Roberts signs as Black Diamond Cup coach

Killarney Vale AFL has signed Ben Roberts as their men’s Black Diamond Cup coach for the next three seasons.

Roberts has an extensive playing and coaching record across Tasmania, Queensland and NSW.

He stepped into a player-coach role at 24, giving him more than 16 years of coaching experience which included stints at Coolangatta and Carara in the Queensland AFL which saw him named as Queensland AFL Coach of the Year while coaching Carara. 

An employment opportunity saw Roberts move to Canada for five years during which time he was appointed coach of the Canadian national team which in 2014 won the International Cup Division 1 title.

After returning to Australia in 2021, he moved to Sydney to become the Pennant Hills Premier Division coach, where he was honoured to be named Coach of the Year in both 2023 and 2024.

During this time, he also took on representative coaching roles as the AFL Sydney head rep coach and assistant coach for the combined NSW/ACT state team, roles he also held in 2025.

Roberts takes over the Cup coaching role from club life member and 2022 Premiership coach, Corey Shackleton who led the Cup men’s side for the past seven years.

“I’m super excited to be joining such a proud club,” Roberts said.

“Everyone I’ve met from Killarney Vale have been fantastic, and with my coaching mentor Mark McVeigh being a Killarney Vale junior, it feels like the perfect fit.

“I couldn’t be happier to lead our resurgence and help establish Killarney Vale as a dominant force in the Black Diamond competition for years to come.”

Killarney Vale president Paul Forster is equally excited by the appointment.

“The Bombers are excited to have been able to appoint someone with the coaching experience as Ben to lead their Cup side,” he said.

“The club experienced some great times under previous coach Corey Shackleton including the 2022 Premiership and we look forward to Ben providing the club with further success in the future.”

The club also finalised all its other senior coaching appointments including the reappointment of two-time premiership winning coach Brad Edwards as Cup women’s coach, club legend Brendan Lewis is the new Plate men’s coach while Courtney Barnett will continue in her role as Plate women’s coach for a third season.