General News
4 October, 2023
Bears grunt early - Laird steps down but stays as player
LODDON Valley league finalists Bears Lagoon Serpentine and Bridgewater will have new fire power next season. The Bears this week announced Justin Laird had stepped down as coach - but remains as a player - after two season leading the Janiember Park...
LODDON Valley league finalists Bears Lagoon Serpentine and Bridgewater will have new fire power next season.
The Bears this week announced Justin Laird had stepped down as coach - but remains as a player - after two season leading the Janiember Park club.
They have recruited seasoned Bendigo league player Jake Wilkinson.
And Bridgewater on Tuesday confirmed it would have joint coaches in 2024 with the signing of one central Victoria’s most credentialled current players.
With four premierships, a Michelsen Medal and three Ron Best Medals as the Bendigo league’s leading goalkicker, Lachlan Sharp will switch to the Mean Machine after more than a decade at Strathfieldsaye.
And making a return to Loddon Valley football will be ruckman Nathan Twigg who has opted to be back with Bears Lagoon Serpentine after two seasons with Boort in the North Central league.
Twigg was a major presence in the Pies early season successes before injury hit the team, including their key big man who did not play after taking a heavy knock in round 10.
He had been named in Boort’s best in seven of nine games player and polled well early in the league’s Feeny Medal count.
The Bears said new coach Wilkinson had the “ability to act as the general down back and agility to run off his opponents and turn defence into attack will see him take the LVFNL by storm”.
Wilkinson spent five years with Sandhurst, this season alternating between and reserves where he was part of the Dragons’ reserve flag side.
He has previously played for Numurkah and Echuca.
Laird had taken Serpentine into the finals in his two seasons as coach, losing the elimination final to Bridgewater last year and bowing out in the preliminary final this season against Pyramid Hill.
Meanwhile, the Mean Machine’s recruitment of Sharp will see him share coaching duties with Justin Laird who enters a third season at Bridgewater.
Sharp and Wilkinson are the latest new coaches in Loddon Valley after Inglewood earlier this month appointed Fergus Payne.
Pyramid Hill has already re-appointed Nathan Fitzpatrick while Sam Gale and Daniel Smith will have a second season as co-coaches at Newbridge.