He replaces Trent Ball, who the Hoppers decided not to reappoint after one season at the helm.

Jaensch, 26, has spent three seasons with Wodonga Saints under Terry Burgess and plays mainly as a key forward, but also has the ability to rotate through the midfield.

He has already signed several Saints’ teammates, including the Lieschke brothers, Craig, Josh and Chris, Drew Cameron and Jayden Holt.

Mitta United tagger Ethan O’Donnell has also joined the Hoppers alongside Mt Eliza recruit Aaron Williams.

Jaensch said one of his first priorities was to provide Walla with some much-needed stability after the club had been forced to change coaches for the past three seasons due to extenuating circumstances.

“I suppose coaching jobs don’t come much tougher than the club on a 22-match losing streak,” Jaensch said.

“But the club has had to deal with its fair share of unforeseen issues and a lot will change over the off-season.

“I want to build a good culture — and that’s not saying the culture has been bad in the past.

“But from all reports training wasn’t up to scratch last year and the enjoyment factor wasn’t there.

“So I want to bring the enjoyment back, change the culture, enjoy training, enjoy each other’s company and hopefully get things heading on an upward spiral again.”

Jaensch said there was no quick solution to the club’s plight, with Walla last having played finals in 2003.

“Just to minimise the difference between for and against, that will be the first goal,” he said.

“Forget about wins and losses for the moment.

“Let’s gain some respect back from the community and the rest of the competition.

“That’s why I signed for two years and all the recruits I target will be relatively young and hopefully hang around the club for years to come as we try and build some success.

“We have already landed some handy recruits to get the ball rolling.

“I’m just grateful for the opportunity and excited by the challenge.”