Western Bulldogs assistant coach Matt Spangher has left the Footscray-based club in a shocking departure one day before the squad returned for pre-season, informing the Bulldogs of his decision "late last week".
Spangher has taken his talents to Hawthorn to join senior coach Sam Mitchell's ranks, with both Hawthorn and the Bulldogs confirming the appointment on Monday.
Spangher reunites with three of his 2014 premiership teammates - Sam Mitchell, Jarryd Roughhead (recruiter) and David Hale (midfield coach).
Spangher's role at Hawthorn will be their Head of Football Strategy and Projects, a new role for the 38-year-old who has served as the Bulldogs' forwards coach since 2022. It is seen as a wider football department position rather than pure coaching.
Hawthorn Executive General Manager of Football Rob McCartney said Spangher's portfolio would benefit the club across several areas.
“First and foremost, welcoming a person of Matt's calibre back to Hawthorn immediately adds to our high-performing culture,” McCartney said.
“Matt will take a leading role in key strategic projects across all areas of our football department. The opportunity to bring someone in with his character into our football program is very exciting.
“As we begin our first season at the Kennedy Community Centre and at a time when every football club is looking to find an edge, we see Matt's appointment as critical in our pursuit of success.”
Cleary stated that Spangher's late exit has left the club "scrambling to find a replacement" as first-to-fourth year players return to club facilities without a forward line coach.
Spangher has been paramount to the attacking success out of Whitten Oval in the past few seasons, overseeing five 40-goal campaigns in his tenure at the club, three from Aaron Naughton.
In March, Spangher was awarded with the Phil Walsh Memorial Scholarship, an annual grant given to coaches who follow the example of the late senior coach to aid their development in the AFL coaching industry.
Bulldogs General Manager of Coaching & Performance Matt Egan praised the impact of Spangher's time at the club.
“Matt built a great connection with our staff and players during his time at the Bulldogs, in particular with our forwards group,” Egan said.
“He has a real passion for relationships and developing people, something our players really benefited from, and they will take his lessons into the future.
“While it is always disappointing to lose good people, this was an exciting opportunity for Matt in an elevated and strategic role at Hawthorn.”
“We wish him all the best for his next chapter and thank him for his contribution to our football program over four years.”
His strengths as a coach ensured that the Bulldogs attack remained among the league's elite in 2025, despite a number of injury concerns in the front half.
Unicorn talent Sam Darcy missed a significant stint of the season and small forward Cody Weightman was out for the year entirely, but that didn't prevent the Bulldogs from scoring an average of 16 goals per game - the first club to do so since Adelaide in 2016.
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