Newly appointed coach Leigh Hutchinson wants Sebastopol to play finals in his first season in charge of the Ballarat Football League.
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Hutchinson, who has been signed for one year, indicated there was no point in pulling any punches when setting goals.
He said everyone worked to play finals and this was where Sebastopol wanted to be.
The Burra has not played finals since 2000, when it lost the grand final to Melton by eight points, and finished with the wooden spoon this year with just the one win.
Hutchinson makes the move to Marty Busch Reserve after three years as an assistant coach with the now disbanded North Ballarat Roosters in the VFL, where he looked after the backline.
His coaching experience also includes four years at the helm during a 10-year stay at Hopetoun in the Southern Mallee league, and a year as an assistant with Waubra in the CHFL.
Originally from Warracknabeal, with which he played in a Wimmera league premiership in 2002, Hutchinson first ventured to Ballarat when he played with the North Ballarat Rebels.
He has the distinction of having played in North Ballarat Rebels’ only premiership team in 1997 before playing with the Roosters in their grand final years of 1999 and 2000.
Hutchinson, 38, said the professional foundation laid by his predecessor Shane Snibson over the past three years had been a major attraction in taking on the Sebastopol.
While the Burra has not finished outside the bottom two for more than a decade, Hutchinson said the club was working hard and the challenge appealed.
He arrives with Sebastopol having already signed three former Roosters in Tony Lockyer, Matt Austin and Nick Hausler – all who he knows well.
Hutchinson said he was an optimistic person and believed there were exciting times ahead for a young Burra list.
Coaching selection panel member Shawne Dummett said Hutchinson had been highly impressive in the interview process...”very professional”.
He said getting a coach with extensive experience in the VFL would give Sebastopol access to the latest developments in the coaching field – adding to the foundation on and off the field put in place by Snibson.
Dummett said as well as the recruits already secured, Sebastopol was looking forward to having Jack McNab, James Richards and Michael Powell fully fit again.
McNab (broken leg) and Richards (shoulder) missed the whole season, while Powell (hamstring) played only a handful of games.
