Dave Nilsson spent eight years in the Major Leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers and was named an All-Star catcher in the 1999 season. He is one of Australia’s 38 players to ever reach the Major Leagues.
He won tournament MVP of the 1999 Intercontinental Cup, a tournament where Australia won gold for the first time at a major international event.
Nilsson represented Australia at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, winning a silver medal in Athens in 2004. He also spent a season with the Chunichi Dragons in the NPB (Japan).
As a coach, Nilsson guided the Brisbane Bandits to a record four straight Australian Baseball League (ABL) championships from 2015-19.
He was named Team Australia’s manager in 2017 and has since led Australia to a quarter-final appearance at the World Baseball Classic (2023), a Super Group appearance at the Premier-12 (2019), and a Super Group appearance at the U23 World Cup (2022).
Jim Bennett has been a professional coach since 1992 and picked up many trophies & accolades along the way.
Bennett was the pitching coach for the Perth Heat in their 2015 Australian Baseball League championship season. He moved to the Brisbane Bandits and won four straight titles from 2016-19.
Bennett won the 2022 American Association Manager of the Year as the coach of the Lake County Dock Hounds.
In March 2024, he was named the manager of the Canberra Cavalry.
Bennett has been part of the Team Australia coaching staff since 2017, reaching the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic (2023) and the Premier-12 (2017)
Shayne Watson is the current manager of the Brisbane Bandits, taking over the position at the start of the 2023-24 season.
He was on the Bandits’ coaching staff for a run of four straight ABL Championships from 2015-19.
Watson is the High Performance Manager for Baseball Queensland and has been part of the development of many Queenslanders who have signed professional contracts.
He is Baseball Australia’s representative with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) National Generation 2032 coaching program.
Watson has been part of the Team Australia coaching staff since 2017.
Damian Shanahan is the High Performance Manager with Baseball Victoria.
He has also spent 15 years as a scout with the San Diego Padres.
Shanahan has been part of the Melbourne Aces coaching staff since 2011, winning back-to-back championships in 2020 & 2021.
Shanahan has been part of the Team Australia coaching staff since 2017.
Graeme Lloyd is one of Australia’s greatest ever Major League players. His playing career lasted over 10 seasons in the Major Leagues with seven different teams.
Lloyd is known for winning two World Series with the New York Yankees (1997 & 1998).
He was on the silver medal 2004 Australian Olympic Baseball team.
Since then, Lloyd has been active in the coaching ranks in the Australian Baseball League (ABL), and the Women’s, U18, U23 and Senior National Teams.
He is currently on the coaching staff with the Melbourne Aces and is a former ABL manager with Geelong-Korea.
Lloyd is a director on the Baseball Australia board.
Andy Graham is a manager with the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the Class-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.
In 2023, Graham won the Florida State League Manager of the Year.
He has represented Australia at the World Baseball Classic twice as a player (2006, 2009) and reached as high as Triple-A in his minor league career.
Graham has been a well-respected coach in the Tigers’ organisation since he was first hired in 2009.
He was on the coaching staff at the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Michael Collins had a successful playing career which saw him reach as high as Triple-A in the minor league ranks.
In 2013, he became the manager for the Canberra Cavalry. He led them to a historic 2013 Asia Series Championship.
In 2019, Collins was named the Catching Coach for the Houston Astros. Since then, he has been with the team for two World Series appearances including a 2022 championship.
Collins was on the coaching staff for Team Australia’s historic run to the quarterfinals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Trent Durrington joined the Team Australia coaching staff in 2023 for the National U18 Camp and the Asia Professional Baseball Championships.
Durrington is one of 38 Australians to ever reach the Major Leagues. He saw MLB action between 1999 and 2005 with the Anaheim Angels and Milwaukee Brewers.
Since transitioning to coaching full-time in 2017, Adamson has found success in Australia and the United States.
Adamson has been the Adelaide Giants’ Manager in the Australian Baseball League (ABL) since 2017, winning back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024.
He works full time with the Philadelphia Phillies and is currently the bench coach for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Triple-A).
Adamson was on the coaching staff for Australia’s Super Group appearance at the 2019 Premier12 and the quarterfinal run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Will Bradley is the hitting coach for the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
He has prior experience as a hitting coach in the Los Angeles Angels’ organisation.
Bradley began his coaching career in 2007 in the college ranks before switching to professional affiliated baseball.
Bradley was on Australia’s 2023 World Baseball Classic coaching staff.
Josh Tols joins the Australian coaching staff after almost a decade on the national team, including appearances at the 2017 World Baseball Classic and 2019 Premier12.
He is a rehab pitching coach at the Minnesota Twins Complex in Florida, and the pitching coach of the Adelaide Giants in the ABL.
The left-handed pitcher played in the Philadelphia Phillies’ organisation, reaching as high as Triple-A.
Tols won three Claxton Shields in his time as a player the Australian Baseball League, and one as a pitching coach with the Adelaide Giants in 2024.
Nathan Van Der Linden is an Australian Baseball League winning player and coach.
He played six seasons in the ABL. Known for his versatility, Van Der Linden spent time as an infielder, outfielder and pitcher.
He won a Claxton Shield in 2023 as a player. As an assistant coach with the Adelaide Giants in 2024, Van Der Linden won his second shield.
Josh Spence is one of Australia’s 38 players to ever reach the Major Leagues. He pitched for the San Diego Padres from 2011-2012.
Spence spent three years as the Adelaide Giants’ pitching coach in the Australian Baseball League before taking a role in professional baseball in the United States.
He is currently a minor league pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers with the Biloxi Shuckers (Double-A).
Spence became the U23 pitching coach for the 2022 World Cup and was on the staff for Australia’s quarterfinal appearance at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
