North Albury believes new coach Luke Norman will help snap a six-year finals drought.
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The Hoppers announced a two-year deal on Friday.
"The club is extremely fortunate to secure Luke as our senior coach," president Tony Burns said in a club statement.
"We set out to secure a coach with the skills and experience to take our young list on an exciting and successful journey.
Luke's passion, values and his desire ... to lead our proud club provides us with genuine excitement.
- Tony Burns
"Apart from his experience, which is outstanding, Luke's passion, values and his desire to want to lead our proud club provides us with genuine excitement about our on-field future."
Norman's arrival is a major boost for the Hoppers, who haven't played finals since 2015.
He was drafted by Melbourne at No.68 in 1994, playing 16 games as a defender in the next two seasons.
A rugged and pacy midfielder in the O and M, Norman was considered one of the league's finest players when he returned to Wangaratta in the 1990s, becoming a dual best and fairest.
He captained West Adelaide for two years, claiming the best and fairest in 2004.
Norman then coached Sturt to the 2009 grand final in his debut season, falling to Central District.
He also spent time as an assistant with fellow SANFL outfits Woodville-West Torrens and Glenelg.
Norman is regarded as an outstanding development coach, with the ability to build a much improved skill base.
"The recruiting panel has done a great job in signing Luke, they've been doing a lot of hard work behind the scenes," Burns praised.
Norman is currently on a family holiday and out of mobile phone reception.
IN OTHER NEWS:
It means Wodonga is the only club to name its coach, although speculation is strong that announcement will be confirmed in the near future.
This year's O and M competition was cancelled due to COVID-19, only adding to next year's excitement.
