Bundoora didn’t need to look far for the right man to take on the club’s senior coaching role.
The Northern Football League division one club last week announced Ricky Dyson had been appointed head coach of the Bulls, replacing premiership-winning coach Phil Plunkett.
Dyson has played with the Bulls since 2013, but he missed this year as one of 34 current or former Essendon players suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The utility played 114 games with the Bombers between 2004 and 2012 and joined the Bulls in 2013.
Bulls’ football manager Roy Vogles says Dyson is jumping out of his skin to get into the coaching role.
“We went through our due diligence and came up trumps with Ricky. We had six or seven applicants and made a short list. We put him through the ringer.
“He’s played 114 games of AFL football and it’s not that often you get someone with that significant amount of top-level exposure at an AFL club wanting to coach.
“He’s got a fantastic rapport with the players and has their full backing. That’s the hardest thing, to win players over.”
Dyson will return to the playing field next season as a playing coach.
Vogles said the small glimpses they had had of Dyson in a coaching role at the Bulls had been promising.
“He had an assistant role with us and he was ready to step up. In fact, we were going to start to groom him to take over as senior coach.
“Ricky brought in a new direction to training, and it was sadly missed this year. He’s jumping out of his skin.”
