Three-time SWFL reserves premiership coach Ryan Macintyre named Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault 2022 league coach

Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault have a new king after appointing Ryan Macintyre as their 2022 league coach. Applications closed for the position on October 1, with the Lions announcing on Facebook on Monday they had a new leader. The news comes after it was reported in September outgoing coach John Baggetta and HBL would “mutually part ways”. Macintyre said he had always wanted a chance at the top job. “My intentions were always to get to the league job, I thought when I applied I might be dreaming but it was something I very much wanted to do,” he said. “When I found out I was successful I was over the moon and I am really looking forward to it.” Macintyre is no stranger to SWFL success having won four reserves premierships with the Lions — three as coach and two as assistant coach. HBL vice president Tristan Maslin said the club was confident Macintyre could replicate his achievements at the top level. “He has been in our coaching ranks for five seasons and we thought his body of work and what he has achieved has earned him an opportunity at having a go with the league side,” Maslin said. “He has done very well with that reserves coach and we are hoping he brings that professionalism and success with him.” At 32-years-old, Macintyre is well below the average age for a SWFL head coach. Maslin said the young group needed a fresh take and to move away from old fashioned coaching philosophies. “Our playing group is quite young . . . (we were looking for) someone we thought would have the right attitude towards coaching a younger group,” he said. “(We wanted) someone who the players would respond to in a positive way.” Maslin said he expected people in the SWFL community to question giving a coach with no league experience a chance in the top position. “A lot of people will say it is a big punt,” he said. “(But we thinking it is) time to give a guy who has been working in the lower grades an opportunity.” The Lions have gone out in the finals in straight sets for two years in a row after their 2019 premiership and Macintyre said he was ready to take them back to the top. “Our scoring compared to the top sides has been a little bit down, so that’s one area we need to work on,” he said. “Looking at AMR, Busselton and Bunbury, they are really quick fast ball moving sides. “I think that is one thing we need to work on, I think we have the right side to do it, but it is a matter of putting the right things in place to make that happen.”