The Sydney Ice Dogs are pleased to announce the addition of Ice Dogs Great Anthony Wilson to the Ice Dogs Coaching Staff in the 2019 season.  Wilson will join Head Coach Andrew Petrie and Assistant Coach Dave Costa encharged with running the Defence Core of the Club.

“I've played with and coached Anthony at AIHL and National levels, and I couldn’t be more excited to have him join the coaching staff. His understanding of the game, his technical knowledge on the finer points of defensive positioning, and his natural ability to teach individual defensive skills will all be huge assets to the club.” says Petrie

Wilson is no stranger to playing at the Elite level in the Country on Defence having represented the Australian Mens National Team in 63 Contests between 1995 and 2010 (according to Elite Prospects).  Wilson was the Captain of the 2008 Gold Medal Men's Team in Newcastle as well as a Goodall Cup Champion with the Sydney Ice Dogs in 2004 and 2013 playing in over 200+ AIHL Games for the Club that he founded in 2002.

"Being involved in coaching with the Ice Dogs has always been something on the cards, and I am humbled and excited to help where I can for the remainder of the season. It is easy to jump onto a winning team, and challenging to jump in when teams are not at the top, I am excited to take that challenge and really hope I can help the boys with some small things to focus on to simplify their game"says Wilson. 

"I have watched a few games this season on-line and at Macquarie, and the results do not necessarily reflect the skill, talent and commitment that is actually out there, so hopefully we can bring home a few wins between now and the end of the season" finishes Wilson.

The Ice Dogs are keen to get back on a roll in what has been a testing season with plenty of injuries and adversity, but coach Petrie is optimistic and excited about the addition of Wilson.

"Anthony’s history in the sport in Australia places him firmly in the upper-echelon of elite Defencemen of his era. It’s evident after only one or two practices that he will bring plenty to the table, and he was so warmly received by the players that I wish I’d been able to convince him to join sooner.  Personally, I want to thank Anthony for giving up his time, and to thank his partner, Tess, for supporting him in this decision.”

The Ice Dogs take on the hot Newcastle Northstars 7:30pm tonight at Macquarie Ice Rink with Wilson joining the bench when they take on Perth the next night at Macquarie at 5pm.