Football Department
Andrew Sturgess – Senior Coach
Andrew Sturgess was announced as Coburg’s new Senior Men's Coach in August 2019.
Sturgess made 21 appearances for the club in 2014-2015, where he was a well-respected member of the playing and the leadership group. He returned for the 2017 season, this time as an Assistant Coach responsible for the midfield before departing the club at the end of 2018 to take up the Senior Coaching role with Northern Football League Division One side Bundoora.
A former Northern Knight, Sturgess has also played with the Northern Football Leagues Eltham and the Goulburn Valley Football League's Seymour, where he won a Best and Fairest and also was named in the GVFL’s team of the year in 2016.
A schoolteacher by trade, Sturgess has also represented Northcote and Carlton in Victorian Premier Cricket.
Adrian Pilgrim – Assistant Coach, Midfield
Adrian joined Coburg as the midfield coach of the senior mens team in October 2019. Previously he coached with the NAB Leagues Western Jets where he spent two seasons with their boys program in seasons 2018-19, his first season as a Development and Midfield Assistant Coach and then the second as the Backline Coach.
Adrian's coaching career began with assistant roles with Horsham (Wimmera FL) and Avoca (Maryborough Castlemaine FL) before taking over as Avoca Senior Coach from 2012-2014. He then moved onto Tatyoon in the Miniera Football League where he was Senior Coach from 2016-2017. Adrian also played his football with Horsham and Avoca, having come through the then North Ballarat Rebels pathway before spending time with the Northern Bullants. He is also a school teacher by trade.
Michael Still – Assistant Coach, Forwards
Michael joined Coburg initially for the 2020 season, after spending seasons 2017-19 as a playing Assistant Coach with his junior club, Eltham. For the last six rounds of the 2019 season, he filled in as Co-Senior Coach alongside former Collingwood Premiership Player and Coburg Development Coach, Brent Macaffer.
Drafted from the Northern Knights to Essendon with pick 55 in the 2008 AFL draft, Still spent much of his time with the Bombers' then affiliated club, Bendigo. After leaving Essendon he spent 2011 in the VFL with Werribee before moving onto the SANFL where he spent 2012-14 with West Adelaide. Moving back to Victoria for 2015, he joined Collingwood's VFL team where he spent two seasons before returning to Eltham on a full time basis.
Daniel Fiteni – Development Coach
Daniel also joined the club as a football department assistant for 2020, and in season 2021 will be a development coach.
Daniel played his senior football with Keilor Park and also had a stint in the VFL with Williamstown in the early 2000's. He also recently played football with Essendon Masters.
Justin Whitcher – Development Coach and Runner
Justin joined the club as its Runner and Development Coach in November 2020.
A member of the Northern Knights squad in the TAC Cup/NAB League's early years, he made appearances for Carlton and Collingwood's reserves teams as a top up in the 1990's. He would later serve for Collingwood's reserves as its team runner.
His playing career has seen him represent Eltham, Montmorency, South Fremantle (WAFL), East Burwood, Foster and Panton Hill where he was a playing assistant coach.
Since retiring he has been involved in various coaching roles, including coaching Montmorency's women's team, and was an assistant and fitness coach with MacLeod which included the Northern Football Leagues Division One premiership in 2015.
He is also an experienced Cricketer, and is currently captain coach of Heidelberg in the Diamond Valley Cricket Association.
Elliot Matthews – High Performance Manager
Elliot started at Coburg for the 2018 season as part of an internship for the High Performance team, before becoming elevated to a strength and conditioning coaching role for the 2019 season. In September 2019, he was appointed the clubs new High Performance Manager.
Elliot's previous experience includes working as a personal trainer for both Pro Sport Health and Fitness and the Yarra City Council. He also previously was a strength and conditioning coach with VFL club Port Melbourne in 2016, and has also worked as a Hockey Coach with Kew's Xavier College.
