Officially appointed as the Wickers coach, Lubeek has returned to the helm of the club and said he genuinely felt his playing group had what it took to go all the way in the CHFL.

Moving back from America to take up the coaching position, the Redan premiership star and North Ballarat Roosters player said it was a big but simple decision to move back home.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be back and to be honest, I’ve missed the boys,” he told The Courier.

“I wanted to be closer with my family as well, so it was an easy decision.”

Lubeek led Creswick in 2011 and 2012, when the Wickers finished 14th and 8th respectively.

He said he had not returned to the club to rebuild it; that did not need to happen.

Rather, Lubeek felt he had the troops at his disposal to make his side a feared unit in the CHFL, regardless of its resources compared to other clubs.

“I’m not making any bones about it, I’m going for the top four,” he said. “Spending time in America, you watch the sports there and it is not always the richest teams or the teams with the champion players that win.

“It’s about how well you work and combine as a team. 

“We’ve got players that are good enough to play high-level football, a lot of these kids have won premierships in junior footy, I’ve just got to get the game plan in place.”

Lubeek has assembled an experienced coaching panel to work with him.

Redan premiership player Adrian King, another former Redan player in Aaron Hepworth, past Creswick player Geoff Hepworth and Aaron Braeckmans from Cargnham-Linton will join him in his effort to get Creswick back into the finals.

The senior group started pre-season training last month, which Lubeek said had already showed positive numbers.

patrick.nolan@fairfaxmedia.com.au