WESTERNS’ preparations for the 2022 South West District Football League season went to a new level over the weekend with the appointment of Nick Alexandrou as senior coach.

Alexandrou will be a fresh face for the Roos, joining the club from Old Collegians in the Warrnambool and District Football League.

Prior to his time with Old Collegians, Alexandrou served as a senior assistant coach with East Warrnambool in the same competition, and also previously played with Warrnambool in the Hampden Football League in 2017.

As a player, Alexandrou is an imposing figure best known for his tap ruckwork, although his time out on the field was cut short in round one of this year’s WDFL season when a serious knee injury forced him into the sidelines.

Away from football, Alexandrou is always an avid basketballer, playing with the Warrnambool Seahawks within the Big V competition.

33-year-old Alexandrou will bring a new voice to Westerns after five years under senior coach Marcus England.

Westerns president Adam Hawke said the club was thrilled with Alexandrou’s outlined plans for the road ahead.

“We’re really, really happy to have Nick on board,” Hawke said.

“When we began our search for our next senior coach a few members of our club spoke to contacts around the Warrnambool competitions and Nick’s name came up early as someone highly recommended.

“Every conversation from that point onward has been really positive and constructive.

“He’s a really promising leader for this club, he’s played quality football in a number of leagues and will bring an outstanding level of understanding of the game to our club.

“He’s clearly a natural leader when it comes to footy and we’re excited to see the impact he’ll be able to have on the younger members of our senior group in particular.”

Adding a high-quality ruckman to the senior squad would be ideal for the Roos however Hawke said the club would be happy for Alexandrou to end up as either a playing or non-playing coach.

“I spoke to Nick about his injury on Saturday and he said rehabilitation was going really well and he was hoping to be back playing next year,” he said.

“We’ve made it clear though that the choice will be his and we aren’t putting any expectations on him when it comes to being a player, we’re looking for a leader right now more than a ruckman.

“His reputation as a ruckman is very good, but we’ve let him know that in his first year as coach we’re just hoping to see him get his list up-and-running and playing competitive footy every week, anything he’s able to bring as a player himself will be a bonus and up to how he’s feeling with his recovery.”

The 2021 senior campaign was largely one to forget for the Roos, winning four out of 10 matches to finish in fifth spot amid another pandemic interrupted season.

Westerns have also locked in a reserves coach for 2022, with Roos veteran Dylan Marlow taking on the role.

Marlow needs little introduction within the four walls of Alexandra Park, having played with the club for more than a decade rotating between the senior and reserves teams as a strong and reliable defender.

“We’ve laid a lot of groundwork when it comes to recruiting and now that we’ve got our senior coach locked in place, it’s going to be much easier to start putting pen to paper,” Hawke said.

“We’re hoping to maintain the majority of our senior footballers from last year and add a few more into the mix too of course, and hopefully enjoy a brighter, more successful year next year.

“Dylan (Marlow) was an easy choice our club as reserves coach, we think he’s the perfect fit for the role.

“Everyone that’s seen him play at Westerns knows he’s very well respected by the playing group, year in and year out, and out on the field he’s a voice you can always hear clearly offering guidance to everyone around him.

“The club is really happy he’s on board as coach.”