Premier Cricket: Brad Loveluck appointed new coach of Camberwell Magpies

CAMBERWELL Magpies have again dipped into the Tasmanian well to appoint their new coach, with the Premier Cricket club’s new mentor coming from the Apple Isle.

New Camberwell Magpies coach Brad Loveluck. Picture: Valeriu Campan

CAMBERWELL Magpies have again looked to the Apple Isle to appoint their new coach.

Brad Loveluck has been named as the Premier Cricket club’s new coach, replacing former Tasmanian Sheffield Shield quick Brendan Drew.

In a further boost for Camberwell, former Magpie Andrew Fekete, who played in this summer’s Sheffield Shield final, will return to the Sports Ground as an assistant coach in 2018-19 after 33 first class games.

At just 30, Tasmanian Loveluck has tucked away his whites after more than 200 First XI games and invested his energy into coaching.

He is already a Level 3 Cricket Australia high performance coach and has overseen the resurgence of Tasmanian Premier club New Town for the past five years and worked in the state’s talent pathways.

Andrew Fekete sends one down for Camberwell in 2011.

“I see there is a big opportunity in coaching if I work really hard at it and I’d like to coach in a high performance area at some stage,” Loveluck said.

“I’m happy to be on the journey and take it wherever it takes me ... I’d just like to have a lot of success at Camberwell and if there are opportunities that pop up down the track that would be fantastic.”

Loveluck pointed to the depth in Camberwell’s lower grades, desire to “develop the next big-name player in Victoria” and ambition to deliver the Magpies their first flag since 1987-88 as reasons for taking the position.

“I keep my messages very simple, I don’t like to complicate things and I’m pretty big on building good culture within a group and allowing players to feel free to play their role,” he said.

“If we keep it simple and make sure our plans are very simple, there’s no reason why we can’t push for top spot.”

President Barry Russ said Loveluck was the standout candidate for the position.

“He’s a very personable, driven young man, he has been in the coaching caper for five or six years now already,” Russ said.

“He’s had success being able pull New Town up from what was regarded as a very ordinary club across the board in their competition to now being very highly regarded.

“He’s got a real desire to take his coaching as high as he can get.”