MPCA: Mornington appoints Rob Parker as senior coach

Darren Berry’s two-year reign as coach of Mornington in the MPCA is over, with the Bulldogs appointing a new coach.

Darren Berry watching Mornington this season. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Mornington will go into MPCA Peninsula division next season with a new coach.

Rob Parker has taken on the role vacated by Darren Berry.

Mornington will drop down a grade after being relegated from Provincial for the first time in its long history.

Club president Lee Garnett said the Bulldogs were looking forward to the future and Parker was the ideal man to steer the club.

“He says it how it is, he’s as honest as the day is long and he gets on with the job,” Garnett said of Parker, who was club vice-president this season.

“There’s no bullsh.. about him, which I really like.”

New Mornington coach Rob Parker. Picture: Mornington CC

Parker, whose son Charlie is Mornington’s wicketkeeper, was involved in the Bulldogs’ junior program for many years and coached many of the club’s senior players as youngsters.

“He knows a lot of these lads inside and out, he’s coached them up through the juniors and he’s pretty much been alongside the senior coaches the last five years, Matt Foon, David Longhurst and obviously Chuck (Berry), so it’s just a natural progression I think for him to step into the role,” Garnett said.

Garnett said Mornington’s season was disappointing but the club was well placed off the field and determined to bounce back next season.

“I’m upbeat and positive about it all because that’s where we are at the moment, we’ve won eight senior games in two years,” he said.

“I don’t want to stay up there (in Provincial) if we’re going to struggle again next year and win two or three games and be in the same situation. So maybe it is a slap across the face we need to go down and rebuild.

“I know it’s the first time in the club’s history...but I don’t really care about that, as long as we’re out there playing cricket and staying together as a club, that’s my main concern.

“It’s onwards and upwards, I’m looking forward, not back.”

Garnett said Berry made the decision to resign three weeks before the end of the season.

He coached out the season and made a shock playing comeback in the last round in a belated attempt to stave off relegation.

“Darren, in no way, shape or form, decided to step down because of where the club was at at the end of the year,” Garnett said.

“That was decided on weeks before.”

Garnett said star player Ben Clements, who flew down from Queensland to play this season, was unlikely to play for Mornington next season.