Sharks coach asks to stay

Albany Football Club coach Leon Wynne has thrown his hat in the ring to become the first man to coach the newest Great Southern Football League side in consecutive seasons.

Applications for the Sharks' league coaching position closed last Tuesday, September 30, with the club receiving two submissions for the position.

If Wynne is successful and re-appointed, it will be the first time the club has retained their senior coach for a second season.

Joe Galantino coached the Sharks in their first league season in 2012 before Peter Larkins took over at the beginning of 2013. Cleve Humphries took the reins midway through 2013 when Larkins quit.

Wynne coached at amateur level in Perth after playing stints with Tambellup, Denmark-Walpole and North Albany, and said he thought the club had taken big steps in 2014.

"We had a lot of milestones in terms of discipline and adding a bit of structure to the game plan last season," Wynne said.

"I think I can do a lot better next year with colts players coming up and attracting more players to the club."

Wynne's coaching tenure at Collingwood Park started slowly after the Sharks lost by their biggest margin at the hands of co-tenants North Albany, going down by 242 points early in the season. The Sharks showed improvements throughout the year as they came the closest they have been to a maiden league triumph when they lost by just 36 points to Denmark-Walpole in round 11.

Sharks president Alan Smallwood announced at the club's best and fairest count last month that he would stand down.

Vice-president Geoff Oldfield is expected to step into the position at the club's AGM on November 7.

Oldfield confirmed he had received two applications for the league coaching position for the 2015 GSFL season but would not disclose the applicants' names.

"We will meet as a committee over the next couple of weeks and interview both applicants," he said.

Smallwood will coach the Sharks in their one-off game against the Royal Australian Navy's football team as part of Anzac centenary commemorations next month.