Shane McDermott stepped in for Steve Rixon as Australia's acting one-day fielding coach on Friday.
JAMES Faulkner wasn't the only former Launceston cricketer to make his debut for Australia in Friday's one-day international against the West Indies.
Former Lions wicketkeeper Shane McDermott has joined the growing number of Tasmanians with an off-field role in the national team when he stepped in for Steve Rixon as the team's acting fielding coach in what could be seen as an example of an off-field rotation policy.
Rixon has taken some time off before Australia's hectic schedule that sees it tour England and India.
McDermott, who grew up in Hadspen, will be in the role for the remainder of the one-day series against the West Indies, and the Twenty20 international that follows it.
"It's a dream come true. I gave my playing ambitions up six or seven years to go to be part of the game at first class and international level," the 32-year- old former Tasmanian rookie- listed wicketkeeper said.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity and it's good that Cricket Australia has this system in place where people who work in the domestic competition can get a taste of what it's like at the next level."
The 32-year-old is also the Futures League head coach and Emerging Redbacks assistant coach under Tim Nielson in South Australia.
Since leaving Tasmania a decade ago, McDermott has had roles as head cricket coach of the Northern Territory Institute of Sport, as a fitness trainer and head coach of the Bangladesh national cricket academy and fitness trainer and specialist coach of its national team and was also a high performance coaching officer with the Western Australian Cricket Association.
McDermott joins Michael Di Venuto and Ali de Winter as Tasmanian coaches in the national set-up.
"Tasmania has got a lot of things right in regards to their coaching education and have invested in home-grown coaches and given them sound opportunities," McDermott said.
"But a lot of capable coaches have left Tasmania to find bigger and better opportunities. The reason that I'm here is that I did make the sacrifice and get the experience which builds the portfolio which allows you to get a job like this."
That trio joins on-field Tasmanians in Faulkner, George Bailey and Xavier Doherty in the squad.