Koop, who coached the BDCA to the Melbourne Country Week Provincial title in 2020, has joined the Suns as club coach advisor.

"In my opinion he's the best coach in the region and his qualifications speak for themselves,'' Suns' star batsman and new senior coach Grant Waldron said of Koop.

"He has a lot on his plate with his Cricket Victoria commitments, he has a young family and he's still involved with Geelong Cricket Club as an assistant coach.

"He has a strong desire to coach, but he didn't have the time to commit to a senior coaching role. That's why the position as club coach advisor appealed to him.

"His role will be around supporting me as a club coach and being a mentor to me to develop philosophies and training and matchday concepts.

"We'll bounce ideas off each other and share the workload where possible. He will be a great resource for the playing group to expose them to fresh ideas and the high performance stuff that he does.

"He'll also provide a link to Premier Cricket for the younger players that may look to develop down there."

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Koop, a top-order batsman and wicket-keeper, is Cricket Victoria's coaching and talent development specialist.

As a player he adds more class and experience to the talent-laden Suns' squad.

"He's got the burning desire to keep playing, so he'll be a great addition on the field as well,'' Waldron said.

"We're very excited to have him at the club."

Strathdale had a host of talented young players perform strongly in its second XI premiership team last summer.

Waldron said the addition of Koop to the first XI squad would not hinder the first XI opportunities for the likes of James Barri, Matt Wilkinson and Will Purcell.

"We've been upfront with Koopy and the young players that runs are the currency for the batting group,'' Waldron said.

"It will be a bit of a headache, but it's a healthy position to be in where people are fighting for positions.

"Performance and commitment to training will be rewarded."

Waldron confirmed that the Suns' first XI premiership team from last summer had re-committed to play season 2021-22.

Star all-rounder Cam Taylor has been appointed captain - replacing premiership skipper Ben DeAraugo.

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