By Tara Murray
Melton has turned to Josh Burns to lead it’s A-grade netball side into next year’s Ballarat Netball League season.
Burns, who will take the coaching reigns for the first time, isn’t a stranger to the Bloods having been involved in the netball side of things this year.
Burns said he had always wanted to coach and thought this would be a good opportunity.
“I umpired for them last season,” he said. “I thought I would apply to coach them next year.
“I had always wanted to coach, but I had never had the time.”
While he may never have coached before, Burns has an extensive playing record.
He first made a state team at the age of 12 and played at a number of national championships.
Burns also made four Australian teams, both indoor and full court netball, the most recent the under-23 men’s team three years ago.
He currently plays in the M-League, the top men’s and mixed competition in the state.
Burns said some of the coaches who had coached him in the past, had given him some idea of what to expect.
“I’ve had a lot of coaching mentors in my life,” he said. “They know the right routines and the recipe needed to succeed.
“I’ve had a lot of elite coaches like Marg Lind and Nicole Richardson [current City West Falcons coaches] who have been huge on my career.
“I’ve joined some Falcons training sessions from a young age. They are very big on structure and footwork and it’s a real technical game with Marg.
“Another is Geoff Taylor, who has moulded a lot of the top male players in Australia.”
Since his appointment, Burns said a number of friends had touched base in regards to trialling and joining Melton next season.
He said he was hoping to add some experience around the young Bloods team.
The Bloods finished eighth this year.
“There is a lot of young Bloods coming through and I’m really excited about that.
We want to help continuing to bring them through.
“We will need to get the young players to mesh with the older players.”
A defender himself, Burns said structuring up better in defence was one area that he would work on.
The Bloods conceded the second most goals in the competition. “I have a vision how we want to play,” he said.
“I will be implementing it and hopefully it will become natural and second nature.”
The Bloods will have netball trials on December 5 and 12 from 6pm.
