Werribee has wasted no time in finding its new Victorian Football League coach, with former North Melbourne development coach and Tigers premiership player John Lamont signing on for two years.
Lamont, a member of Werribee’s only flag team (1993), replaces the outgoing Scott West, who is pursuing opportunities at AFL level.
Lamont has spent the past seven years as a development coach with Werribee’s partial AFL affiliate, North Melbourne, and has
seen every Tigers match in the past three seasons.
“I think the last few years will enable me to hit the ground running,” Lamont says.
“I’ve already started to work through player and staff interviews; they already know me. The players have got a bit of an idea of my style and how I go about it, as do the staff.”
Lamont spent two years playing at Werribee and has coached TAC Cup clubs Oakleigh Chargers and Eastern Ranges.
He says his time with the Kangaroos has brought with it an “intimate knowledge” of both the Werribee and North Melbourne clubs.
Despite several VFL and AFL clubs deciding to go stand-alone in 2014, Werribee’s relationship with North Melbourne remains strong.
As always, crucial to the Tigers fortunes in 2014 will be balancing the development and form of Kangaroos-listed players with the Werribee list and a desire to continue the club’s recent success.
The Tigers have made three consecutive preliminary finals but not made it to the big dance.
“That partnership has been tremendous under Simon Atkins, Paul Satterley and Scott West and we can tighten it up even further now,” says Lamont.
“It’s a great tick of approval for the club that players like Ben Ross, Ben McKinley and Ben Warren have been happy to sign and play here.
“It’s really important to play finals footy and to have a real crack. Ideally you want to finish top four.”
Lamont says the club will continue to provide a breeding ground for potential AFL draftees.
“That’s part of our brief as well,” he says. “That’s built on the club culture.”
