FOOTBALL

COATES TALENT LEAGUE

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

A STAPLE name of Gippsland football is returning to the region.

Gippsland Power announced that Sale’s own Kris Pendlebury will be head coach of the boys program for 2026.

The older brother of Collingwood champion Scott arrives back home having spent the last two years in the Mornington Peninsula Football-Netball League as senior coach of Edithvale-Aspendale, where he took the club to a division two premiership in his first season.

In 2025, Pendlebury was recognised as MPFNL Coach of the Year, as the Eagles reached finals in their return to division one.

Taking over from Rhett McLennan after seven years at the helm, who accepted the role as senior coach at VFL club Casey following Power’s loss in the preliminary final, Pendlebury eyed the vacant position as a chance to return to his roots.

“I saw that Rhett was moving and got the Casey job, so I put two and two together and was just waiting for that opportunity to have a chat to the AFL about the Gippsland role,” Pendlebury told the Express.

The Coates Talent League is run by the AFL, meaning the sport’s top administration is in charge of hiring coaching candidates.

“(I) went through the interview process, really good experience going through that and lucky enough to get offered the role… really happy and looking forward to getting started,” he said.

Pendlebury himself wore Power colours from 2003 to 2004 under head coach, Moe’s Lachlan Sim and played alongside the likes of future AFL stars Jarryd Roughead and Dale Thomas.

A year later, while Kris was playing VFL for the now disbanded Bendigo Bombers, his younger brother Scott arrived back from playing basketball at the Australian Institute of Sport and won a TAC Cup premiership in his lone under 18 season with Power before being drafted to the Magpies.

Once Collingwood relaunched its own VFL team, Kris joined his brother in the black and white stripes and would eventually captain them.

The older Pendlebury sibling said that with his similar journey as many of the local juniors coming through the system, he’s excited about guiding them during a period he knows well.

“I went through the pathways as a young kid, I’ve lived this experience that these boys are going through, so I’ve learned a hell of a lot the last 20 years really since I’ve left that pathway,” Kris said.

“I’m just really keen to help the boys grow as players, as people and develop them as best I can.

“It’s an area with a rich history of producing really good AFL/VFL players, so I’m really looking forward to just helping the kids’ development and having a good time as well.”

While Power, like all other Coates Talent League clubs, is built on dedication and high performance, Pendlebury stressed the importance of still having fun with the game and creating an enjoyable environment.

“It’s important to have fun and enjoy your footy,” he said.

Besides senior coaching roles like at recently dissolved VFL club Northern (Preston) Bullants in 2023, Pendlebury has also worked closely with AFL junior program Rookie Me Academy, delivering integral development resources to kids aged 12 to 18 during school holidays.

Even during his time at Edithvale-Aspendale, Pendlebury supported plenty of under-age players stepping up to play senior football early.

“I’ve sort of had a broad range of experience I think which will help me to develop the boys,” he added.

Pendlebury is focused on building relationships with all the young players regardless of what their commitments are outside of Power.

“Obviously, some are in Melbourne at private schools, some might be doing apprenticeships or trades, and some are at school, so just getting the balance of learning how everyone works, I think that’s one of my strengths,” he said.

“Communication is really important and building a strong connection, which I think are my strengths.”

Pendlebury may still lace up the boots for Edithvale-Aspendale during one of the many breaks Gippsland Power receive during the Coates Talent League season.

Gippsland Power encompasses one of the largest areas of talent in terms of regional Coates Talent League clubs, and have reached three preliminary finals and gained two minor premierships since 2019.

However, 2005 remains the only year they’ve lifted the premiership cup since the club’s formation in 1993, but a Pendlebury could yet be linked to the next one as well.

“I think if you’re really connected as a coaching group and as a playing group, the results will look after itself,” he said.

Gippsland Power is still yet to fill the girls head coach position after Nathan Boyd departed at the end of last season.