Nick Dal Santo is coming home. The former St Kilda midfield star is returning to the club as the Next Generation Academy Coach and will also be involved in a coaching capacity with St Kilda’s Father-Son Academy.
The Next Generation Academies are a new initiative between the AFL and the clubs and are aimed at increasing the opportunities for multicultural and indigenous communities to learn and play the game.
After three years at North Melbourne, the recently retired Dal Santo returns to the club he represented with distinction on 260 occasions, where he earned all three of his All-Australian guernseys and where he played a prominent role in the Grand Final era between 2009 and 2010.
Dal Santo, who was originally recruited by the Saints with selection No. 13 in the 2001 super draft, told saints.com.au he was thrilled to reconnect with the club he has spent more than a third of his life at.
“First of all, it’s great to get back and involved with St Kilda, a place where I spent 12 years of my life and still have a lot of close friends from,” Dal Santo told saints.com.au.
“I’ve maintained a close relationship with Ameet Bains [Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel] since leaving for North Melbourne and have continued to catch up with him in the years since I left the Saints and he has helped orchestrate this appointment.”
Since hanging up the boots at the end of last season, Dal Santo has dipped his toes into the coaching pond by being involved in the NAB AFL Academy as a skill acquisition coach, working alongside new head coach and former Brisbane triple premiership star Luke Power.
Dal Santo said the opportunity to help the next generation develop was another part of his appointment he was looking forward to the most.
“The other part is the coaching young kids which really appeals to me,” Dal Santo said.
“I’d like to help players making their way in football and help mould their journey and teach them some of things I’ve learnt across 15 years in the AFL.
“I’ve done some work with the AFL Academy since I retired and I’d like to continue exploring coaching in the future. So with that in mind, I’m really looking forward to getting involved with the Next Generation Academy.”
