BPCA premiers name new coach

Anglesea won the BPCA A1 Grade after going through the season undefeated.

REIGNING Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association (BPCA) premiers Anglesea recently announced Bryan Thomas will be their coach for the 2020/21 season.

With a wealth of experience coach in the Geelong Cricket Association (GCA), the former paceman said he was pleased to move away from the city to a more community minded environment.

“GCA roles are a job, this will have a bit more of a relaxed feel to it.”

Thomas said he admired how Anglesea have successfully transitioned their junior players into the first team.

“At the moment not enough clubs are putting time into young blokes. Promotion and relegation makes teams fearful.

“But Anglesea have done it and have won a premiership from it. It’s a good old-fashioned club.

“They’ve just got a group that are all mates, which is really great.”

Club president Brett Kerr said was confident Thomas would continue the club’s holistic approach.

“He’s going to teach our kids heaps, and he’ll teach the older blokes heaps too. He’s got a lot of experience playing with some very good cricketers.”

Thomas has some previous experience with a couple of Anglesea’s first team players. He coached fast bowler Dylan Taylor at Grovedale, and said he “loved” working with him.

Thomas also previously coached three-time Ray Menzies Medal winner Dale Kerr at the Barwon Rockets.

Kerr said he had been eager to coax Thomas to Anglesea for some time.

“I spoke to him for a few years to see if he would come down, because I know he’s got lots of knowledge for the game and is very experienced and very highly recommended around Geelong as a coach.”

Both Taylor and Kerr, along with opening batsman and captain Ned Cooper all looked set to leave the club prior to the coronavirus.

Taylor was set to spend several months overseas, while both Kerr and Cooper were weighing up a move to the GCA. Yet all three now seem set to stay.

Brett Kerr said having these players remain at the club in addition to having Thomson take over the reign was great news for Anglesea.

“It’s fantastic for the club. We’re rapt.”