Essendon installs new-look coaching panel for Premier Cricket season
After parting ways with Mitch Johnstone at the end of the season, Essendon has shaken up its coaching structure with a five-man panel set to lead the club into 2020-21.
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Essendon hopes many hands will make light work as it chases a breakthrough Premier Cricket premiership in 2020-21.
The Bombers have installed a five-man coaching panel after parting ways with Mitch Johnstone at the end of this season.
Ash Cavigan has been promoted to head of coaching with star opening batsman Aaron Ayre taking on a high performance coaching role.
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Phil Lovell crosses from Fitzroy Doncaster to take on a cricket operations role, while Callum Appleyard (analysis and strategy) and Damian Bonner (youth development) round out the panel.
Essendon president Simon Tobin said the role of senior coach was “a job for more than one man” in today’s Premier Cricket.
“The days of a single senior coach being responsible for four XIs, junior development and pathway cricket, pre-season programs and organising specialised coaches, it’s a job beyond the job of one individual,” Tobin said.
“Over the last number of years we’ve approached coaching with a strong senior panel, usually two or three guys that complement each other.
“It’s not too dissimilar to what we’ve had in the past — Mitch Johnstone was supported by Rob Shaw, Aaron Ayre and Ash Cavigan and this is a slightly reworked model.”
Tobin said he was excited to see Ayre take his coaching to the next level and was confident Lovell’s addition would be a big positive.
“Aaron brings a hell of a lot, he’s been around first-class cricket for a long time and been exposed to the high performance programs of Cricket Victoria,” he said.
“We like to look for fresh faces and fresh ideas, particularly if they come from another successful club or first class background.
“Phil is a Level 3 coach, which is right up there and there aren’t many around, he’s got two masters degrees and had a senior role with Fitzroy Doncaster during their back-to-back premierships.”
After finishing third in 2018-19, the Bombers slipped to eighth this season and were eliminated by old foes Carlton in the elimination final.
However, there was much deserved success post-season when James Seymour collected his first Ryder Medal, tying with Ringwood’s David King for the competition’s highest honour.
Seymour knocked up 711 First XI runs in 2019-20, third most in the competition, marking the third straight campaign he’s broken the 700-run mark.
The attacking opening batsman has also added dangerous spin to his repertoire over the past two summers, claiming 49 scalps.
Tobin said the whole club was desperate for Seymour to be rewarded with a Cricket Victoria state contract.
“James is coming off three really strong and successful seasons and that culminated in the Ryder Medal,” he said.
“We desperate hope he earns some state representation, we know he’s been close to first class cricket for a while and the feedback from Cricket Victoria has been really positive.”
However, it appears likely Ayre will lose his contract after a quiet summer with the bat.