The former Woorndoo-Mortlake mentor was an assistant coach at the Blues this year, but the lure of leading his own team has seen him switch to Mack Oval.

“I just wanted to continue my coaching career. I had a year being an assistant coach and I loved it, but I just had an itch to get back into senior coaching,” he said.

Moloney said while every team’s aim was to make finals, he knows the Kangaroos will need to bring in some more experienced players and bigger bodies to complement the youth and give them a chance at challenging for the top five.

“A lot of the young kids played this year, so they’ve got a senior year under their belts,” he said.

“Each year they’re getting taller and they’re improving.

“They’ve got a lot of young, quick kids so we’re going to work on really linking up, moving the ball fast, getting it into the forward line quickly.”

The 27-year-old has also played Hampden league footy with Camperdown, played in division one in Adelaide and won a premiership with St Marys in the Northern Territory Football League.

Russells Creek chairperson of football Brad Everall said the club had been eager for another playing coach to take over the reins from Luke Kenna and were thrilled to get Moloney on board.

“A playing coach who is six-foot-four and is obviously a very good player (is very handy to have),” he said.