Laverton has appointed its new senior coach for the 2013 season. 62483_09 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By LIAM TWOMEY
LAVERTON has appointed Dallas Harvey as head coach for the 2013 season.
After a disappointing year in the Western Region Football League, Harvey has replaced the departing Justin Moran.
It is the second time Harvey will take control at the Magpies after he coached the club to finals in 2009 before joining Point Cook.
Laverton president Matthew Pratt said it was great to have Harvey back at the Magpies.
“We think the thing for us was finding the right coach for our club,” Pratt said.
“We had a very difficult season and it was really for many reasons. There wasn’t one specific reason. “I think with Dallas we have a person who is very strong in his decisions and obviously having come from the club in the past he understands the players and he understands the culture.”
Harvey will be joined by a new coaching panel at Laverton with the club looking to ensure a more even spread of workload for 2013.
“It is all about sharing the load at the end of the day and sharing the responsibility,” Pratt said.
“Ultimately the coach is accountable but the assistant coaches will obviously be responsible for ensuring that the structures are put in place and that people are holding up their end of the bargain as well.
“We needed to put a more professional team together. It is a team and that is what it all comes down to.”
In 2012 the Magpies finished 10th on the WRFL Division Two ladder, winning just two matches for the season.
With a head coach now appointed, Pratt said the club would undertake a “needs analysis” of its list as well as concentrating on the development of its young players.
“I think at the end of the day our intentions are about getting respect back and becoming a lot more competitive on the field,” Pratt said.
“Our aim will always be to play finals as it should be. We are obviously coming from a long way back and are very honest about where we are at.
“We are very excited to have Dallas back in the fold and keen to embrace the new coaching structure.”
