Josh Warren appointed assistant coach to Damien Jones at Dederang-Mt Beauty

Warren has coached Ovens and King league club North Wangaratta since 2019 but was recently replaced by Steve Manning who is a non-playing coach.

Damien Jones will coach the Bombers for a fourth season with the club reaching finals last year for the first time since 2013.

Warren said he thoroughly enjoyed his first foray into coaching and was looking forward to using his experience to help the Bombers remain a finals force.

"A lot of people at the time told me I was crazy to take the job at North Wangaratta but I really loved the challenge," Warren said.

"I can't speak highly enough of the club who took a chance on a rookie coach.

"Being a football coach is a lot different from cricket.

"I found that you have to be a lot more sympathetic in regards to all the excuses why blokes can't train.

"You also have to be a life coach and psychiatrist all rolled into one.

"But I wouldn't change a thing and have made some lifelong friends at the club and I hope they can go well this season."

Warren is coming off an injury-riddled season after he suffered a broken jaw and broken collarbone.

The injuries restricted him to just seven matches for 21 goals.

"I didn't get to play as much footy as I would have liked," he said.

"But heading back to the Tallangatta league is an exciting challenge and Dederang is a club that is going places.

"I feel my best is definitely good enough to provide a focal point but I just need to do the work to get back fit and firing.

"I've just got to get that confidence back in my body."

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The Bombers lost some class over the off-season with the departures of Elliott Powell alongside Nick Hynes and Joel Heiner.

However, Warren said internally the Bombers feel finals remains a realistic goal.

"I was speaking to DJ (Jones) and you can't dwell on the losses and it's more a mentality of one soldier out and another one in," he said.

"Powell will leave a gaping hole though because he was a class above in the TDFL."

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