Ivanhoe welcomes back Brad Loveluck and Troy Haynes for new Subbies season

Ivanhoe has made major moves to improve its present and future with the return of ex-BBL assistant coach Brad Loveluck and former captain Troy Haynes.

Brad Loveluck has returned to Ivanhoe Cricket Club.

Almost a month until the new VSDCA season, Ivanhoe has made some major moves over winter.

The Saints have welcomed back one of Australia’s best young coaches in Brad Loveluck, while former captain Troy Haynes is also back at Ivanhoe Park for the 2024-25 Subbies campaign.

It all points to a stronger season on and off the field.

Loveluck was an assistant coach at Hobart Hurricanes and head coach of New Town in Tasmania, while he was also head coach of Victorian Premier Cricket club Camberwell.

He will look to build the club for the present and future as high performance Manager and head of academies.

“The goal is to produce players to play for Victoria and Australia,” Loveluck said.

“The club is heavily invested in participation and growing the junior section and I think there’s a big need to get high-end coaches back to the grassroots level.

“I thought I would jump in and help out the junior program to try and set it up from a training perspective.

“Our goal is to be a destination club and we want to be known for developing players for Premier and the next level if we can.”

While Loveluck will have one eye on the next generation, he’ll also play an important role in this season’s First XI.

Ivanhoe won three games last season, an strong improvement on a winless 2022-23 campaign.

While the club has farewelled leading run-scorer Mark Donegan, it has recruited strongly to continue its rise up the ladder.

Former First XI captain Troy Haynes returns after a season at North group rival Plenty Valley, while Alex Pannell is back from a year with Carlton.

The club has also signed opening bat Rishabh Nagpal and Sid Bhardwaj from Northcote.

Donegan was the only Ivanhoe bat in the VSDCA North-West top-50 run-scorers last season with 394 runs but the club unearthed two exciting bowling prospects in Ed Whittington and Jon Kuch.

Whittington claimed 28 wickets, while Kuch snared 19, and both were nominated for the Anthony Gale Medal as the Subbies’ rising star.

Lovelock is excited to see where the club can go this season under second-year coach Henry Tyler.

“Obviously assisting Henry, I’m pretty excited to work with him considering his international experience and he’s an aspiring young coach,” he said.

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“I’m excited to where he can take the club and he’s created a really good list with six new players into the squad.”

Lovelock revealed the club has signed an international import but was waiting for him to arrive in Australia before confirming.

The club has also been working with the Watsonia Baseball Club to help develop it’s hitting and fielding techniques.

Ivanhoe will kick off the new North-East season away to Croydon in a two-day match starting on October 5.