TRIPLE Lavington best and fairest winner Kade Stevens has been appointed coach of Brocklesby-Burrumbuttock.
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In one of the recruiting coups of the past decade, Stevens, 34, will be joined at the Hume league club by his good friend and Panther teammate Justin Koschitzke.
Stevens’ father, Mark, coached Brocklesby for four seasons in the 1990s and his sisters, Kristy, Nikki and Tyla, have played netball at the club.
“I can’t wait,” Stevens said of his two-year signing.
“Coaching is something I have always wanted to do and getting the opportunity to coach at a club where I already know the community really well is fantastic.
“At the end of the day I don’t think I could coach anywhere else but Lavington or Brock-Brrum.
“It was extremely hard letting my Lavington teammates and the committee know as I have formed a lot of life-long friendships.
“Unfortunately we can’t play footy forever though.
“There are times when you need to make change and I think this is an exciting change moving forward.”
Stevens debuted for Lavington in 1999 and went on to play 240 matches in a decorated Ovens and Murray career.
He was a member of the Panthers’ 2001 and 2005 premiership teams.
Brock-Burrum president Steve Koschitzke said the Saints were thrilled to sign Stevens and Luke Brauer as his assistant.
“We couldn’t be happier to get ‘Stevo’ as our new coach,” Koschitzke said.
“He has strong family ties at our club and it’s great to get another quality person involved.
“He wanted to coach but found it really hard to leave Lavington.”
Mark Stevens was the last coach to lead Brocklesby into the finals in 1995 before the Roos merged.