Excitement is buzzing at Melton South after the Ballarat Football League club announced they had signed former AFL star Brendan Fevola as playing coach for next season.
The signing of Fevola, who played in a Western Region Football League premiership with Deer Park this season, is a major boost for the side which didn’t win a senior match this year.
Fevola, had been linked with the club the last two years, but only now has the timing been right.
The 35-year-old said the chance to coach a developing young side and help them build from the bottom up was the reason he took on the role.
Fevola will share the coaching duties with Sean Triplett.
“Sean is good mates with [club president] Brendan [Morrissey],” Fevola told Star Weekly.
“Last year we thought about coming across, but I wanted to play with one of my best mates who was groomsman for my wedding.
“They have won a combined seven games between the seniors and reserves in the last three years.
“We spoke with the skipper and the playing group are pretty excited. But they aren’t as excited as us and looking at their website we know they haven’t won anything [in the Ballarat FL].
“It’s bloody exciting.”
Fevola said they wanted to come to a club where they could develop a list and build the team from the bottom up.
Both Deer Park and Yarrawonga, where Fevola played for four years and coached in 2015, were already successful clubs before he joined them.
“We wouldn’t have done this if they weren’t near the bottom,” he said.
“I don’t think there are many players over the age of 24. I love coaching and hopefully we can develop the young players.
“It’s something that I really wanted to do, develop a side from the bottom up.”
Since the announcement on Wednesday night, Fevola said they had been inundated with players wanting to join the club.
He said they would look at adding five or six experienced players to the squad. He said another key forward and some in and under midfielders were at the top of the list.
“We’ll bring in some top end recruits and we’ve already signed some,” he said.
“Last season we didn’t have the line up that could finish off games. We have identified a lack of experience and experienced guys will come in help with the right habits.
“Kids learn stuff off players who are of a more mature age and have been through the system before.
“We need some grunt players in the middle. I think we’ve already got some good outside mids.
“And we need another forward to help me out, I’m old and fat.”
Fevola and Triplett said they would also help out with the junior side of things and try and make sure the club came together as a whole.
“I’m still a kid myself and we’re on the same wave length,” Fevola said.”
Panthers’ president Brendan Morrissey said the reaction to the signing of Fevola had been massive and a much needed boost for the club.
He said Fevola and Triplett were aware of how big a job they had ahead of them.
“We just thought we need a playing coach,” he said.
“We’ve got a young group with local home grown talent. We thought we needed someone to be a leader for the 19-20-years-olds.
“Brendan’s interested in helping the kids and building the club and to teach the kids and hopefully bring success to the town.
“We targeted Brendan and went after him… We nearly had him last time.”
Fevola is the second ex-AFL player to be appointed to a head coaching role in the BFL for next season.
His former Carlton teammate Heath Scotland has been appointed Darley’s coach.
