MELBOURNEfc is pleased to announce the acquisitions of Joel Hocking and Valeri Stoimenov, as the Club takes further steps in strengthening its Conditioning Program. 

Hocking has been appointed to the role of Fitness Manager, and will oversee the physical development of the Club's list. Hocking has a vast amount of experience within the AFL throughout the last eight years, most recently at the Essendon Football Club over the last four years.

Stoimenov has been appointed as the Strength and Conditioning Coach, and also comes via Essendon, where he has spent his last four years. Stoimenov previously spent four years at Hawthorn, and is well regarded within AFL circles.

In other changes to the structure of the Conditioning Department, Adam Paulo - who previously held the position of Load Management Coordinator - has been promoted to the new role of Assistant Fitness Coach.

Bohdan Babijczuk, who was instrumental in the reshaping of the Club's fitness department, has reallocated his role to a part time basis, and will become the Club's Athletic Development Coach. Babijczuk’s new role will allow him to concentrate his focus on an area which he is most passionate about, as well as being able to spend more time on his role outside the Club with the Australian Boomers basketball team.

Chris Connolly, GM Football Operations, said, “We are thrilled to have secured the services of both Joel and Valeri. We are also pleased that we have been able to elevate the services of Adam, as well as optimising the output of Bohdan in his new part time role.”

“We will have one of the younger lists in the AFL next year, and we needed to make sure that we create the very best environment for our players to fast track their development. For many months now, Dean Bailey has been working hard on restructuring the conditioning staff and program, and we are very pleased with the outcome.”

Please note that Brentan Parsons, who held the position of Sports Science and Conditioning Coach, leaves the Club to pursue other opportunities next year. We thank Brentan for his four years of dedicated service, and wish him all the best for his future endeavours.