Brendon Lade is the third assistant coach to leave Port Adelaide this season
BRENDON Lade has become the third assistant coach to leave Port Adelaide in the wake of its horror slide to miss the 2018 AFL finals.
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BRENDON Lade has become the third assistant coach to leave Port Adelaide in the wake of its horror slide to miss the finals.
The club on Saturday announced that Lade would return to Melbourne to pursue other opportunities after spending the past two years at Alberton as forwards coach when he crossed over from Richmond.
Lade joins senior assistant Matthew Nicks — who is seen as an AFL coach in waiting — and development boss Aaron Greaves in also leaving the club this year.
The Power has been linked to 2004 premiership player Jarrad Schofield who may return to the club to fill one of the vacancies after a successful stint as Subiaco coach in the WAFL.
And Sturt premiership coach Martin Mattner is also a chance to land at Alberton as he seeks to get back into the AFL system after back-to-back SANFL flags.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Port Adelaide both as a player and as a coach and I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to represent and be a part of this great club over so many years,” Lade said in a club statement.
“However, it’s important for my family that we return to Melbourne to explore other opportunities. Both Ken (Ken Hinkley) and Chris (Chris Davies) fully understand and support our decision as a family.
“Port Adelaide has been everything to me and it will always be that way.”
Port Adelaide’s football manager Chris Davies said Lade had been a “popular and knowledgeable” member of the club’s coaching panel.
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