PREMIERSHIP player Josh Carr will return to the Port Adelaide Football Club to join Ken Hinkley’s coaching team.

It will be Carr’s second stint as an assistant coach with the club, having previously been part of the coaching panel from 2011 until 2015 following his AFL retirement.

A tenacious midfielder who played 124 AFL games with Port Adelaide as well as 83 for Fremantle, he returns to Alberton having added to his coaching CV, including most recently as the Dockers’ midfield coach for the last three seasons.

Prior to that, Carr also coached North Adelaide for four SANFL seasons, guiding the Roosters to the 2018 premiership.

The 42-year-old will take charge of Port Adelaide’s midfield.

“Josh is someone I have maintained contact with since he left the club, watching on as he developed himself and became an accomplished coach in his own right,” said General Manager - Football, Chris Davies.

“We know the kind of person he is and have admired what he has been able to achieve, both with North Adelaide and Fremantle.

“We are excited to bring him and his family back to the club, and expect he will provide a fresh perspective and voice that will complement the wider coaching group.”

Among the changes to the coaching line-up, assistant coach Brett Montgomery and SANFL/forwards development coach Matthew Lokan will depart.

Montgomery returned to Alberton ahead of the 2019 season, helping the club’s defence to become one of the meanest in the AFL before assuming the role of midfield coach in 2022.

Lokan was appointed the club’s SANFL coach ahead of the 2018 season, guiding the Magpies to the 2019 Grand Final and contributing to the development of many of the club’s current AFL group.

“Having reviewed the season in consultation with Ken and our coaches, it was determined that we needed to freshen up the roles within our coaching group, and Brett agreed after four years working at the club that this would be a good time for him to also pursue new opportunities,” Davies said.

“Under his tutelage, our backline became one of the hardest to score against in the competition and this year, our midfield showed strong improvement using innovation to deal with the problem that key injuries presented to us. He is an outstanding coach and will be missed, but we respect his decision to look at what is next for him at this juncture.

“Matthew has made a valued contribution to player development while guiding our SANFL program over the past five seasons. It can be a thankless task at SANFL level sometimes, when AFL listed player numbers so heavily influence the results of the team. However, Matt has always been able to see the bigger picture required to do that role well.

“We thank him for his commitment and dedication to our club and wish him all the best for the future.”