IT DIDN'T take long for former Melbourne resident Jacob Bloom to settle on his next destination in his cricket coaching career.
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The Warrnambool College Health and PE teacher will take on coaching Allanford's top-grade side or the 2019-20 Warrnambool and District Cricket Association season.
Bloom, 38, who moved down to the south-west from the state's capital with his wife Natalie in January, said the club approached him soon after he arrived in town.
"I'd been coaching in Melbourne for last decade now and then I wasn't looking at it (coaching) too much after moving regionally," he said.
"(Former mentor) Ben Boyd got my number and gave me a call and we met up a couple of times and I went to training to meet some of the players.
"Obviously getting to know a few of the younger players at the college I saw it as a nice fit for me and a nice club, with good people and a nice culture."
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The former Rosanna Cricket Club junior has coached at various clubs throughout the Diamond Valley Cricket Association and Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association, with his most recent stint being a Junior Development Coach with Ivanhoe in the VSDCA.
Progressing the Gators' emerging stars - including Damon Dews, Bailey Smith, Josh Heard and Nick Robertson - was high on Bloom's intentions for next season.
"There are quite a number of kids in the 16-19 bracket and with another 12 months experiecne it could see them pushing through and playing more of a dominant role in the side," he said.
Bloom, who will also be playing, said the top-grade side had a good balance of youth and experience to drive it back to finals after missing out last season.
"With only being a game and half out finals I think it can be an easy turn around," he said.
"I definitely want to add a few more juniors into side but finals is a clear goal for me."
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Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
