St Kilda have announced club great Robert Harvey will return to the club as an assistant coach, coming after the announcement that Ross Lyon will step into the senior coaching role.
Harvey played 383 games for the Saints across 21 seasons at the club, earning numerous accolades including two Brownlow Medals and four club best and fairest awards.
Following his retirement in 2008, Harvey stepped into coaching roles within the AFL, starting as an assistant coach at Carlton before returning to the Saints.
Most recently, Harvey has worked as an assistant coach at Collingwood, where he would eventually take on the caretaker senior coaching role in 2021 after the departure of Nathan Buckley, before stepping into a role alongside Sam Mitchell at Hawthorn.
On Tuesday the Hawks confirmed Harvey's departure, thanking him for his time at the club.
“Since walking through the doors at our football club, Harvs has shown a great ability to connect with his players and fellow coaches,” Hawthorn football boss Rob McCartney said.
“In recent days we have had an open and honest conversation about Harvs' desire to return to his former club given the changes that have occurred there.
“We would like to acknowledge Harvs' service to club and wish him well for the future as he returns to his former club in St Kilda.”
Harvey's arrival adds to fellow former Saint Lenny Hayes also returning to Moorabbin as an assistant coach, while Ben McGlynn and Brendon Lade have departed the club since the end of their 2022 campaign.
“On the field I always wanted to get the very best out of myself and be someone my teammates could rely on,” Harvey said in a club statement.
“As a coach, those values have been central to the way I go about things, and I'm excited to help the club I love emerge stronger in 2023.
“I grew up at St Kilda, so to now have the opportunity to help others do the same and hopefully play a role in bringing success to the league's best fans, I cannot wait to get started.”
