Former Richmond defender Troy Chaplin joins Melbourne’s coaching panel for 2017

MELBOURNE has secured highly-rated first-year assistant coach Troy Chaplin as its offensive coordinator.

Troy Chaplin has taken a coaching job at Melbourne. Picture: Colleen Petch.

MELBOURNE has secured highly-rated first-year assistant coach Troy Chaplin as its offensive coordinator.

The former Richmond and Port Adelaide defender, who retired during the season, impressed Melbourne officials with new ideas and freshness out of the game.

“When you finish your career as a player, it’s a little bit of an unknown and you sit in the background and now I know I’m going to be starting with the Melbourne footy club and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity,” Chaplin said.

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“It was a great opportunity to come to a club that’s on the rise and has got some great people in the coaching staff that I’m really looking forward to learning off and growing in my development as well.”

Chaplin had been linked to Richmond after spending the last six weeks of the home and away season working alongside Tigers coach Damien Hardwick.

Troy Chaplin has join Melbourne as a coach. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“The last six weeks at Richmond solidified the reason why I want to do it — I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity here,” Chaplin told the club’s website.

Chaplin retired after 215 games from 2004-16.

Melbourne football operations manager Josh Mahoney said Chaplin, who presented very well, would add a new perspective.

“We think it’s important for our coaching group to add some young recently retired players to our group, as the rest of our group is quite experienced with Ben Mathews, Jade Rawlings, Brendan McCartney and Matthew Egan,” Mahoney said.

The Demons last month appointed Matthew Egan from Essendon in a development role.

Originally published as Former Richmond defender Troy Chaplin joins Melbourne’s coaching panel for 2017