The mobile phone of Werribee Districts president Rod Harrington has been running hot since the announcement of triple AFL premiership star Paul Chapman taking over as senior coach at his football club.
“I don’t mind,” he told Star Weekly. “I’m never going to be sick of talking about it.”
The signing of Chapman is a major coup for Werribee Districts.
It has provided a pick-me-up for the Tigers since they parted ways with well-respected former coach Wade Chapman after a harrowing 136-point loss to Deer Park in the WRFL division 1 grand final in September.
Harrington sees the appointment of Paul Chapman as a massive boon for not only his club, but football and sport in Wyndham and the wider competition.
“It’s massive, not only for Werribee Districts, but for the WRFL and the entire city of Wyndham,” he said.
“The awareness and profile he brings to all of those entities is just going to be amazing.”
Chapman played 280 games and kicked 366 goals at the top level with Geelong and Essendon.
The 33-year-old was a revered figure in his time at Geelong as part of three premiership teams.
A tough-as-nails half-forward flanker and midfielder, Chapman was twice named in the All Australian team, took out the Geelong best-and-fairest in 2006 and was the Norm Smith Medal winner in the 2009 grand final win over St Kilda.
“I’ve already told him, I barrack for St Kilda, so it broke my heart when he kicked the winning goal in the 2009 grand final, so we had a bit of a chuckle about that,” Harrington said.
Big impression
Chapman made a huge impression on Werribee Districts during the interview process.
His profile and past achievements were only a small component of what the Tigers were looking for in a coach.
It had to be a good fit not only for the club, but for Chapman himself, who is embarking on a new phase of his football career.
“We put our case forward about what our club stands for and what we’re trying to do,” Harrington said.
“We understood what he was looking for as well, so in the end it was a good fit for him and for us.
“One of the things that really impressed us was his nature and his attitude.
“It’s why we believe he’s going to be a great fit for our footy club because of the way he conducts himself.
“It’s a really strong endorsement of where we’re at and what we’re trying to achieve for someone like him to join us.”
There is no set time frame to Chapman’s deal with Werribee Districts.
The understanding is that it is “open ended”, but the club wanting to keep him in their ranks for as long as possible, while not standing in his way if opportunities arise at a higher level.
“I might sound a bit like Eddie McGuire here, but he’s got the job for as long as he wants,” Harrington said with a laugh.
“We’re aware that potentially in time, he may receive offers to move into the AFL system and, if that’s the case, it would be a great reflection on our footy club.
“That could possibly happen in 12 months time, that could possibly happen in two years time, then again it might not happen.
“We’ll be looking to keep him at our club as long as we can, outside of higher opportunities for himself.
“It speaks volumes for the type of person he is that wanted to come back to grassroots level, dip his toes in the water with coaching to see how he enjoys it and where he can take it.”
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