WESTERN Bulldogs list manager Sam Power has been promoted to head of football at the Misson Whitten Oval, after stepping up in the role on an interim basis over the pre-season.
The 41-year-old replaces club great Chris Grant in the role of Executive Manager - Men's Football after Western Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains and football director Luke Darcy completed the process in recent days.
Power has a long history at the Bulldogs, dating back to his playing days when he played 84 games for the club across six seasons – after being selected with pick No.10 in the 2001 AFL Draft – before finishing his career at North Melbourne.
After his playing career ended in 2009, Power practiced law at the firm Clayton Utz before joining Carlton in 2013, where he was involved in a variety of roles, including talent ID, total player payments, football operations, governance and compliance.
The Western Bulldogs appointed Power as general manager of list and recruiting at the end of 2017 after Jason McCartney moved to Greater Western Sydney.
In his new role, Power will remain actively involved in contracts, total player payments and list strategy ahead of a season where six-time Charles Sutton Medallist Marcus Bontempelli and star midfielder Ed Richards are out-of-contract, as well as veteran trio Adam Treloar, Tom Liberatore and Liam Jones.
National recruiting manager Dom Milesi, who joined the club in 2020 and has nearly 20 years of experience in the industry, is set to take on greater responsibility in 2025.
The Bulldogs are currently interviewing for another recruiter after Dan Fisher was promoted to AFLW list manager last year.
With Southport co-captain Brayden Crossley and Werribee skipper Dom Brew trialling for the final spot on the rookie list ahead of the pre-season supplemental selection period deadline on Friday, Power faces a tough decision in his first week as the new full-time boss of the football department.
