, though, won’t include a playing comeback.
“Absolutely not. I can’t commit, it’s the time…I can’t train and if I can’t meet the standards everyone else has to I’m not interested in taking someone else’s spot,’’ he said.
He has committed to 10 sessions with Old Peninsula, although he’s likely to do more.
Crowder will lead a strong Pirates side that includes star recruits Grant and Whitling, master blaster Dylan O’Malley, Forrest and Wade Pelzer, with promising youngsters Bailey Payze, Harry Van Raay and Zac Bauer pushing up.
Old Peninsula meets reigning champions Sorrento in Round 1 on Saturday.
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