Dandenong Stingrays coach Craig Black takes a development role at Collingwood

DANDENONG Stingrays coach and former Frankston Dolphin Craig Black is joining Collingwood as a pathways/development coach.

Dandenong Stingrays coach Craig Black is joining the black and white of Collingwood.

DANDENONG Stingrays coach Craig Black is joining the black and white, landing a role at Collingwood.

Former Frankston Dolphins star Black has taken a pathways/development role at the Maggies.

Black, 39, captained the Dandenong Stingrays in 1997 and was drafted by Carlton the same year.

He was unable to break through for a senior game with the Blues but in between injuries was a valuable senior player for the Dolphins.

In 2014 he succeeded the long-serving Graeme Yeats as coach of the Rays. In the four years since the club has produced a string of AFL draftees, including No 1 selection Jacob Weitering in 2015.

The Stingrays are on top of the ladder with a 9-1 record but it’s unclear if AFL Victoria will allow Black to coach the Rays for the rest of the season.

If it judges it a conflict of interest the Stingrays will hand over the reins to ex-Dandenong and Frankston player Nick Cox for the rest of the season.

Cox has been an assistant at Dandenong for five years.

He’s also been in charge of the team in the past few weeks while Black has worked with the Vic Country team.

Nick Cox may coach the Dandenong Stingrays for the rest of the season.

Cox had senior coaching roles at Bayswater, Cranbourne and South Belgrave, and is an official legend of the Eastern Football League after winning competition medals in 2000, 2004 and 2006.