By LIAM TWOMEY
WADE Chapman has been announced as the coach of Werribee Districts for next season.
Chapman replaces outgoing coach and Werribee club legend Kirk Norton.
A former Sydney Swans AFL player, Chapman brings a wealth of coaching experience to the role having previously worked with VFL side Werribee as well as North Shore and Drysdale.
While in charge of the latter he took the club to back-to-back premiership wins.
Werribee Districts president Rod Harrington was rapt with the appointment.
“Replacing Kirk, it is a bit like replacing Kevin Sheedy,” he said.
“It is always a difficult job for the next bloke coming in. Having someone of Wade’s background and experience and strength of character is exactly what we need. He brings a lot to the table. Apart from his coaching he has played at the highest level, played in an AFL grand final and just really fits the bill for what we are after.
“He had this year off. The previous two years he was at Werribee in the VFL and then prior to that he was at Drysdale in the Bellarine Football League and then he was at North Shore prior to that.”
Chapman takes the reigns at Werribee during a transition period for the club as the Tigers move from the Victorian Amateur Football Association to the Western Region Football League.
Harrington said the appointment of a coach would now allow the club to focus on signing and recruiting of players.
“At the moment we are going through and putting all of our current list on contracts,” he said.
“A lot of recruits we have spoken to were sitting on the fence and waiting to see who we appointed. Now that it has been announced it will really help us move forward in recruiting guys to the club.”
