Jono Dean takes ACT Meteors coaching reins for WNCL

David Drew has stepped aside to allow Dean to take control of the Meteors ahead of their final two games of the season this week.

The Meteors are out of finals contention but Dean says that provides a silver lining as they prepare to meet Western Australia at Phillip Oval on Tuesday, and Tasmania on Thursday.

The former Adelaide Strikers batsman has stepped away from the bulk of his playing commitments this summer as he moves into the coaching ranks.

Drew, who took the reins last season when James Allsopp was appointed as Cricket ACT's chief executive, will stick around in a mentoring capacity this week as Dean prepares for his first top level head coaching role.

An eventual move into a head coaching position has been in the back of Dean's mind having been in the Meteors set-up in recent years as a batting consultant and assistant.

But the 35-year-old admits the move has been more "sudden" than he anticipated as he prepares to gift an opportunity to a crop of Meteors young guns looking to finish the season on a high.

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"It wasn't on the agenda just yet but the opportunity has come up and I'll grab it with both hands," Dean said.

"The end goal is for us to be successful. For me, it's about us as a group getting back to having fun in what we do.

"We play cricket because we love it, we've got a really good opportunity now so it's about fun and opportunity. With failure comes opportunity, so there's a bit of a silver lining there.

"There's an opportunity for some of the younger ones to get a bat at the top of the order, or bowl a few more overs than they usually would have.

"I really enjoy the group of girls we have. Coaching seems like an easy transition for an ex-player, it's not easy, I'll give you the hot tip.

"As a coach, it's about your athletes. Hopefully we can tick a few boxes this week and finish the season strong."

Cricket ACT high performance manager Olivia Thornton says officials will meet over the coming weeks to decide their next move as they look to appoint a permanent coach.

The leading candidate may well be Dean who boasts a wealth of knowledge having played at the elite level.

"His energy and passion for the game, his knowledge of the game, his ability to connect with players, he's got that in spades," Thornton said.

"He has been actively coaching in our pathway. He took the under 15 female team this season, and I know that particular cohort absolutely loved having him on board.

"He has always got a spring in his step, but he's got an extra spring in his step this week. I know he has been chipping away behind closed doors, making sure every t is crossed and i is dotted in terms of his preparation.

"We're out of finals contention from a playing point of view, but it's an opportunity for our players to step up as well and show some pride in the Meteors uniform.

"We'll be tinkering with a few things from a playing point of view to see where we're at and look to the future as well."