EDFL 2018: Craigieburn locks in Carlton AFL great Lance Whitnall as coach
CRAIGIEBURN has praised outgoing mentor Peter Budgen after locking in its new coach and declared its ambition to be an Essendon District Football League powerhouse.
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CRAIGIEBURN has appointed Carlton Hall of Fame member Lance Whitnall as coach and declared its ambition to be an Essendon District Football League powerhouse.
Whitnall has received rave reviews for his work as football manager at the Division 1 club this year and will replace Peter Bugden, who will step down at the conclusion of the club’s finals campaign after five seasons at the helm.
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Bugden steered the Eagles to the 2016 Division 1 premiership and president John Perrone described him as a “sensational football coach”.
Whitnall played 216 games over 11 seasons at AFL level and captained the Blues in 2007.
The 38-year-old, who has signed on for two seasons, has previously coached Glenroy and worked with TAC Cup club Calder Cannons.
“He’s been involved right down to the juniors, he’s well-liked by everybody and I’m sure the hall of famer is going to bring a lot to the Craigieburn Football Club over the next couple of years,” Perrone said.
“Speaking to a number of younger footballers, he always wants to highlight that the younger guys should be having a go and ensuring we grow our list in that manner.
“He’s certainly a Craigieburn person now. He wants to be a long-term person, whatever role he fits in.
“I’m sure with his commitment, drive and his experience in AFL … he’s going to build a very, very good culture at Craigieburn.
“He has got a very strong rapport with the playing group. There’s going to be a lot of strength in terms of retention with the list and people wanting to come back. That’s what we want to build.
“We want to become a powerhouse.”
The Eagles focused on laying a platform for sustained success after a winless season in Premier Division in 2017.
They qualified for finals in Division 1 this year after securing Dean Limbach, Shannon Smith, Josh Marino and Jacob McNicol in a fruitful summer of recruiting.
Brock Chircop, Josh Vilinskis and Liam Middleton are among the young guns at Craigieburn’s disposal, indicating a bright future.
“Our endeavour last year was 1-3 years to consolidate and Peter and Lance have done an awesome job to get us to where we are,” Perrone said.
“We want to be up there (in Premier Division) in the next 1-3 years, there’s no doubt about that.
“That’s the message I’ve given the new coach … is to get the right structure in place and become a powerhouse with the new facilities.
“We want to marry that together and really reward our community as one of those clubs that’s actually going to be up there for a while.”
Perrone praised the impact of Bugden, who led the club to consecutive grand final appearances in 2015 and ’16 after inheriting “a poor list”.
“His experience, leadership and commitment to the football club has been second to none,” he said.
“We couldn’t have asked for any more from Peter. He certainly put his hand up to perform for Craigieburn over the five years.
“His results for the club are outstanding and we certainly want to wish him all the best.
“I want to make sure he’s always welcome at the club.”
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