Former Dog returns to the Kennel in new welfare role

FORMER Western Bulldogs and Melbourne forward Mitch Hannan is the latest ex-player to return to clubland in welfare.

Hannan is returning to the Whitten Oval to support player welfare manager Brent Prismall in a new role.

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The 31-year-old played 26 games for the Bulldogs, including the 2021 Grand Final, after playing 50 games for the Demons before being traded at the end of 2020.

Hannan was originally drafted out of Footscray at the age of 22 after an eye-catching 2016 season that resulted in a VFL premiership.

Now the Gisborne product is returning to the Western Bulldogs to help boost the welfare area of the football department.

Former Geelong and Essendon midfielder Prismall has been working in welfare at the kennel since 2013.

Every AFL club has at least one welfare manager and one Indigenous player development manager.

Former players who lived on the fringe of selection, survived on one-year contracts, were delisted or traded are well suited to helping players deal with life at the highest level.

Lots of ex-players have transitioned into the welfare space, including Tony Brown (St Kilda), Shannon Byrnes (Geelong), Reece Conca (Melbourne), Ivan Maric (Richmond), Dylan Addison (Greater Western Sydney), Ben Mabon (Gold Coast) and Andrew Crowell (Brisbane).

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