 |
PORT ADELAIDE has appointed Matthew Lokan as senior coach of the Magpies on a three-year contract.
The 34-year-old says, after four years with Glenelg, he’s excited to return to Port Adelaide where he played 112 SANFL games.
“My career began at Alberton and I can’t wait to get back there,” he said.
“It’s an honour to join the list of great people who’ve coached the Magpies down the years.
“I’d like to thank Glenelg for the opportunity they gave me to coach. I learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed my time there but the chance to work full-time alongside an AFL program is one I couldn’t afford to pass up.”
Port Adelaide’s General Manager of Football, Chris Davies, says
“This is a natural career pathway for Chad to shift his focus to a specific group of young players with whom he already has strong relationships,” Davies said.
“We canvassed a number of potential replacements but are delighted to sign someone of Matthew’s quality.
“We’ve followed his career for some time. Most recently he’s shown as senior coach of Glenelg that he has the skills needed to drive the Magpies’ football program.”
Lokan made his SANFL debut with the Magpies in 2002 and at the end of that season was selected by Collingwood with pick 70 in the National Draft.
He played 46 AFL games, including the 2003 Grand Final, during three seasons with Collingwood.
In 2006 he returned to Port Adelaide to play with the Magpies where he remained until the end of the 2011 season.
After two seasons as the playing coach of the Belconnen Magpies in the North East Australian Football League, Lokan was appointed to the role of Football Manager at the Glenelg Football Club in 2014 before taking over as senior coach the following season.
He lifted the reigning wooden-spooner to ninth with four wins in 2015, seventh with six wins in 2016 and seventh with eight wins in 2017.
Cornes highlighted professional development as the key factor behind his change in roles.
“My two years in charge of the Magpies taught me so much about coaching and about myself as well,” he said.
“This opportunity though allows me to focus on getting the best out of a core group of young players, and also to work more closely with the rest of the AFL assistant coaches to get a better understanding of what those roles demand.”
Port Adelaide narrowly missed the SANFL finals in Cornes’ first season at the helm before making the 2017 Grand Final only to lose by one point to reigning premier Sturt.
Cornes will have a match-day role with the Magpies while continuing to act as
More on portadelaidefc.com.au...
