Former Hawthorn coach Peter Schwab accepts a VAFA coaching role
AN EX-Hawthorn senior coach and top AFL administrator will resume his coaching career in the VAFA.
Local Footy
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Fourteen years after he steered Hawthorn in the AFL, Peter Schwab is returning to coaching ranks, accepting a position in the VAFA.
Premier section club De La Salle today confirmed it had locked in Schwab, 58, to replace Paul Satterley, who has crossed to rival Old Xaverians.
Schwab played 171 games for the Hawks and coached them for 104 matches from 2000 to 2004.
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Since then he’s had a number of prominent roles in football, serving as chief executive officer of AFL Victoria, AFL director of coaching and list manager of the Brisbane Lions.
He resigned from the Lions to become the AFL’s national umpiring director but left the position suddenly late last year.
De La Salle president Brian Waldron said Schwab — whose son Michael plays at VAFA club Collegians — was an outstanding football person.
“He’s got an impeccable record. He’s done everything from playing to coaching and administration,’’ he told Leader this afternoon.
“But most importantly he sees himself as a coach. He’s already worked with us — he was our leadership coach back in 2016 — so he’s known to our players.
“I think the competition continues to raise the bar in relation to the quality of people on and off the field. Peter’s acceptance of a coaching role is great for the competition and fantastic for De La.’’
Schwab played in three premierships for Hawthorn and after retiring was an assistant coach at Richmond, marketing manager at Hawthorn, an assistant coach with the Hawks and then head of the AFL umpiring department.
This year he has been acting head of sport at Wesley College.
De La interviewed a string of candidates for the coaching position, including new Frankston VFL coach Danny Ryan and Dandenong Stingrays assistant Josh Bourke.
Meanwhile Jake Williams won his second Barry Lyons Medal as the club’s best and fairest, polling 166 votes.
Brendan Close (129), Anthony Forato (104) and Tom Humphrey (102) were next.
Williams, who played for Collingwood in the VFL, also won De La Salle’s 2013 best and fairest.
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