Ex-AFL players sniff at job

Giants have preference for non-playing coach, but will listen

A NUMBER of former AFL players headline the list of candidates for next season’s vacant Geelong West Giants coaching position.

Incumbent coach Andy Viola announced last week this season would be his last, sparking a number of emails and phone calls to the GFL club.

While not its preference, Geelong West co-chairman Tom Morrissy said it had received interest from ex-AFL players applying for a playingcoach role for next year.

“We’ve had some interest from ex-AFL players, shorter time out of the AFL, so it would be something we would consider — more along the lines of a Jason Davenport-type style,” Morrissy said.

“It’s not our preference; it would be our preference to go with a non-playing coach.”

The club has used its connection with GWS to help boost its list of candidates, before Morrissy starts a shortlisting process next week.

He said the club saw positives in appointing a coach who had a public profile.

“Without question. Given the Giants connection, and that’s been a positive for us, certainly someone with a name will assist us in marketing the club,” he said.

“We would certainly look to GWS if they’ve got somebody they’re looking at; we’ve had that discussion and they have indicated they would assist us if there was somebody in that area.

“But at this stage we’re just too early to make any movement on that.”

News that the VFL seconds will be scrapped next season has also sparked inquiries from development coaches looking for a job.

Werribee and Williams- town are among the neighbouring VFL clubs that will have a surplus of coaches.

“We have had some interest, because of the VFL development squads not being there, we have had some inquiry in that area,” Morrissy said.

“Given our young brigade of players, it’s certainly an area we would consider if we had somebody who had been in a development role, particularly if they had a VFL connection, that would certainly appeal to us.”

Morrissy said the search would heat up next week.

“We’d like to think we’ve got a final list of applicants next week to sort through who we’ll interview and start to move forward with,” he said.

“In the next three or four days we’ll look through the applications and decide if we have to put an ad in the paper or look further, but we’re hoping to finalise that next week.”