West Coast has successfully lured Phil Merriman from Fremantle as the club's new high-performance manager.
Merriman announced his departure from the Dockers to explore new opportunities, but has landed at the Eagles after five years 'across town' at the arch rivals.
He also spent time at Melbourne and Hawthorn before Fremantle.
Merriman began his career in the AFL in 2011 and was mentored by world-class high-performance leaders Darren Burgess, Andrew Russell and John Quinn. He holds a Master's Degree in Exercise Science from Edith Cowan University and a BA in Exercise Sports Science from Deakin University.
He is replacing Mathew Inness, who joined Essendon.
"My family and I were planning to head interstate, and then this golden opportunity came up to work with this group and this Club. It was something that I just couldn't pass up," Merriman said.
"What excites me is the ability to work with a young and up-and-coming group who have clearly got a great athletic profile.
"Also, from the moment I met with Andrew McQualter, Gavin Bell, John Worsfold and Don Pyke, there was great alignment from the top down. They're the two big things that really strike me coming into the footy Club.
"There has clearly been some great work done from Mat, and that's not to be underestimated. Having a good relationship with Mat and having similar philosophies, it's a great entry into the Club.
"Having a good understanding of what the players have been doing is a really good stepping stone to jump into it."
West Coast GM of Football Gavin Bell was stoked that Merriman will join the club to help guide the new era forward, along with Andrew McQualter.
"We are thrilled Phil has joined the West Coast Eagles at an important phase of our on-field development," Bell said.
"Phil brings a wealth of AFL experience with a proven track record of working with young players to reach their physical potential and consistently compete at the highest level.
"His results leading an AFL high-performance program made him an outstanding candidate amongst an impressive field of applicants."
Merriman will officially begin his role on November 1.
