Tara Murray
Diggers Rest premiership captain Mitch Jensen will join premiership coach Jamie Lobb as co-coaches of the Burras next year.
The Riddell District Football League club announced on Sunday, the pair would share the coaching duties going forward. Lobb has coached the side since 2018, winning two premierships.
Lobb said it was a natural progression for the club and the pair to be co-coaches next season.
“It was floated towards the end of the season,” he said. “Mitch had back surgery and spent a lot of time on the side lines with me and he enjoyed it.
“It was a natural progression.”
Lobb said Jensen hadn’t really thought about coaching before, but the time on the side lines had changed that.
He said they chatted about the situation before Jensen returned from injury late in the season, with Jensen still keen to be involved when he was out injured.
Lobb said while some things will change there won’t be too much difference to what they did this season which resulted in a premiership.
“Training during the week will be structured a lot differently,” he said. “The main group respects him really highly.
“He might do a lot of the training before Christmas and it means I can miss a session if I have to.”
In the club’s announcement, the club said Jensen has a very decorated football playing career and even through injury, set the training and playing standards as the senior premiership captain in 2023.
“We know how much Mitch has to offer the playing group and we look forward to him joining Lobby at the helm in 2024,” it said
“Jamie and Mitch, along with the rest of the football department have been working feverishly to ensure the continued success of the club in 2024.”
Lobb said with clearances not opening to February there were still a lot of player movement happening across the league and other competitions.
He said they had signed a couple of new players for next season which they would announce in the coming weeks.
Premiership players Matthew Krul, Jaycob and Lachlan Hickey are all departing though. Krul has signed with East Sunbury, while the two Hickeys’ have returned to Melton.
The Burras have also announced the reappointment of Jeff Heritage as coach of the reserves side.
That side will be aiming for a third straight premiership next year.
