Dandenong City capture experienced Munro

by Damir Kulas 0

Dandenong City have announced the appointment of Stuart Munro as their manager for the 2017 NPL2 season with former Melbourne Victory midfielder Tom Pondeljak named as his assistant.

The 54-year-old takes the reins at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex following the departure of predecessor Aaron Healey at the beginning of the month.

Munro makes the move having spent 2015 coaching WNPL side Southern United who embarked on their inaugural campaign in the top flight.

The Scotsman had a distinguished playing career which included making over 200 competitive appearances for Rangers in the 1980s under Graeme Souness, helping the Glasgow giants claim four Scottish titles.

After spells in England with Blackburn Rovers and Bristol City respectively, he migrated to Australia in 1997 where he spent the final year of his senior career with Sydney United in the NSL.

A two-time Scotland B international, Munro commenced a coaching career soon after retiring and held head coaching positions at the Gippsland Falcons, Carlton and South Melbourne prior to the demise of the national competition in 2004.

Overlooked for the head coaching role at Melbourne Victory in season one of the A-League, he helped the Oakleigh Cannons win the 2006 VPL Premiership before capturing the same prize with newly promoted Dandenong Thunder years later.

He returned to the national stage in 2011 when he joined former Rangers teammate Ian Ferguson as an assistant coach at Perth Glory, helping the club reach the 2012 A-League Grand Final before returning to Melbourne in 2013 where he was re-appointed as the manager of Thunder.

The ex-defender becomes Hajduk’s sixth coach in the last five years, following in the footsteps of Joe Biskic, Kruni Razov, Harry Bingham, Ivan Duzel and lately Healey, with the Endeavour Hills-based club hopeful of launching a promotion charge in 2017.

40-year-old Pondeljak makes his first foray into coaching having retired from playing in 2013 after helping the St Albans Saints consolidate their status in the second tier at the time.

He began his career at Churchill Reserve in 1993 before joining the Melbourne Knights in 1995, helping the club claim the 1996 NSL Championship.

The six-time Socceroo moved to Sydney United in 1999 before helping city rivals Olympic win the 2002 NSL Championship and then repeating the feat with the Perth Glory in 2004.

Three years at the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League followed before he returned home and instantly helped the Melbourne Victory claim a second league title as his Grand Final winner helped defeat Adelaide in the 2009 season decider.

In total he made 379 national league appearances, scoring 69 goals, and is considered as one of the best attacking midfielders to come out of the last decade of the NSL and early years of the A-League.

City president Tony Dorotic spoke of his delight of signing the duo.

“I am so pleased to be able to make this announcement. As a club, the decision to move the previous senior coaching group on was not taken lightly but it was the only way we could properly evaluate what candidates were available to take the club to the next level.

“Our decision has been vindicated given the pedigree of Stuart and Tom with their combined credentials and achievements. I must say that with the appointment of these two individuals and some exciting prospects for the technical director role and U20s role, I’m a bit like a kid in a candy store, full of excitement with the possibilities that lay ahead.”

Dandenong City have placed third on the NPL2 East standings in the past two years and will be hoping to go one better next term as they look to join sister clubs Melbourne Knights, St Albans Saints and the North Geelong Warriors in the top flight.