Taylors Lakes will tackle the coming Victorian Turf Cricket season with a whole new look.
With Adam Brodie stepping down as head coach, the Lions will look instead to a coaching panel, headed by Kris McMullin, in its bid to go deep into the VTCA north A1 finals.
The Lions have also appointed two assistant coaches and a chairman of selectors.
Luke Harrison will captain the first XI.
Taylors Lakes president Rob Arnold said the changes were designed to spread the workload.
“We’ve identified that we’re a very big club and the job is too big for one person,” he said. “We needed to have a better support network.
“We’ve also found that this particular group of people have over 900 games of experience and have won 30 premierships across their careers.
“It’s something that a single coach couldn’t bring to the table for us.”
Taylors Lakes has strengthened its batting stocks with key signings joining from Penleigh and Essendon Grammar.
Adam Dudderidge and Mark McLachlan have both crossed over from PEGS and will take up positions in the Lions’ top order.
Dudderidge scored 293 runs last season, while McLachlan scored 184.
“Our biggest problem last year was occupying the crease for the full 80 overs,” Arnold said.
“Adam and Mark have a long history of being first XI players and we’re excited to have them at the club.”
Taylors Lakes is hoping experienced opening batsman Michael Brne will return. Brne has been weighing up retirement after a stellar career at the Lions.
While the club has reshaped its top order, bowling changes were not so pressing. The Lions were one of the best bowling teams in the north A1 competition last season, almost making the finals. The team finished seventh – just a win away from second spot.
“We lost a couple of critical games during the year which left us behind the eight-ball,” Arnold said.
“The thing that stood out for us was [that] in the last game of the season we knocked off the eventual premiers. That showed us that we’re capable of matching it with those top sides.”
