Jake Batchelor has been appointed as Richmond’s new VFL senior coach, replacing Steve Morris who will be an AFL assistant coach in 2025.
Richmond is excited to announce the appointment of former player Jake Batchelor as the Club’s new VFL senior coach.
Batchelor takes over from Steve Morris, who is moving into an assistant coaching role with the AFL team.
The 32-year-old is returning to the Swinburne Centre after a seven-year absence. He initially spent a year as a playing assistant coach at Frankston VFL before joining St Kilda.
During his six years with St Kilda, Batchelor played an important role in the Saints’ coaching development. In October 2020, he was named senior coach of the Saints’ aligned VFL team, the Sandringham Zebras, a position he has held for the last four seasons.
Batchelor expressed his enthusiasm about returning to Richmond, saying it was “very exciting” to be back.
“The environment feels familiar, but there are many new faces,” he noted. “That’s the thrilling aspect—building new relationships and collaborating to create something special is what I’m truly looking forward to.
“I’m eager to help and contribute to the beginning of a new journey with the many young players coming through and to see how far we can progress as a Club.”
Richmond General Manager- Football Performance Tim Livingstone said that Batchelor, who arrives with 63 games of senior coaching experience and a proven track record in development, was a perfect fit for the role.
“Jake has a passion for working with athletes to challenge, motivate, and inspire them to reach their potential,” he added.
“He is a young, energetic, and relatable coach with excellent game knowledge and of course also a great person.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming Jake back to Richmond.”
Morris departs the VFL coaching role after an impressive three years in charge.
The former VFL premiership winning captain and AFL player, won 31 of his 54 games at the helm and qualified for the Wildcard Finals Round in consecutive campaigns.
Morris’ 10-8 record in 2024 was particularly impressive, given the team used 55 players across the season, due in part to the flow-on effect of availability restrictions at the AFL level.
“Steve has done a great job with our VFL program across a number of years and stepping into the role as an AFL assistant coach will be another great step for his coaching development,” Livingstone added.
“As a captain and coach, his contribution to the VFL set-up has been profound.”
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