Paris Harvie to coach North Ringwood in the Eastern Football League in 2019

Experienced Eastern Football League mentor Paris Harvie has been thrust into the top job at North Ringwood after the shock resignation of Brett Moyle.

Paris Harvie during his time at Mooroolbark. Picture: Hamish Blair

Experienced Eastern Football League mentor Paris Harvie has been thrust into the top job at North Ringwood after the shock resignation of Brett Moyle.

The Saints confirmed on Boxing Day that Harvie would lead the club in 2019 after Moyle announced in November he would be standing down from the role, despite re-signing in August for next year.

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Harvie joined North Ringwood at the end of last season as a senior assistant but was approached in early December about taking on the senior coaching position.

Harvie has a long association with the EFL, having coached Doncaster East, South Croydon and Mooroolbark.

Paris Harvie celebrates South Croydon’s 2009 Division 2 premiership.

He took the Bulldogs back to Division 1 for the first time in 17 years after premierships in 2006 and 2009.

“If we had our choice from the start, we would have asked Paris to come straight in but we thought we would do our due diligence and see what else was out there,” North Ringwood president Lee Robinson said.

“The way that Paris had interacted in the first six weeks or 14, 15 training sessions with the guys, it was evident the guys were watching, listening and learning from him so he had their respect from pretty early on.”

North Ringwood announced last month it had signed former Fremantle big man Michael Apeness, with former Collingwood-listed key position player Sam McLarty also putting pen to paper at Quambee Reserve.

The Saints will also be hoping to see more of Josh O’Brien, Michael Loco, Anthony Sharp, Mitch Keedle and Sam Whelan, who each missed some or all of 2018 through injury.

Paris Harvie (middle) shows off the silverware after the 2006 Division 3 premiership.

Robinson said the club needed to be more competitive against the top bracket of sides. Outside of two narrow losses against eventual premiers Vermont, North Ringwood’s average losing margin against finalists South Croydon, Blackburn, Doncaster and Rowville was 61 points.

“Paris is very happy with the talent we’ve got … he wants to play some good consistent football and he has definitely got the feeling we can climb up the ladder and take some big steps in 2019,” he said.

“We’ve been in Division 1 for four years between that eighth and 10th position so this year, from my perspective, 2019 is a moving year.

“Does that mean we play finals or we string together some good wins against some quality opposition? I’d say probably a bit of both.”