NEW Hamilton Kangaroos mentor Gerard FitzGerald says the lure of shaping the club's future re-ignited desire to lead a Hampden league outfit.
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FitzGerald was on Tuesday night unveiled as the Kangaroos' new senior coach, replacing Matt Dunn at the helm.
The former Camperdown and Mortlake coach, who is most famous for leading North Ballarat Roosters to three consecutive premierships, was excited to take on the role.
He said a meeting with Kangaroos' officials in July put the wheels in motion for his appointment.
"I'd been part of helping a lot of clubs navigate their way to finding a coach and what their coaching structure could look like," FitzGerald said.
"I'd perhaps advised clubs on how to go about that process, and that's how the meeting (with Hamilton Kangaroos) started.
"I walked away really impressed. There was real integrity in the way it was dealt with.
"It was probably because the impression on me was so significant that it made me think 'is it time for me now to have another go at coaching?
The answer to that was 'yes I do, in the right environment'.
- Gerard FitzGerald
"The answer to that was 'yes I do, in the right environment'."
The 62-year-old said he'd introduce new philosophies around training and on-field performance.
"I'm excited because in a rural city like Hamilton, only having the one team, there should be reasonable potential to do well," he said.
"I wanted to investigate the resources available because all footy clubs have a capacity to have a point of difference."
He said developing both playing talent and the club attracted him to the role.
Hamilton Kangaroos football director Craig Pertzel said FitzGerald's passion and experience meant he was the "perfect fit" for the club.
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