Sorrento appoints ‘prodigal son’ Tony Blackford to steer it in MPNFL Division 1

SORRENTO’S 2004 premiership coach Tony Blackford is returning to McFarlane Reserve, after being appointed Sharks coach this afternoon.

Tony Blackford is returning to Sorrento for a second coaching stint, 13 years after taking the Sharks to a premiership.

SORRENTO’S 2004 premiership coach Tony Blackford is returning to McFarlane Reserve, after being appointed Sharks coach this afternoon.

Blackford met with Sorrento officials over lunch and signed off on a two-season deal to steer the premiership-winning Sharks in the new MPNFL Division 1.

He couldn’t hide his excitement.

“I’m rapt, mate,’’ he said.

“I’m going back to a club that loved me and I love them, you know.’’

Sorrento president Bernie Balmer declared, “the prodigal son has returned!’’, and said Blackford was “a terrific fit’’ for the Sharks.

“He knows the environment, he’s a decent fellow and we’re pretty excited about it – as indeed I think he is,’’ he said.

Blackford coached Sorrento from 2002-05, including its drought-breaking ’04 flag that sparked a flood of Sharks success since.

After finishing up at Red Hill this year, Blackford looked like being without a coaching gig in 2018.

But a phone call from Sorrento last week changed everything.

Tony Blackford is back at Sorrento.

“I got a phone call last week and I sat down with them on Tuesday, they wanted to know if I still had the drive and hunger and we talked about a lot of things,’’ Blackford said.

“And then they went back into their meeting and I drove home. By the time I got home, it was 40 minutes, they’d rung me again saying they wanted to have a formal chat.’’

Blackford said he was moved by a text message from Sorrento captain James Hallahan, who is holidaying overseas.

In it, Hallahan said he has admired and respected Blackford since he was 13 when he watched him take Sorrento to the ’04 premiership – and he would be “very excited’’ to play under him “if it was all to unfold’’.

Sorrento won the Nepean league flag this year and steps up to the new MPNFL Division 1 in 2018, against powerhouse side Frankston YCW.

“It’s a huge challenge for this group of blokes to jump another level and every week will be a challenge to them; there are no easy games next season,’’ Blackford said.

Sorrento did speak to former Melbourne assistant coach George Stone about the possibility of him coaching. “We had just a chat rather than an interview but he didn’t know what he was doing,’’ Balmer said.