Former New Zealand Captain Andrew Congalton has been announced as the Head Coach for the Southern Saints for the 2020 AFL New Zealand Premiership season.
Congalton is a well known and respected member of the International football community.
He has a history with New Zealand representative teams that spans back more than a decade and captained New Zealand in both the 2005 and 2008 International Cups, leading New Zealand to victory in the 2005 campaign and also selected in the World Team in both these campaigns.
Due to ongoing injuries, Congalton changed his focus to coaching with assistant coaching roles with the New Zealand Senior team from 2011 onwards before taking on the lead role for New Zealand in 2015 against the AFL Academy.
His involvement with New Zealand age group teams and an extensive playing career in local leagues is complimented by a successful playing career in an Rugby Union. This provides the perfect knowledge base to mentor young athletic converts as they try AFL for the first time.
Congalton was the inaugural coach of the Southern Saints in 2016 and took a few years off before returning to the top job in 2019.
The Saints finished runners up in season 2019 and will head into 2020 full of confidence as they look to retain their key squad members.
