Trent Woodhill appointed head coach of Melbourne Stars

Trent Woodhill has been appointed head coach of Melbourne Stars for the sixth season of the Women's Big Bash League, the club announced on Tuesday (June 2). Woodhill, who has worked as assistant coach of the men's team and also been the club's list manager, brings a great deal of experience to the role.



He will continue to work as list manager of both the men's and women's squad through the season. This will be his tenth year as part of the Big Bash.



Having worked with various T20 teams across the world including Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League, while also being involved with high performance programs in New Zealand, England and New South Wales, Woodhill is known for being a 'players' coach'. He has worked closely with the likes of Steve Smith, David Warner and Alyssa Healy through his career, playing vital roles in their development as high-quality batters.



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Within the women's circuit, during his stint with Cricket NSW, Woodhill was involved in NSW's Women's National Cricket League title-winning run in the 2008-09.



“It’s a great opportunity and one I’m looking forward to getting stuck in to," said Woodhill. "I’ve been involved with the Stars for many years now and know the environment and the ethos well."



“We’re backing ourselves to bounce back from some of the results in recent WBBL seasons. The competition is only getting stronger and we need to be stronger too. I’d certainly like to see a maiden finals appearance this season and win the title but there is plenty of work to do first.”



https://twitter.com/TrentWoodhill/status/1267615490274291712?s=20



Woodhill's appointment comes a couple of months after Leah Poulton resigned from the position to take up a more full-time role with Cricket NSW. The former Australia international had stepped down from the position in April.



Shaun Graf, Cricket Victoria General Manager, said Woodhill's appointment was a step in the right direction.



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“Trent is well known to everyone at the Stars and in the Big Bash more broadly. I’m pleased he’s accepted this opportunity to move into a Head Coach position with the WBBL squad. Trent brings a deep understanding of the game and has demonstrated an ability to think differently and outside the box in the way we prepare elite teams to deliver on the field,” Graf said.



“I know Trent will be working hard with the current squad and any future new signings to deliver a highly competitive squad ahead of this season.”



In the meantime, with uncertainty around what the WBBL season will look like, Nick Cummins, Melbourne Stars general manager, said the club is focused on getting the best people involved in the setup.



“It’s exciting news to have Trent on board in his new capacity and builds on our commitment to having world-class people involved at the Melbourne Stars. In terms of the WBBL season, we hope to have a better understanding of what that could look like in the coming months. Any return to play will be subject to compliance with any COVID-19 restrictions at the time,” Cummins said.