Brendan Fevola is returning to Melton South Football Club next season – but he’ll have a new assistant coach by his side.
The Panthers have announced Fevola will continue as a playing co-coach next season, with Ash Manning stepping up to be his co-coach.
Manning joined the Panthers part way through this season as an assistant coach, after stepping down as coach of Lancefield early in the Riddell District Football League season.
Manning replaces Sean Triplett as Fevola’s co-coach of the Ballarat Football League side.
Triplett said that while the club would have liked for him to continue as assistant; work and family commitments meant it wasn’t possible.
“I run my own business and I’m under the pump,” he said.
“My son’s playing basketball and trying to get scholarships in America, so I have to take him over their twice next year.”
Triplett said Fevola didn’t have the time to be a stand-alone coach and that Manning was the perfect person to step into the role.
Manning was part of the Panthers’ only senior premiership in 1994.
“Ash is really experienced, having coached Glenroy to a premiership and Tullamarine to a grand final,” Triplett said.
“I’ve known Ash for a number of years, and when he became available [earlier this year], I head-hunted him.
“He’s a school teacher by trade. We’ve got a young playing group so we need someone who can teach these guys.
“It makes sense as Brendan’s best assets are on game day.
“You need someone else who can spend the time analysing the game. We think it’ll work really well.”
Triplett, who will still help out at the club next season, said that while the Panthers had made the appointments for next season, the focus now was solely on playing finals.
The Panthers, who had the bye at the weekend, are percentage outside the top six.
“The club is happy with where we’re at,” Triplett said.
“Not many sides in the competition have won more games than last year – and we are one of them.
“We recruited really well, but we’ve had a million injuries, which have been frustrating.
“Tayte Pears only played a game and a half and Tom Derickx has only played two games. We’ve played 44 players this year.”
The Panthers will return to action this week against arch rival Melton in a must-win match for sides that are equal on points.
“If we lose to Melton, it will be season over,” Triplett said.
Tara Murray
