Watene has taken on the role after helping Corio Bay Stingrays to a Big V championship division crown.

The 26-year-old, who helps manage a motel at Port Campbell, featured for the Taipans during their winless campaign last summer.

But he inherited the top job following conversations with outgoing coach Mac Thornton, who stepped down in an effort to concentrate on his own game.

“He did a great job. Obviously it was a new team and blokes hadn’t played this kind of basketball before,” Watene said.

“It was a tough gig for a young bloke like him. He just wanted to play this season and asked me if I would think about coaching. I had to go back and have a chat with my partner and suss out what we were doing this summer. 

“I thought it’d be a good challenge to take on the role, I’m enjoying it so far. We’ve been doing pre-season training the last few weeks and it’s been good.”

Watene said he would implement training methods used at the Stingrays to lift the Taipans up the south-west conference ladder. Their season starts against Stawell on October 10.

“I know we’re not going to come out straight away and set the competition on fire but I’m going to try and incorporate that winning culture we had at Corio Bay,” he said.