OUTGOING Dennington coach Darcy Lewis says the Dogs’ new mentor will inherit a talent-laden list capable of pushing for a premiership in 2017.
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Lewis is helping the Warrnambool and District league club with its search as its strives to find the best candidate for the top job.
The 2015 premiership mentor believes the Dogs will retain the bulk of their list and can move veterans into different roles in a bid to develop future key position prospects.
“I will hang on to the reigns until we can find somebody to take over,” Darcy said.
“The main thing for a coach at this time of year is to get around and retain the list and I am doing that.
“Everything is going on as normal, as if we have a coach.
“We’re not rushing into it. We’ve come a long way the past decade and want to put the right person in place.”
Lewis spent five seasons, spread across six years, at the helm.
The key forward said he enjoyed coaching but identified the need for a change.
“I could probably hold us where we are but in order for us to move forward, a new voice will add spark,” Lewis said.
“I am really looking forward to being coached again. I am on the back end of my career and I want to try and have a couple of good seasons.
“Hopefully I can have someone to learn off the next couple of years.”
Lewis said adding pace to the Dogs’ line-up would help them remain in the flag hunt after finishing third last season despite a horror injury run.
“I said to the boys at the end of the year ‘don’t think the wheels have fallen off or the premiership window is closed’,” he said.
“We have a few older guys like myself, Luke Duncan and Jono Nevill and need to recruit kids to push us out of key positions and into pockets.
“To stay at the top of the table, we need to make sure we have kids in. We had 10 kids step up this year and a handful will look for senior opportunities.”
Lewis identified Charlie McDonald, Tom Fitzgerald, Zeb McKenna and George Serra as promising prospects.