When you bring in a coach of the calibre of Anthony Eames, you make no secret of your desire to return to the top.
Spotswood announced on Thursday night it had landed Eames’ prized signature after weeks of negotiations.
Eames was the WRFL interleague coach this season, a premiership winning coach at Altona and a Liston Trophy winner as a Werribee player, so his credentials are second to none.
Eames played junior football at Spotswood and a handful of senior games before moving up to the VFA, and has been hunted for a return to Spotswood.
“We first approached Anthony in 2008 to come to us as coach, so to secure him now, when our list is as young as it is, it’s a very exciting prospect,” Woodsmen board member Tony Walshe said.
“He is familiar with the club, but will reinvigorate us by giving an outsider’s perspective.”
The Eames appointment is not the start of a new era, but a continuation of the foundations built by player-coach Tom Langlands. Langlands, a home grown product, will be staying on as a player.
He will hand over the reins after three years of building a young list.
“It all started a couple of years ago when we won two under-18 premierships in a row,” Woodsmen president Alan Given told
Star Weekly. “We made an effort to try and sign as many of those players as we could, and the majority of kids we’ve played this year have been under 20.
“When we start being successful, hopefully next year or the year after, they’ll say it was a quick turnaround, but it’s been a hard slog the past couple of years to get us back on the path to eventually get back to top of the ladder.”
Spotswood is thrilled to have Langlands back for next season. The hard-at-it onballer is still at the peak of his power, having represented the successful WRFL combined side this season.
Langlands will have a big impact when the Woodsmen take to the field in an elimination final against Altona at Burbank Oval on Sunday. His decision to step down as coach at the end of this season is about work commitments.
“We’re glad that we got him back at Spotswood, we’re glad that he’s coached us for the last three years, and we’re more than glad he’s going to continue to play football for Spotswood,” Given said.
“He’s got a couple of years left in him of really top grade football.”
