FORMER South Launceston premiership coach Mitch Thorp will coach Devonport in the Tasmanian State League next season.
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The Examiner can reveal that Thorp and the club have agreed to terms and he will be appointed on a two-year contract.
The 25-year-old had been keen to return home to Tasmania for family reasons since spending this season as an assistant playing-coach with SANFL club Glenelg.
He missed the last four games with a hamstring injury and has been a regular spectator at Western Storm games over the past month.
Unable to return to Western Storm as coach with Mitch Hills the incumbent, Thorp was keen to base his young family in Launceston and travel to coach Devonport next season.
AFL Tasmania appeared to block that plan with its insistence that the club’s full-time coach should live on the North-West Coast but The Examiner understands that issue has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties involved.
Devonport president Shane Yates would not confirm Thorp’s appointment yesterday but indicated that a coaching announcement was imminent.
‘‘We’re confident that we will be making an announcement this week,’’ Yates said.
Thorp had a stellar 2013 State League season, winning his club’s best-and-fairest award, the Tassie Medal as the TSL best-and-fairest player, the Cazaly Medal as premiership coach and the media award as top player.
His appointment will be a major boost for Devonport, which has a talented young list ripe for future success.
It is expected that Devonport will officially announce his appointment tomorrow.
