Great Western's Will Bell re-signs as senior football coach for 2020

On the eve of a history creating finals campaign for Great Western Football Netball club, Bell's name was etched onto the honour board for the fourth time as senior football coach.

Bell joined the Lions in 2017 and recognised for his standout season at the helm of the Lions, named as the AFL Western District senior coach of the year.

"When I took the job at the football club I thought it might take three to five years to get it to where I want it to be," Bell said.

"There was a lot of work to be done. It's been a dream and an easy decision to go around again and coach at this football club.

"I can't see myself being anywhere else in the next 12 months and excited to go into 2020 and keep improving this football club. I want to leave a legacy when I do finish at the football club in the future."

Bell's track record of reigning in the average losing margin and turning it into a winning margin is impressive.

In his first season he turned the senior football teams performance around, shrinking the margin between the opposition by an average of about 30 points.

READ MORE: Lions faithful show their colours ahead of Mininera grand final

In 2018 after ramping up recruiting and 12 months under his belt, the average losing margin was reduced to just 25.

In 2019 the tables turned, Great Western won more games than lost, an effort which hasn't been repeated for about 15 years.

The Lions average winning margin in 2019 was 88 points.

"I remember the first season when I joined the Lions, recruitment was really hard," he said.

"People would turn their nose up if you asked them the question if they wanted to come out to your football club and play a game of football.

"The one thing I've loved about our group is there has been some really strong characters around the football club for their whole life who are part of the success this year and will play in their first grand final."

From an outsider looking in, it would be hard to grasp the concept Bell wasn't "born and bred" into the Great Western culture.

"I am a pretty positive person, it's just my nature. I like to put in and give back to country football clubs," he said.

"I was very fortunate as a young person to receive so many great opportunities and have great coaches. I learnt a lot of how I wanted to mold myself into a coach.

"I think positive feedback from my end has paid me back. People want to turn up and be coached by a guy that's nice and positive rather than the opposite."

His energy, excitement and enthusiasm is something some might think wouldn't come from someone who came into the club only three seasons ago.

"We are in a very fortunate position that Will is on the same page as the club - he has become part of the fabric at the club and encompasses everything that a little country town and club is about," football operations manager Matthew Delzotto said.

"For the club to want to put smiles back on the players and supporters faces - when you have a guy like Will and the attitude he has makes it so easy.

"It's been a fantastic outcome from both parties and I couldn't speak highly enough of who he is as a person let alone what he has done as a coach."

Mr Delzotto said Bell was a big driver in the environment which has been entrenched into the culture at the club.

READ MORE: Lions journey back from the brink

"The senior coach within a country football club has a lot of say within the club," he said.

"Will is a testament to the environment he has created. It's a really positive place and good place to be at to play football.

"You couple those things with the success and I hope he felt like everyone else, where else would you rather be."

Mr Delzotto said the decision from the club's perspective to re-sign the senior coach came easy.

"The decision was left in Will's court - it was up to him if he wanted to continue on with what he had started to build," he said.

"It was a very simple process. Because of what Will has created over the past three seasons it didn't take much thought."

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