Strathmore announces new coaching panel, premiership hero to captain-coach
VSDCA club Strathmore has lured club great Chris Williams back from Essendon to captain-coach the club and added some key pieces around him.
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Strathmore has lured a club great back as captain-coach for 2024-25.
Premiership hero Chris Williams has returned to Lebanon Reserve after two seasons with Premier Cricket club Essendon.
The star batter has been named captain-coach with the club appointing Janaka Siriwardana and Beau Carey as co-coach and assistant coach.
He takes the reins from premiership teammate Justin Bramble.
Williams was a key member of the Mores’ VTCA Senior Division premiership in 2018-19 as well as the VSDCA North-South grand final team in the club’s maiden Subbies’ season.
President Ash Martin said it was perfect timing for club and player.
“There was a huge groundswell of support to get Chris back,” Martin said.
“He was deciding whether his time in Premier had come to an end, he decided it was, and was very keen to come back.
“I would say we’ve had more interaction with him in terms of forward planning than we had with the previous coach in the previous 12 months.
“That’s drawn back a couple of other coaches as well, who are both ex-players at the club.”
Williams played 11 First XI matches for the Bombers this season, scoring 160 runs at an average of 17.78.
The previous season, his first at Windy Hill, he showcased his class with 550 runs in 18 matches across the First and Second XIs at 36.67.
In his last season at Strathmore, 2021-22, he amassed 617 runs at 34.28, with five half-centuries.
Williams will immediately boost a Mores team that finished last in the North-West group this season.
The club ranked 17th in runs this season and a long way last for wickets, the only club not to reach 100.
“He’s a gun bat, a high-paced bat, so everyone is excited to see him back on the field,” Martin said.
“Off the field, he’s got fantastic qualities, he works at Cricket Victoria and is involved in the Victoria under-19s, so he’s got the disciplines of coaching already.
“He’s very level-headed and a amiable sort of bloke, so he’s very popular in the clubroom.”
A last-minute coaching search last season saw Strathmore appoint Bramble as captain-coach.
Martin admitted he was left with too much responsibility and the club was keen to surround Williams with more support.
Siriwardana returns from Greenvale Kangaroos, while Carey has coached VTCA club Royal Park-Brunswick for the past two seasons.
“Janaka only left for Greenvale last year, so he’s come back, and he’s going to co-ordinate our Craig Shield,” Martin said.
“He’s a really strong coach, he’s got all the credentials you want, organised and experienced, so it’s great to get him back.
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“He’ll be the off-field coach and look after the other XIs, which is something we really lacked last year.
“The same with Beau, his family has been involved with the club for 30 or 40 years.
“He’s played previously, spent time at Brunswick in Subbies and most recently at Royal Park, although he didn’t play last year.”
Martin forecast announcing several new recruits in the coming weeks.
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