Premier Cricket: Trent Johnston takes over as coach at Greenvale Kangaroos

Trent Johnston will steer fledgling Premier Cricket outfit Greenvale Kangaroos next season, taking over from Matthew Love.

Trent Johnston during his international career. Picture: Ian Jacobs/Getty Images

Former Ireland captain Trent Johnston will coach fledgling Premier Cricket outfit Greenvale Kangaroos next season.

The 44-year-old was the club’s director of coaching this season and takes over from Matthew Love, who is set to relocate to country Victoria after his wife was offered a business opportunity in Camperdown.

Greenvale finished in 17th position with three wins in 2018-19 but did display encouraging signs, giving it confidence it is on the right track.

PREMIER CRICKET: SWANS BOOST BOWLING STOCKS

PREMIER CRICKET: EX-TEST GREAT BACKING CARLTON IN DECIDER

PREMIER CRICKET: DANIEL SARTORI ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

PREMIER CRICKET: SAM TAYLOR CALLS TIME ON CAREER

PREMIER CRICKET: TWO-TIME PREMIERSHIP PAIR WEIGH UP FUTURES

Johnston steered NSW for three years and worked alongside director of cricket Peter Di Venuto this season as the Kangaroos put steps in place to lay a platform for success.

Whispers around that former NSW coach Trent Johnston will soon be appointed to the head role at @vicpremcricket club Greenvale Kangaroos. They’re building nicely, the Kangas.

— Paul Amy (@PaulAmy375) April 2, 2019

“He (Johnston) loves coaching, loves educating and loves teaching,” Di Venuto said.

“I think it’s perfect for the environment we’ve had. We’ve both had 12 months of being able to just offer advice and be part of the club.

“We’ve got a really good foundation. The club was so much more competitive in games this year with a very similar sort of list in some respects.

“But what we lack at the end of the day is true quality. We don’t have the players other clubs have.”

Trent Johnston celebrates a World Cup victory in 2007.

Greenvale has wasted little time making moves to strengthen its list and is hoping to take advantage of Johnston’s interstate connections.

Di Venuto said the club needed to secure six First XI players to make significant progress.

He cited a lack of pressure for spots through the four Premier teams and said 70 per cent of the squad were playing “a grade above themselves”.

“We’ve been talking to a number of players through the whole season — from local players, to Premier players, to interstate players — with the view of boosting the list, providing opportunity and creating a pathway for people to play Premier Cricket an above,” Di Venuto said.

Johnston represented Ireland 97 times in one-day and Twenty20 internationals over an eight-year career at the top level.

Matthew Love spent one season at Greenvale. Picture: Hamish Blair

Di Venuto is confident the Kangaroos have enormous upside and pointed to their top-quality facilities, which he said “would be in the top half-dozen of clubs in Australia”.

He added the club was “very fortunate to have Trent”.

“He just wants to get back into actual coaching,” Di Venuto said.

“The hardest level to coach is Premier level, there’s no doubt about that.

“That’s why I think it’s always good for people to have had a strong Premier background before they move into doing higher-level coaching, even if they’ve got the expertise.

“I just think (Greenvale) can become a very strong, powerful club and I think it can become one of Cricket Victoria’s hubs.”