Werribee’s Brad Mangan caught the eye of several AFL scouts this season. 69922 Picture: DAMIAN VISENTINI
WERRIBEE’S new senior coach could be announced as early as this week.
Football Club CEO Mark Penaluna said the first two stages of the interviews have been finalised, with the last round of interviews, which will include psychological profiling, expected to be completed this week.
“The aim is to try and make a decision by the end of next week,” Penaluna said.
“I’ve got no doubt that we’ll be finding a candidate who will be doing a very good job for Werribee Football Club and the city of Wyndham generally.”
Penaluna said the club has been in discussions with several potential recruits, but said it was too early to name anyone.
“We’ve been speaking to some ex-AFL people, but its always a difficult period as we work through this.
Those who realistically think they’re a chance in the national or rookie draft, we would need to work through that and generally straight after the rookie draft (13 December) is when a lot of things happen.”
Penaluna said the club was hoping to shore up as much of the playing list as possible before the club heads back to training on 7 November.
One player who has an opportunity to leave the club for greener pastures is Brad Mangan, who was invited to attend last week’s AFL state combine at Etihad Stadium but could not participate due to injury.
Mangan made several AFL clubs take notice with a superb season in defence last year. His performance during the CFL finals series, where he kept Brendan Fevola and Mitch Hahn goalless, only strengthened his case.
“We think he’s right under the microscope of AFL clubs, and we’re quietly confident that Brad will be in the AFL system next year,” Penaluna said.
