Hockey Club Melbourne announce new head coaches

Hockey Victoria (HV) and Hockey Club Melbourne are excited to announce the appointment of Jesse Workman as the Head Coach for the Men's team and Greg Drake as the Head Coach for the Women's team. Both highly credentialed coaches have signed on for two-year terms, providing stability and a solid platform for future success.

Workman is no stranger to the HC Melbourne program, having served as the Men's Assistant Coach since 2022. During his time, the team secured a bronze medal in 2023 and clinched the premiership last year. His coaching pedigree includes significant experience with the Victorian Under 21s and Southern United locally, as well as international stints as Pakistan's Men's Assistant Coach and in the New Zealand National League. Workman also currently holds Head of Hockey roles at Maribyrnong Sports Academy and Wesley College.

Greg Drake boasts an impressive resume spanning international appointments as Assistant Coach followed by Head Coach for USA Women’s National Team, Assistant coach for Japan Women’s Team including winning the Asian Games Women’s National Team coach.  Added to this is his range of roles as performance analysts in India, New Zealand, Canada and for Australia’s U21s. Closer to home, Drake has worked extensively with the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) as a performance analyst and coached Altona Hockey Club's Premier League teams, earning him HV's Coach of the Year award last year. Having served as Assistant Coach for the Victorian Vipers for three years prior to the establishment of Hockey Club Melbourne, Drake has an established background in HV’s high performance hockey programs.

Lachlan Anderson, Hockey Victoria General Manager of High Performance, commented, "It was a competitive a selection process, but we're incredibly lucky to have two quality experienced coaches in Greg and Jesse. We're confident they'll lead the teams brilliantly both on and off the park and we're excited about what the future holds for both groups."

Hockey Club Melbourne will kick off their player nomination and initial training sessions within the next month.

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