Lions seek a new king

Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault’s pride are on the hunt for a new king, after the decision by John Baggetta to part company mutually with the Lions earlier this week. Though Sunday’s first semifinal loss marked the second consecutive season the Lions had gone out of the finals in straight sets, there are plenty of warm memories from Baggetta’s stint at the club. Especially in 2019, when the “Lion King” coached his second undefeated premiership season with a SWFL club. “We wanted to create a vibe where it wasn’t win at all costs, but you wanted to be a winner and not a loser,” Baggetta said. “And then we created a bit of a game style which suited the group — the rest is history.” Those who know Baggetta on a personal level will be the first to mention his passion in helping footballers succeed. Aside from forming a good working relationship with senior players including 2020 Hayward medallist Brendan Tingey, Baggetta is extremely proud about the development of rising stars Brady Hough, Reid Kinninmont and Xavier Milner. “In the first year, they were all young having just come out of the colts,” Baggetta said. “We identified Brady Hough very early. At the back end of ’19, he played a couple of colts games and you could just see his ability. “He also had a solid pre-season in 2020, which put his hand up to say that he wanted to play league football. From there, week-in, week-out, I could see something in a player which I had not seen for a very long time.” Baggetta has not decided whether he will coach a SWFL club next season. “It is the old story — you never say ‘never’, but I think I have probably had a good run at it,” he said. “I’ve had good success and if Hough gets drafted, it will be three players drafted.”