FORMER Wodonga teammates Brad Thompson and Phil Packer will co-coach Murray Magpies next season.
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With Josh Maher stepping back to assistant-coach due to increasing work commitments, the Magpies have opted for co-coaches as they attempt to keep pace with some heavy recruiting rival clubs.
Maher’s brother, Daniel, will remain at Urana Road Oval as a player.
Packer, who coached Mitta United to three flags before spending time as an assistant-coach with Simon Bone and Daryn Cresswell at Wodonga Raiders, is looking forward to reuniting with Thompson.
“Brad Thompson lives around the corner from me and I’ve obviously played a fair bit of footy with him at Wodonga,” Packer said.
“We’ve been mates for 25 years.
“Co-coaching is probably the way to go these days as it’s getting harder and harder to commit by yourself with work, family and things like that.
“I think we can make it work.
“It will be good to get back into it again.”
Thompson spent 2016 with the Murray Magpies before returning to Melbourne club Old Ivanhoe Grammarians this year.
It remains unclear if he will play next season.
Maher took over as coach from Corey Lambert midway through 2016 and took the Magpies into the preliminary final.
They dropped down to seventh this year after losing their final round match to Rand-Walbundrie-Walla.
Maher backed the move to bring in Thompson and Packer.
“With work and travelling, coaching was getting a bit much,” Maher said.
“I’ll be stepping back.
“I’m keen to stay at the club and I think ‘Thommo’ (Thompson) and Phil Packer will work well.”
Thompson and Packer’s appointment means every club in the Hume league has senior coaches in place for next season.