Viney, who played 233 matches for Melbourne from 1987-1999 - the tenth most in the Club’s history - returns after a successful coaching career with Hawthorn and Adelaide.
Viney will report to General Manager - Football, Chris Connolly, and will work closely with senior coach Dean Bailey and General Manager - List Management, Tim Harrington on building the premiership model.
Viney will oversee the operations of the Club’s overall player development programs, including the academy with Kelly O’Donnell, and personal development with Ian Flack. He will also work closely with conditioning coaches to ensure the development of the players’ physical skills are consistent with longer term objectives in the context of the Premiership Model.
Chris Connolly said, “Todd’s appointment to this senior role will help us ensure we give all our players a development framework that will set them up for long and successful careers with the Melbourne Football Club. In particular, the next three to four years will be a critical development period for many of our emerging young players.”
Todd Viney said, “I’m really ecstatic to be returning to the Club at such an exciting time. Jim, the board, and everybody at the Club have done an amazing job in revitalising it over the last couple of years. I look forward to assisting the Club to move forward in its quest to deliver the Melbourne members, supporters and past players a thirteenth premiership, and to consistently challenge for AFL premierships over a sustained period of time”.
Previously coach of Victorian country team Moama, Viney became an assistant coach with Hawthorn from between 2004 and 2008, and was a member of the brown and gold’s premiership coaching staff in 2008. Viney then returned to his native South Australia, where he became an assistant coach at Adelaide from 2009 to 2010.
During his career with Melbourne, he captained the Club from 1998 to 1999, and played for South Australia and Australia in representative football.
He won the Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy as Best and Fairest twice, in 1993 and 1998.
Viney was also named in Melbourne’s Team of the Century, is a member of the Club’s Hall of Fame, and in 2008 was named one of the red and blue’s 150 Heroes.
Viney will commence his role with the Club in early November 2010.
