MELBOURNE has appointed Brian Royal as its new assistant coach.
He replaces Sean Wellman, who recently returned to Essendon as an assistant under new coach and former teammate James Hird.
The 48-year-old said he was delighted to rejoin Melbourne, after serving as an assistant under former coach Neale Daniher during the club’s 2000 grand final season. More recently, Royal was with St Kilda.
“I was very fortunate to work with a very good football team over the last 12 months, however an opportunity presented itself to work with an up and coming and exciting team,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“And I look forward to working with the club to build a successful team.”
‘Choco’ played 199 matches and kicked 299 goals with the Bulldogs from 1983-93, before becoming a highly-respected assistant/development coach in the AFL.
As a player, he made an immediate impact in the game, as he was widely regarded as the recruit of the year in 1983.
The tenacious rover represented Victoria eight times and was All-Australian in 1986.
He also won Footscray’s best and fairest award in 1983.
After retiring, Royal was the reserves coach for the Bulldogs from 1996-97 and became the club’s assistant in 1998-99.
Royal was then an assistant coach with Melbourne from 2000-03, before joining the Kangaroos in 2004.
He then joined Terry Wallace at Richmond in 2005 and remained with the Tigers until the end of 2009. He was as assistant/director of coaching at Punt Rd.
In 2010, he was a development coach with St Kilda and was part of the club’s staff, which guided the Saints to a grand final.
He replaces Sean Wellman, who recently returned to Essendon as an assistant under new coach and former teammate James Hird.
The 48-year-old said he was delighted to rejoin Melbourne, after serving as an assistant under former coach Neale Daniher during the club’s 2000 grand final season. More recently, Royal was with St Kilda.
“I was very fortunate to work with a very good football team over the last 12 months, however an opportunity presented itself to work with an up and coming and exciting team,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“And I look forward to working with the club to build a successful team.”
‘Choco’ played 199 matches and kicked 299 goals with the Bulldogs from 1983-93, before becoming a highly-respected assistant/development coach in the AFL.
As a player, he made an immediate impact in the game, as he was widely regarded as the recruit of the year in 1983.
The tenacious rover represented Victoria eight times and was All-Australian in 1986.
He also won Footscray’s best and fairest award in 1983.
After retiring, Royal was the reserves coach for the Bulldogs from 1996-97 and became the club’s assistant in 1998-99.
Royal was then an assistant coach with Melbourne from 2000-03, before joining the Kangaroos in 2004.
He then joined Terry Wallace at Richmond in 2005 and remained with the Tigers until the end of 2009. He was as assistant/director of coaching at Punt Rd.
In 2010, he was a development coach with St Kilda and was part of the club’s staff, which guided the Saints to a grand final.
