Falcons get their Man in Darren Harris

Falcons get their Man in Darren Harris

The West Perth Football Club has signed Darren Harris as its next Senior Coach taking over from Geoff Valentine who has gone to coach at Fremantle after leading the Falcons for the past three seasons.

President Dr Neale Fong and the Board led a short and focused process to secure Harris as the next Senior Coach, setting the club up for high quality development of both the coaching and playing groups.

Fong commented, “Darren is a proven successful coach and a quality West Perth person. We are excited to welcome Darren and his family back into the Club where he has a great love and passion for. We have no doubt that Darren is the best placed person to coach our current group of players as we strive for our next Premiership.

“Importantly Darren will have one of the strongest teams around him with Jason Salecic returning to coaching along with Andrew Strijk, Dion Fleay and Matthew Guadagnin as line coaches, Ron Skender as specialist Ruck Coach and Blake Arnold will stay on as our Head of Development and Coach the Reserves. Ryan Lasscock will coach the Colts for a further year extending his tenure to six seasons.

Our Club has a quality coaching team at all levels, and this stable transition will set us up for future success”.

Harris stated, “I’m grateful and excited at the challenge ahead and to have the opportunity at the Club where I started my WAFL career means a lot. The West Perth Football Club was a major factor in my life as a young man, it was a builder of my self-esteem, and it has become a family for me and my family”.

“Football has taken me all over this great country, but wherever I’ve gone I’ve always been connected to West Perth. I can’t wait to get started and this is an opportunity to get back to the Club I love and work with some really good people and strive for success. The Club helped me to become the best I could be and now it’s another opportunity for me to help the current group of players and coaches to be the best they can be”.

Harris will meet with the player group this week as the Club embarks on its 2022 pre-season campaign which has been strengthened by the recent signings of Luke Meadows and Ben Johnson, with more to come.

BRIEF FACTS ON DARREN HARRIS

• Debuted 30 years ago as a player in 1992 for WPFC.
• Premiership Captain, Simpson Medallist and Breckler Medallist in 1995
• Played an outstanding WAFL career playing 109 Games
• Post 1996 season returned to Victoria and led the Wodonga Raiders to a Premiership in 1998.
• Returned to his beloved West Perth in 2002 as Senior Coach with immediate impact taking the team to the Grand Final in his first season.
• In his second season won a Premiership in 2003.
• Significant time coaching in the AFL system with stints at both the West Coast Eagles and the Carlton Football Clubs.
• Forwards Coach in West Coast 2006 Premiership under John Worsfold.
• Since moving back with his family to Perth in 2012 Darren has worked in the leadership consultancy space and his most recent coaching appointment was with the Claremont FC when he led the Tigers to the Grand Final in 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION or CONTACT

Please contact Joe McCarthy, CEO  on 0439 497 032 or jmccarthy@falconsfc.com.au