King to coach at the Kennel

The Western Bulldogs are pleased to announce the appointment of Steven King as an assistant coach at the Club for season 2012.

The 32 year-old arrives at the Whitten Oval from the St Kilda Football Club where he was the ruck/midfield coach in 2011.

In his move to the Bulldogs, King will be reunited with Brendan McCartney who he played under during his on-field career at Geelong - including the 2007 AFL Premiership.

King is excited about the prospect of working with McCartney at the Whitten Oval.

“Having worked with Brendan before, I’ve recognised his great work ethic and knowledge of the game and it’s a real honour and privilege to be able to work with him at the Bulldogs,” said King.

“I’ve been around a couple of successful environments in my football career. It’s those type of values and beliefs that I’ve developed over the journey that I look forward to bringing to the Bulldogs.

“The Club has a really exciting list and I can’t wait to get started working with them.”

Bulldogs senior coach Brendan McCartney believes King’s experience in the game and enthusiasm to educate will be a great asset to the Club.

“He sees the game really well. He has a good rapport with people and has a genuine passion for helping people get better,” said McCartney.

King joins Brett Montgomery and Shannon Grant as part of Brendan McCartney’s coaching staff for season 2012.

“All our coaches at the AFL level have been involved with premierships. This sort of experience is invaluable,” added McCartney.

King played 240 senior AFL games with Geelong and St Kilda, and was a member of the Cats 2007 premiership side.

King captained the Cats between 2003 and 2006, was a two-time Club best and fairest (2000,2002) and member of the AFL All Australian Team in 2000.

Today’s appointment completes the Bulldogs’ coaching panel with the appointment of club champion Rohan Smith as Skill Development Coach.

Smith played 300 games and kicked 254 for the Bulldogs before retiring in 2006. The 38 year-old was named an All-Australian on two occasions (1997, 2003) in his 16 year AFL career. He also won the 1998 E.J. Whitten Medal as the best Victorian player in the State of Origin clash against the Allies.

The Western Bulldogs are set to hit the ground running for the pre-season and beyond.