WANGARATTA has come up short in the race to sign former Collingwood and Melbourne defender Lynden Dunn.
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Dunn will join Essendon District Football League club West Coburg as assistant-coach for the next two seasons.
The Magpies were firmly in the mix to lure Dunn to Norm Minns Oval through his ties with star forward Michael Newton.
"It was always going to be West Coburg or us," Magpie coach Dean Stone said.
"Obviously West Coburg is less travel though and he has a good mate there as well.
"'Juice' (Newton) is also good mates with 'Dunny' and they spoke about it but it was always going to be hard for him with a young family."
Dunn, 33, is close friends with West Coburg coach Dale May.
The key position player was drafted by Melbourne with pick 15 in the 2004 national draft and went on to play 198 AFL matches before being delisted by Collingwood in October.
He has since been a recruiting target across the country.
Dunn would have been a perfect fit in defence for Wangaratta with Ben Reid, Newton and Josh Porter set to form a lethal three-pronged attack.
Unlike several other leading Ovens and Murray clubs, the Magpies have room to move with player points and haven't given up hope of landing another star recruit.
Reid will carry six points with Ben Speight with next highest on three.
Luke Morgan would have been two points but the former Magpie coach has moved on and is yet to sign with another club.
Meanwhile, former Wodonga Raiders defender Matt Neagle will play for Central District next season.
Neagle returned to the region due to coronavirus this year and joined Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong for a shortened AFL Riverina Championships season.
He played 10 senior SANFL matches in 2019.
Wagga Tigers' Dylan Morton has also joined the club.
