Sunbury Kangaroos have turned to club life member and former coach Jarrod Dixon to lead the club forward next season.
The Riddell District Football League club announced earlier this week that Dixon would replace Chris Meacham as senior coach next year.
Meacham decided midway through this year that he wouldn’t be continuing as senior coach beyond this season.
Dixon, who last coached the Kangaroos in 2009, has spent the last five years as an assistant coach at Keilor in the Essendon District Football League.
Kangaroos president Allan Walters said Dixon had been offered a one year contract with the option of a second year.
“We advertised the job and Jarrod saw the advert and decided to apply for the job,” Walters said.
“He is a life member at the club and having been under Mick McGuane at Keilor for a number of years, we’re hoping he will bring back a lot of knowledge.
“Mick is one of the quality coaches going round.”
Dixon said it was an honour to be a senior coach of any side
“It’s great to be back at the Kangaroos,” he told the Star Weekly.
“I’ve still got heaps of friends at the club.
“Logistically the Kangaroos is a good suit as I live in Sunbury.
“My son has also started in the junior program at the Kangaroos.”
Dixon said he returns to the club a better coach then when he left having been gained a lot of knowledge coaching under McGuane.
He said he had only coached a couple of players in the senior squad previously.
“I coached for five years at Keilor and it is a great education,” he said.
“He [McGuane] is undoubtedly the best local coach in the system.
“You definitely never stop learning under him.
“Structures and player management are two things that I’ve really learnt under him.
“The higher level of knowledge I’ve got now is needed in the RDFL now as the standard has gone up.”
Dixon said he would continue the club’s focus of bringing young players into the side.
The Kangaroos finished seventh this season in an injury riddled year.
“My policy is building on what we have with young guys,” Dixon said.
“With where the competition is at, with the salary cap and points system to be introduced I think the youth side of things is imperative.
“I want the seniors to get behind the youth program and have a big emphasis of getting youth into the side.”
