Maffra champion Adrian Burgiel ready for coaching debut at Moe

THIS year, like every other year for the past decade, Adrian Burgiel will take his place in the forward line in Round 1 at the Maffra Football Ground.

Now or never: New Moe Football Club coach Adrian Burgiel is ready to coach against his ol

THIS season, like every other for the past decade, Adrian Burgiel will take his place in the forward line in Round 1 at the Maffra Football Ground.

But he won’t be wearing the Maffra jumper.

After five senior premierships, more than 600 goals and about 180 senior games, ­Burgiel has left the Eagles’ nest to become senior coach at Gippsland league rival Moe.

The deal was inked in ­Oct­ober, just a few weeks after Moe had collected its second ­wooden spoon in as many ­seasons.

“I told Ben Batalha, the (Maffra) captain, first and that was during a night of drinking, so I think he wanted to belt me,” Burgiel admitted.

“Then I rang a couple of others on the committee and texted about 20 mates before it went public. A few blokes thought I was joking.”

Burgiel’s move to the Lions was prompted by his boss at Steeline Traralgon, Brett ­Morrow, who is vice-president at Moe.

“So it kind of came through work first and then (Gippsland racing identity) Manny Gelagotis said if I got on board, he would take over the presidency and try to run the club from the top down.

“That started the ball ­rolling.”

Burgiel said his ambition to coach — after watching his brother Hayden coach Maffra to two premierships — had helped seal the deal.

And at the age of 33, he said it was now or never if he wanted to be a playing coach.

“I wanted to have a crack at coaching and I just didn't think I was the right man for ­Maffra,” he said.

“I think they needed to change from playing to non-playing and (returning Maffra coach) Wayne Butcher obviously has a good record.

“When the Moe job came up, that’s why I looked at it more than ­anything that’s come up in the past.”

Burgiel said he had

fielded offers from clubs in lower ­leagues but was keen to continue playing at the highest standard he could for as long as possible, even if that meant coaching against Maffra.

“It was definitely tough leaving Maffra, I’ve spent most of my senior footy career there,” he said.

“But I’ve started to doubt myself in the past year or two; I feel like I’m holding a few young blokes back.

“(Key forward) Daniel Bedggood, for example, he seemed to be playing good footy when I wasn’t playing, then I’d play and he’d struggle a bit.

“I came to the conclusion that it was time for me to give someone else a crack and the footy club might be able to go in a different direction.”

Burgiel, who spent two years on Richmond’s list in 2000 and 2001 after a year with Vermont in the Eastern Football League, said there had been no animosity from his former teammates since he announced his departure.

“It’s been unbelievable,” he said. “Every person I’ve run into — past players, the committee, teammates — not one of them has bagged me.

“A lot of people have actually been wishing me luck.”

But he said the real test would come in Round 1, when his new-look Moe team takes the field at Maffra.

And he has his work cut out. The Lions have won only four games in the past two seasons, including one win last year, and their last senior premiership was in 1967.

The club’s last finals match was in 2009, when it was trounced by Maffra by eight goals in the preliminary final.

In 2012, the Lions were forced to defend their position in the Gippsland league after holding talks with Mid Gippsland league officials about a possible transfer.

Last year, Moe fell 12 goals short of the Eagles in Round 1 and 15 goals short in the return bout in Round 10.

But Burgiel’s arrival and a new-look committee has ­fuelled the Lions’ recruiting campaign.

Tom Long, who played six games for Moe last year while trying his hand at VFL football, will play a full season.

Full-back Kane Airdrie, who spent 2011-12 at Moe before returning to his home club of Beaconsfield last year, will again make the trip down the highway.

He will be joined by brothers Nick and Lloyd Williams.

Nick, a midfielder, has spent recent seasons with Noble Park in the Eastern Football League, while Lloyd, who will play half-back, returns to Victoria after a stint working in the West Australian mines.

“They move very well, the (Williams) boys, they’re very good players,” Burgiel said.

“We’ve also recruited a ­couple of guys from (Mid Gippsland club) Trafalgar, who will give us some depth.

“That was the problem with Moe last year, they just had no depth.”

Burgiel said last year’s grand finalists Morwell and Sale were again the teams to beat but “if we can sneak into the ­finals I’d be absolutely stoked”.

“We’re probably a year away from being a top side.

“But I think if we can really consolidate this year, keep our squad together for next year and maybe recruit a couple more, anything is possible.”