NFL 2018: Bundoora coach Ricky Dyson to join Essendon VFL staff
BUNDOORA is on the hunt for a new coach after premiership winner Ricky Dyson accepted a role with Essendon’s VFL team.
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BUNDOORA is on the hunt for a new coach after premiership winner Ricky Dyson accepted a role with Essendon’s VFL team.
The former Bombers player has led the Bulls for the past two seasons in the Northern Football League, steering them to the Division 1 flag in his first year in charge.
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“He received an offer from Essendon VFL and is joining them as a line coach,” Bundoora president Bill Price said.
“It was too good an opportunity for him to refuse. He was a first-year coach when we appointed him last year and he still wants to learn.
“I said to him, ‘the job is yours until you say otherwise’. From a club point of view, it’s disappointing to lose him.
“But at the same time we are absolutely rapt he was approached by Essendon.”
Dyson played 114 games for Essendon during a nine-year AFL career and his appointment marks a return to the club he left in 2012.
Price said the 32-year-old was approached by the Bombers in recent weeks after he had expressed a desire to continue at Yulong Reserve.
“It only came up after Ricky spoke to me about two weeks ago,” he said.
“At that point, he fully intended to continue on. Essendon approached him after we lost the first semi, then he went through the process.”
Dyson announced his departure to Bundoora’s players on Saturday during celebrations of the club’s reserves premiership and Price said he “goes with our blessing”.
The club has wasted no time starting its search for Dyson’s replacement.
“Whether they are non-playing or playing, that’s not of great importance,” Price said.
“We have got a lot of young kids that we need to develop and that is what we will be looking for.”
Dyson spent the past six years with the Bulls, featuring in grand final victories in 2013 and 2017.
Bundoora finished fourth this year, reaching the second week of finals before being beaten by eventual premier West Preston-Lakeside.
Meanwhile, Montmorency is poised to announce its new senior coach this week.
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