The Western Bulldogs today announced Chris Maple as the Coach of the Club’s new 2014 VFL Team, the Footscray Bulldogs.
Maple, who has been a member of the Bulldogs' coaching panel since 2008, has headed the Club’s development program for the last four years in the role of Development Manager.
Maple was recently awarded the 2013 Sports Learning Australia Development Coach of the Year award by AFL Coaches Association.
The Development Coach of the Year award recognises outstanding commitment, service and innovation in developing and preparing young players for the rigours of the AFL system.
Bulldogs Acting Chief Executive, Shannon Rees said today that Maple's appointment was a great outcome for the club with Maple also to continue in the role of Dogs’ Development Manager.
“Chris has played a significant role to date in developing the exceptional young talent that we have here at the Bulldogs,” Rees said today.
“His capacity to support and develop our younger group to be the best that they can be - both on and off the field – makes him the perfect person to lead our VFL Team going forward”.
Maple said that he was thrilled by the appointment.
“I am really looking forward to getting stuck in to building the Footscray Bulldogs into a professional, top notch team that nurtures and develops our future AFL players”, Maple said today.
