Ocean Grove co-coach Nick Bourke says his resilience was tested over a challenging start to the BFNL season

After a pair of injuries which had kept him sidelined, and the disappinting results continued to pile up, a BFNL co-coach has admitted the mid-season break came at the perfect time.

Ocean Grove’s Kye Annand with Arlee Bennett at the BFNL’s Ash Medal count. Picture: Brad Fleet

The BFNL mid-season break came at just the right time for Ocean Grove co-coach Nick Bourke, providing a crucial mental and physical refresh after a challenging start to the year.

Bourke had missed a good chunk of the pre-season with an Achilles issue and played Round 1 in the reserves to get some run in the legs but ended up popping a shoulder out.

Meanwhile, the senior Grubbers began the season strongly, downing a top five team from last year in Modewarre by 20 points at Mount Moriac Reserve.

However, Ocean Grove would drop its next five games — kept goalless in opening quarters against Anglesea and Newcomb and in the final term against Barwon Heads before the May break.

And then there was the Grubbers’ worst result for the year, kept to just two behinds by three quarter time against Queenscliff in Round 5.

Nick Bourke joined the Grubbers as a playing coach in September, 2023. Picture: Supplied

With a serious lack of four quarter performances, and Bourke unable to get onto the park to chip in, he admitted to this masthead he “wasn’t there” mentally at times.

“I wasn’t as coaching as well as I would have liked ... I was probably getting a bit frustrated with myself and my body because I just want to be out there and help the group,” Bourke said.

“It certainly was a struggle which is why I’m really looking forward to getting out there this week (against Geelong Amateur).

“I felt like I just, mentally, wasn’t there as a coach. I felt like I didn’t have any impact at all.

Grubbers coach Nick Bourke said Brady Pritchard would return in the second half of the season following a complex back injury.

“For a week there, I gave nothing on the ground and off the ground. I reset myself, and the bye came at a really good time for me to get a physical and mental reset.

“I wasn’t much value to anyone, I took a step away and realised, whether I’m coaching or playing, I need to do better.

“To see (the team— out there trying their hardest and not getting the results we want, it really was getting to me, I probably did struggle with it more than I thought I would.”

However, the good news is Bourke will return against the 5-1 Ammos on Saturday, while ruckman and captain Kye Annand – who has been kept to just three games this season across the Grubbers and Geelong’s VFL team – will put together back-to-back Bellarine matches for the first time.

“He’s as valuable for us as probably as any player on any list,” Bourke said of Annand.

“We’re really lucky to have him at our club.”

Meanwhile, big name recruit Taj Wyburd from Peel Thunder will be back in a few weeks, at best, following an ankle injury playing with the Cats against the GWS Giants on May 11.

“He’s been incredible for our group,” Bourke said of Wyburd.

Taj Wyburd with the 2024 WAFL premiership cup.

And Brady Pritchard, who led the Grubbers goalkicking in 2024 with 26 majors, is not expected to be seen until the second half of the season, with a complex back issue.

It’s a big loss with the Grubbers kicking more than 10 goals on just one occasion in 2025, and are the BFNL’s least offensive team for the second season running in terms of total points for.

However, Bourke said a Round 1 victory over the Warriors reflected where he thought his team was at in its development.

“From there, for multiple reasons, we haven’t quite maintained that form, we’re showing glimpses with a young list,” he said.

Bourke said Kye Annand was the club’s biggest asset. Picture: Alan Barber

“There’s definitely signs we’re heading in the right direction, we’ve got to start putting it together for four quarters against the good sides.

“With a young list there’s going to be ups and downs and ebbs and flows, we feel like our best is really good and our worst, there’s a lot of room for improvement.

“We’re having lapses for a little bit too long, and there’s some quality teams out there and quality players, they’re able to cut us up.

“With the quality of the league now, it doesn’t take long for a team to pile on a few goals.

“We can compete against the best, (but) you can’t allow yourself as a group to drop off whether it’s mentally or away from the game plan and allow teams to get a run on.”

Originally published as Ocean Grove co-coach Nick Bourke says his resilience was tested over a challenging start to the BFNL season