Burnside Heights has taken the first steps to climbing the Essendon District Football League ladder with the appointment of Tahan Rafihi as senior coach.
Rafihi replaces the Bears’ inaugural coach, Shane Rayment, who stepped down at the end of the club’s first season in the league.
Rafihi crossed over from rival club Roxburgh Park, where he coached the Magpies’ under-18 side to last season’s grand final.
Rafihi said he was looking forward to taking on a new challenge with the Bears.
“It’s exciting when you see a young club that’s really keen on development,” he said.
“There’s a lot of excitement in developing a club and, hopefully, making it a successful club.
“I like to help kids work through all the negatives and turn them into positives. That’s the way I go about things.
“It’s a great challenge and I’m looking forward to it.”
It was a tough first season of senior football for Burnside Heights, which won two of 16 games – both against East Sunbury – and finished seventh on the division 2 ladder.
But it isn’t just the club’s senior side which Rafihi is keen on working with.
“I see my role being from seniors all the way down to the juniors and under-8s,” he said. “I want to work with those coaches, attend junior coaching sessions and watch the juniors play.
“It’s about teaching them and making it a really family-orientated club and making these kids want to stay at Burnside and play their senior football there. That’s where the club will be successful in the future.”
In other news out of the Bears, Chris Metcher ensured his place in the club’s history books, winning Burnside’s first senior B&F award.
Adam van Kuyk was named the reserves best and fairest, while Jayden Farrugia took out the under-18 award.
