South Mildura Football Netball Club’s restructure is complete with the appointment of Mark Bresnehan, left, as president. Bresnehan’s appointment follows the announcement last month that John Pratt, right, would replace Pat Irwin as playing coach in 2019. It has been a difficult few years for the Dogs, but Bresnehan and Pratt are part of a new era at the Kennel as they look to return the club to finals football next season.
SOUTH Mildura Football Netball Club has appointed Mark Bresnehan president as it moves in a new direction on and off the field. Bresnehan, who was acting in the role for the second half of 2018 after the mid-season resignation of Raelene Johns, is part of a new-look Bulldogs board. The Dogs have named two new board members as they enter a new phase in the club’s history.
More comfortable sitting behind the scenes, Bresnehan said a long discussion with his partner at the end of last season had led him to take on the top job. He said the club and it’s supporters had shown a lot of faith in him and he was determined to take a very “hands-on approach” to his new position. “It wasn’t a role I felt comfortable with for a start because it is a big undertaking, but the further the year went the more confident I got and the support I have received from everyone else around the club from the board to the supporters attributed to my decision to take the role on fully in 2019” Bresnehan said. “Our board is strong – we have a very renewed and fresh looking board with the new ideas. We are all so very driven to bring the South Mildura footy club back up the ladder”.
The recent appointment of playing coach John Pratt is one of the positive steps forward for the club and Bresnehan believes with the continued development of the club’s junior players the future looks positive.
He paid tribute to departing coach Pat Irwin, who he believes has been instrumental in laying the foundation for the Dogs to take the next step.
“We have worked hard over the last few years to develop our juniors and a lot of that development has come off the back of Pat Irwin” Bresnehan said. “He has just been tremendous in what he has done with our junior players and for the last two seasons as senior coach”. “We can’t thank that guy enough for what he has put into the club and from a personal level I love Patty to death. He is a fantastic bloke on and away from the football field – I’d have him sit at my dinner table any day of the week, but moving forward and where we were at, we felt that we just needed that on that on field leadership”.
Story and photo courtesy of Sunraysia Daily