Esteemed coach Bryan Thomas unveiled as new Grovedale mentor
A popular cricket coach has sensationally signed as senior mentor with a GCA1 outfit just 24 hours after announcing he’d left a BPCA club as coach.
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Outgoing Anglesea premiership coach Bryan Thomas has sensationally signed with Grovedale as senior mentor just 24 hours after announcing on social media he had departed the Roos.
Thomas guided Anglesea to three consecutive A1 triumphs from 2020-21, plus a grand final appearance and then a losing semi on Sunday against Barwon Heads.
However, he was unveiled on Tuesday night as the new head coach of Grovedale with star batter Jordan Moran his assistant.
Thomas told this masthead he was warmly embraced at training.
“I’ve never had a greeting like that for a while,” Thomas said.
“I had old blokes coming onto the ground, coaches, the exes met me there and the players came over, big ‘Coutta’ picked me up and cuddled me, I’m rapt to be back there.
“It is a real community club ... a big family club.
“When I was playing against them years ago, they won a premiership with eleven of their own, eleven local Grovedale people, I don’t think that will be done again.
“I get off on that stuff, when they start building within themselves.”
Thomas said would be a case of “unfinished business” at the Tigers in 2025-26, putting in place plans that were initially drawn up by he, Simon Pearce and Moran when he was last at Burdoo Recreation Reserve.
Thomas, a ferocious fast bowler in his day who currently works in the disability sector, spent two decades with the Barwon Rockets and 24 years with St Joseph’s junior and senior teams, plus a stint at Newtown & Chilwell, steering them back into finals.
Thomas was effectively headhunted by Grovedale premiership captain Barry Tsitas.
Grovedale would lose the first grade grand final to East Belmont by 111 runs in his maiden season.
However, Thomas would depart the club after a solitary campaign after a strained relationship with one of its players.
“At the end of the season there was a bit of political stuff, I’ll put my hand up every time, I just don’t do the political stuff really well,” Thomas said.
“If there’s political stuff going on at a club I usually pop out the back door.
“I had a ball (at Grovedale), we had some structures in place.
“I’m now back, the big one was, Simon Pearce, ‘Jordy’ and myself had a plan how we were going to coach the club.
“They’ve been wanting to do that plan for the last five years. Now we can do what we said we were going to do five years ago.”
Bryan Thomas steps down as Anglesea coach
Revered BPCA coach Bryan Thomas has stepped down from his role of senior mentor at the Anglesea Cricket Club, just a day after the Roos lost an A1 semi-final to Barwon Heads.
Thomas, who guided the Roos to a threepeat in A1, and a B Grade flag in 2022-23, “mutually agreed” with the club to step down.
The Seagulls denied the Roos’ quest for five consecutive first grade flags 12 months ago.
In an online statement on Monday night, the club said Thomas had also played an important role in establishing its women’s program.
Thomas told this masthead he was proud of his achievements at the Roos.
“I enjoyed my time immensely, met a lot of good people, the township has been sensational, it’s a township club,” Thomas said.
“I did enjoy the community side of things.”
However, Thomas is expected to maintain his role of director of coaching at Corio next season.
More to come.
Originally published as Esteemed coach Bryan Thomas unveiled as new Grovedale mentor
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