Harper Sercombe
Lance Whitnall is heading back to where his footy journey all began.
Lalor will be coached by Whitnall in the Northern Football League for the upcoming season, bringing to the table a wealth of knowledge and experience.
“It’s an exciting feeling going back to what I call home and that’s where I started my junior football, it’s basically the club I grew up in,” Whitnall said.
“It’s exciting to go back and give them a helping hand.”
After two winless seasons in the NFL’s division 3, there have been changes on and off the field for the Bloods, including bringing in a new committee for next season.
“The club where it’s at, at the moment, it’s a hard situation, no one likes seeing it, so we’re going back to do our little bit and help out,” Whitnall said.
“The people that have been there in the last five or six years have really tried hard and worked hard.
“It’s just people going back, to really dig in and try and get the club up and going again.”
Whitnall played 216 games for Carlton in the AFL between 1997 and 2007, since retiring he returned to the Bloods for two seasons before coaching Glenroy and then Craigieburn to a flag in 2019.
“I’ve done some coaching before and had some success, so I back in the way I go about it,” he said.
“Hopefully we can improve and we get a few players and a few people back.
“That’s what we’re looking for just to get people back around the place and start getting some numbers just to give the club a bit of a pulse again.”
While the All-Australian will have to wait and see the tools at his disposal before making any calls, he has plans at how the club wants to attack the off season.
“There’s no doubt that recruiting is going to be a high priority, we’ve already started with that and we’ve already got some good numbers coming in.
“I’m keen on getting some experience in and also youths, so going at both ends of it.
“Getting some older, experienced players that have played footy before that can help educate some of the kids.”
The Bloods are currently on a 42 game losing streak following a 311 point loss to Mernda in round 17.
They play Heidelberg West in the last round of the year before the Whitnall coaching era at the Bloods begins.
