The Birchip-Watchem Bulls have signed multiple premiership winning coach Marcus Demaria to take on the senior coaching role for the 2021 season.
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Demaria has years of experience as a player and coach and is ecstatic to join ranks with the Bulls for next year's North Central Football League season.
"I've joined Birchip-Watchem for a few different reasons," Demaria said.
"I was chasing a new challenge first of all, but I was also drawn to the fact that the Bulls have come close in recent years without achieving the ultimate success.
"I feel I have the knowledge and experience to further develop the younger players on the list and to bring home a premiership."
The multiple premiership winning coach comes to the club with a long list of achievements.
Demaria coached Woorinen to back-to-back premiership victories (2018,2019) in the Central Murray Football League, in addition to earlier experience with Laharum in the Horsham District Football League where he was in the top job and led the Mountain Men to a premiership win in 2013.
His career as a coach started at Quambatook within the Golden Rivers Football League and is also well known as a key defender for Boort in the NCFL back in the early 2000s.
Demaria's appointment to the top spot at Birchip-Watchem breaks a recent trend which typically saw senior leaders recruited from within the club.
He will be the Bull's first senior coach, since Dean Bennett in 1998, who takes on the top job without having represented the club as a player, and will also be its first non-playing senior coach.
Bulls president Andrew Frank said Demaria was the ideal candidate to be the team's new coach.
"The committee was keen to find an experienced, non-playing coach who had led teams to premierships," Frank said.
"Marcus' resume was second-to-none.
"We are confident he can develop our young local players and lead our senior group to success."
That's the plan at the club, finding ultimate success in the way of another premiership, something it hasn't been able to do with its senior team since 2001.
However, Demaria is determined to make that change and endeavours to take the club to the top.
"My role here is to bring home that elusive flag for the local community and I'll do everything in my power to ensure that happens," he said.
"My first order of business is player retention and securing our local players. I will then look to build the list to ensure we have the depth to challenge for a flag once again.
"I honestly can't wait."
He will take over the role from outgoing coach Lochlan Sirett who was praised by the club his top efforts in recent years which saw the Bulls compete in two grand finals.
"Lochy was a great coach for us and took us to two grand finals," Frank said.
"When the 2020 season was cancelled he continued to work on player development by running weekly training sessions.
"His commitment to his role was fantastic and we hope he will continue with the Bulls as a player for many years to come."
-With Stephanie Coffey
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