Mitch Johnstone left a five-year deal on the table at former club Roxburgh Park-Broadmeadows to join Werribee as coach for the next three seasons in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.
Johnstone would not have considered signing with the Tigers if he was not confident in the direction the club is taking. The ambitious Tigers want to be part of elite Premier Cricket if it expands to 20 teams, as mooted.
And Johnstone wants to be at the forefront of the club’s push.
The potential of leading the Tigers in Victoria’s top flight cricket competition was too big to pass up – even if the club’s move is a long way from reality.
“Premier Cricket was a lure to me,” said Johnstone, who played in that competition with Essendon before a coaching move to Roxburgh Park-Broadmeadows.
“I’ve done a fair bit of due diligence, speaking with Cricket Victoria and people at Werribee and confidants who I really trust and speak to regularly,” Johnstone told Star Weekly.
“It certainly wasn’t a decision based on a whim; it was based on a lot of conversation, discussion and research.
“I’m really confident the council is right behind this. Cricket Victoria wants it to happen and, most importantly, Werribee Cricket Club is right behind the push for Premier Cricket, so you’ve got those three forces combining.”
Johnstone has not lost sight of the short term.
The Tigers were disappointing last season, missing out on the top six after most predicted it would challenge for the flag.
Johnstone wants to bring finals cricket back to the cage. He will play a key role onfield, working as the captain-coach and off-spinner.
“The immediate focus is sub-district first XI finals and club championship success as well,” Johnstone said.
“We’ll be going full steam ahead next season and that senior group really has to get back to their winning ways.
“The top five or six senior players are as good as any in the competition, I believe, and there’s some kids coming through as well, so there’s no excuses in terms of what we put out on a Saturday afternoon.
“It’s really exciting to have good playing resources at my disposal and we’ll look to add to that in the next few weeks.”
