THE Western Jets searched extensively for a new coach in conjunction with AFL Victoria, but the whole time the right man was under their noses.
The Jets did not have to stray too far from home to find that their assistant coach of the past two seasons, Torin Baker, was the perfect fit for the position.
Baker, who only a fortnight ago played for Spotswood in a gut-wrenching one-point Western Region Football League division 1 grand final loss to the Altona Vikings, will replace long-time head coach Steven Kretiuk, who left after five years.
“We’re really, really pleased with the appointment,” Jets region manager Shane Sexton told the Weekly yesterday.
“It’s another point of view, another perspective and we expect him to do a really good job.”
The Jets were able to speed up the process because of the early notice Kretiuk gave. He told the club before the end of the season he intended to leave.
The club wasted no time advertising the position and working with AFL human resources to get a shortlist of suitable candidates.
Final interviews were last week and Baker got the nod on Monday.
His CV as a player and coach stacked up favourably. That he was involved with the Jets during the past four years in varying roles from fitness adviser to assistant coach at both under-16 and under-18 levels was a bonus.
“Torin brings a fantastic football playing and coaching background,” Sexton said.
As a player, Baker is a hard-at-it onballer.
At his peak, he was playing with the Werribee Tigers in the Victorian Football League.
Originally from Geelong, he won a Mathieson Medal for best and fairest in the Geelong Football League, came runner-up in the Maskell Medal in the Hampden Football League and was best on ground in last year’s WRFL grand final when Spotswood overcame Albion.
Baker was a player-coach at Camperdown and playing assistant coach at St Joseph’s before making an impact with the Jets during the past four years.
He worked as the midfield coach this season after a year as defensive coach. Baker arrived at the Jets with a physical education teaching background.
Sexton is thrilled with the appointment, saying it would freshen up the club and give it a chance to open a new chapter.
He said the club was in good shape because of Kretiuk’s sustained hard work.
“In my time, we’ve had Leigh Tudor, Garry Hocking, albeit they lasted 12 months with us, Mark Neeld for three years and he’s now coach of Melbourne; Steven’s been here five years, but if you ran a line through win-loss ratios and our performances over the years, Steven ranks with all of those in terms of outcomes at the Jets.”
