New Greenvale Kangaroos coach Matthew Love is excited about returning to Victorian Premier Cricket.
Love, who played at Footscray for several years and a couple of seasons with North Melbourne before they merged with Greenvale, was announced as the Kangaroos’ new coach Saturday.
Love, who has been coach at Yarraville in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association in recent few years, said the opportunity to coach the Kangaroos was one he couldn’t turn down.
“I wasn’t overly looking at positions at premier level,” he said.
“They got in contact with me and I went through the thought process about taking it. The more I thought about it the more excited I was about it.”
Love, who captained Footscray for three years, said he didn’t think it would take long for him to get back into the premier system.
He said one of the motivating factors for him taking on the role was the youth of Kangaroo playing group.
He said he knew it would be a tough, with the Kangaroos sitting towards the bottom of the table for a number of years.
“The results the last couple of years haven’t been what the club would have liked or expected,” he said.
“I wanted to get involved and try and develop the younger players and improve the playing group that we already have.
“We’d like to try and get in a player or two, as well – every club looks to improve by bringing in players – while maintaining an already talented group of young players.”
Love said that former coach Jarrod Leggett looking set to stay on a player would be a big bonus for the cub.
He said one of his main focuses early on would be getting to know the leadership group.
Love said he would be a playing-coach, adding another experienced batsmen to the top order.
Love averaged nearly 48 runs with the bat in the most recent VSDCA season, having averaged 61 the season before.
He finished third in the Val Holten Medal for the VSDCA’s best player in the 2017-18 season, four votes behind the joint winners.
He was also named in the VSDCA team of the year.
“My form the last couple of years has been solid,” Love said. “Age is just a number and I’m excited to keep the spikes on.
“It’s a bit of a fairytale story as it’s been a few years I’ve been out of the premier scene.
“I think it will benefit the players, me being on the field trying to develop and teach them.
“I’m really excited and starting to plan pre-season already.”
