Rival clubs circling coach-in-waiting Sam Lonergan had pushed Launceston to sign up the ex-Blues junior – for a second time – to coach the State League club for the next three seasons.
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The Essendon 79-game utility, from 2006 until 2012, had been handed a 12-month WADA ban over his playing involvement in the AFL club’s controversial supplements program.
Lonergan had signed to coach the Blues for the 2016 TSL season last September prior to the suspension.
Launceston “renewed” that contract, moving the playing coach’s deal forward a further 12 months.
The club will also coincide its first day of preseason in line with Lonergan’s ban being lifted on November 14.
“So we had to have a few things that we have to get organised with the AFL first before we could move forward,” Launceston president Paul O’Donoghue said.
“We got all that clarified over the last couple of weeks and Sam was very pleased to sign for the next three years.”
O’Donoghue was also very aware of TSL clubs hunting down Lonergan’s signature.
North Launceston is one searching a replacement for departing two-time premiership coach Zane Littlejohn, who now heads to Brisbane.
“He’s been approached by other clubs – not necessarily North Launceston. He was keen to be signed, so he could stop people phoning him and get that out of the way,” O’Donoghue said.
But O’Donoghue was not surprised in the interest for the 29-year-old, including speculation he was linked to multiple VFL coaching clubs.
“He and Aaron Cornelius are the most credentialed coaches in the competition at the moment – and Sam played (56) more games than Aaron,” he said.
“So given he was under (Kevin) Sheedy, had some success there and did an assistant coaching role in South Australia, I would say he probably is the most credentialed in the system.”
Outgoing coach Chris Hills said “nothing’s really at this stage” planned for next year.
“I’ll sit down with Sam when he’s been able to talk to people and we’ll have a chat about it then,” Hills said.