Maffra’s Hayden Burgiel will coach the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League’s interleague side.THE West Gippsland Latrobe Football League (WGLFL) has appointed Maffra’s Hayden Burgiel as its 2009 interleague coach.
The WGLFL will play the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League (MPPFL) at Pakenham on the Queen’s Birthday weekend, Saturday, 6 June as part of the VCFL Country Challenge series this year.
Burgiel has an impressive CV that would compare well against any country footballer in Victoria.
He started his football as a Maffra junior and progressed through to the Gippsland Power TAC Cup squad.
After completing four seasons with the Power, where he missed out on a best-and-fairest by only one vote, he was drafted by Hawthorn in 1997.
He played two seasons with the Hawks reserves and was picked as an emergency for the seniors on several occasions, but did not play.
A hernia injury saw him return to Maffra in 2000 and quickly set about making a name for himself in country football.
Burgiel won the WGLFL best-and-fairest awards in 2001 and 2004 and was assistant coach in premiership-winning years of 2002, 2003 and 2004.
He took over as coach in 2006 and led the powerful Maffra side to two further premierships in 2006 and 2007.
His passion for interleague is well known and he also gained VCFL representation on four occasions.
