Natimuk Football Club is set to embark on a new era, with Dylan Wright signing as a playing coach for the 2013 Horsham District Football League season.
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Wright, 24, is from Sunbury.
This is his first senior coaching position.
Natimuk president Travis Maybery described it as a major coup for the club.
"Dylan is exactly what we've been looking for," he said. "We felt we needed a playing coach and Dylan is going to be a fantastic on-field leader for us.
"We believe his influence is really going to turn us around."
Wright, who saw the coaching position advertised on the Victorian Country Football League website, said he was excited about the opportunity. "I know the club has had some tough years but I'm not coming up there to finish on the bottom of the ladder," he said.
"The committee and myself as coach are all looking to put the club in the right direction."
Wright, a rover or half-forward, did a pre-season with South Australian National Football League club Sturt in 2011 before taking on a development coaching role with Sunbury Kangaroos in the Riddell District Football League.
An accomplished player, Wright's playing resume also includes a stint in the Essendon District Football League, where he finished third in the league's best and fairest award in 2009. Last season Wright played with Mallee Eagles in the Central Murray Football League.
Wright fractured his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in August an injury that will sideline him for the early parts of the 2013 season.
"I'm aiming to be back by round three or four," he said.
He said the club hoped to add to its playing list ahead of 2013.
"I've got some mates I'll be bringing with me and we will also announce more player signings in coming weeks," he said.
Wright replaces Brett Whitley, who stood down at the end of the 2012 season after two years in the position.
