WRFL: North Footscray opens senior coaching position for 2021
Western Region Football League club North Footscray is advertising its senior coaching role for 2021. Here’s why.
Local Footy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News.
North Footscray has opened its senior coaching position on the back of several highly-credentialed mentors losing their jobs at higher levels.
The coronavirus crisis has left countless coaches searching for new roles after cuts to the AFL’s soft cap, while members of VFL and NAB League clubs have been impacted.
The Western Region Football League club will leave a two-week window for applications to be submitted.
But Devils president Jason McCluskey said it remained possible Damien Zanic would lead the Division 2 club in 2021 after being appointed for the cancelled 2020 campaign.
Zanic has not coached his own team at senior level but he has held roles with several local clubs and worked with the Brisbane Lions, Port Melbourne and Calder Cannons.
McCluskey said North Footscray was keen to find the best possible candidate to develop its senior squad.
“We’re going to test the market. There’s a lot of coaches out there who have fallen out (because of) COVID and financial restrictions at various levels,” McCluskey said.
“It’s not a personal thing against Damien by any stretch, and he might actually re-apply for the position.
“We’re going to open it up, and the advantage we have is that Scotty (Kenny), our footy ops manager, has built the list and built a rapport with all the players. Damien was a new coach, and with COVID hitting there’s barely been any impact from a coaching perspective.
“It’s a bit of a bold move, but we feel it might be a good move.”
The Devils claimed the 2017 flag but rejected promotion to Division 1 because of their financial position and ageing playing group.
But McCluskey said the club believed competing in the top flight was achievable, with salary caps to be slashed by 50 per cent statewide.
North Footscray qualified for finals in 2018 but finished seventh with just four wins last year.
The Devils have been busy since the end of the 2019 campaign, securing the return of former captain and dual premiership player Sam Kater.
Former WAFL player Clinton Farrell, Tom Fenner, Joel Flanagan, Troy Fisher, Guillermo Ochoa, Adam Bullivant and Alex Maloney were other arrivals before the season was canned.
Best-and-fairest winner Sam Denby-Blake (East Malvern), league medallist Kieran Murphy (Braybrook), former coach Jonathan Miller (Albanvale), Daniel Neville (Albion), Reece Duffield (East Malvern), Shaun Buttigieg-Clarke (Braybrook), Joel Richardson (Spotswood), Tyren Montebruno (Quambatook), Troy Manolis (Caroline Sprins) and Jack and Brody Vorano (both Braybrook) were among the departures.
McCluskey said North Footscray’s new-look committee was working hard to ensure the club rebounded from 2019.
Applications for the coaching position can be sent to nffcadm@gmail.com
MORE LEADER LOCAL FOOTY NEWS
EX-AFL PLAYER HOLLAND MAKES CALL ON COACHING FUTURE
HOW POINT COOK CENTRALS ARE BUILDING FOR DIVISION 1
DUAL LEAGUE BEST-AND-FAIREST SWITCHES CLUBS
TARNEIT APPOINTS NEW COACH FOR TWO SEASONS
PROSPECT OF DIVISION 1 NO LONGER FRIGHTENS PARKSIDE
GLEN ORDEN COACH REVEALS WRFL CLUB’S LOFTY AMBITIONS
EX-AFL PLAYER EXITS COACHING JOB AT WRFL CLUB
WHY BARLOW IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR YARRAVILLE-SEDDON