WERRIBEE Centrals have gone ‘back to the future’ to find their new coach in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.
The Centurions cut short their experiment with an overseas coach last summer and held discussions with former player-coach Phil Crea about a return to Shaws Road.
Crea, who coached Grand United in the Williamstown and District Cricket Association A1 turf last season, agreed to a challenge to restore enthusiasm and structure back to the club.
Centurions president Alan Harper said he could not happier with the appointment.
“When he was at the club, it was a good place to be,” he said. “He’s a good coach, demands respect and he’s not shy to tell you how it is.
“It’s black and white with him, if he’s not happy with something, he’ll tell you. That’s what we needed back at the club.”
Crea will return as a playing coach. Some might say he’s a bit long in the tooth in his 40s, but Harper believes he’ll have plenty to offer in the playing side of his role.
“He leads by example. He’s a pretty solid bat and when he comes on to bowl, he gets through the overs pretty quick and gets the odd important wicket.”
Crea’s first stint as captain-coach was for six years. He will have his work cut out trying to rebuild a first XI that has fallen so dramatically since his departure.
The first priority for the Centurions is to inject a bit of life into a batting order that was miserable last summer.
They have high hopes for new recruits Baktash Asif, a 26-year-old opening bat, and Mojtaba Jabar, a 20-year-old middle-order batsman, and talks continue with a number of other recruits.
The Centurions are likely to regain the services of exciting left arm speedster Sam Crea after a summer with Footscray Edgewater in Premier Cricket.
