ST KILDA recruit Josh Bruce has thrown his support behind Mark Williams taking over as head coach at the Saints, saying he would 'love to be under his tutelage again'.
The Richmond assistant is considered the favourite among a handful of names nominated for the top job, following Scott Watters' sacking last week.
Williams served as a senior assistant coach at Bruce's former club Greater Western Sydney from 2011-2012, and the key defender is hoping the pair can link up again.
"Choco was great," Bruce said on Friday.
"He's a really good teacher of young players. I think he'd be quite suitable for this group, as well as many other coaches who've been thrown up there.
"If Choco were to come to the Saints, obviously he'd be welcomed here with open arms and I'd love to be under his tutelage again. He's a fantastic coach."
The club's first to fourth-year players are back into pre-season training, and Bruce insists the youngsters haven't been distracted by St Kilda's off-field woes.
"It's the same at any club," Bruce said.
"You rock up, you train hard, and you work your hardest to try and get a spot in the team. It doesn't matter who the coach is, or whether there is one or not, it's all about doing the basics well and trying to cement your spot in the team for the season."
Former Brisbane Lions ruckman Billy Longer agrees, and says his fresh start at St Kilda won't be impacted by the club's decision to sack Watters.
"We're pretty busy with our training so it's not really at the forefront of our minds," Longer said.
"I'm sure there's a committee organised at the moment making the decisions to get a coach picked, so whenever that happens, hopefully before draft day.
"To be honest, I joined the club for a reason. I didn't join the Saints for a coach so it's not too much of a setback, I guess."
