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The 30-year-old replaces Gavin Brown, who resigned late last week after 26 years of involvement at Collingwood, including the past three as VFL coach. Lockyer will also work as a development coach under recently appointed development manager Craig McRae.
Lockyer enjoyed a stellar 227-game playing career with the Magpies that began in 1999 and finished when he announced his retirement after being an emergency for this year's grand final triumph.
"I'm thrilled that Collingwood has given me an opportunity to join the coaching panel and lead the VFL team,” Lockyer said.
“To coach within a structure I'm familiar with, and alongside some great people, is extremely exciting. I'm very thankful that the club I love and have a great history with has given me this opportunity to make the transition from playing to coaching. I can't wait to start this new phase of my life."
Collingwood Geoff Walsh said that Lockyer’s appointment finalises the full-time coaching structure for 2011.
“To add someone of Tarkyn’s calibre to our coaching structure is a huge positive for Collingwood. There is an enormous amount of admiration and respect for Tarkyn at our club and we have no doubt that he will thrive as VFL coach and development coach after a wonderful playing career.”
“It’s pleasing that we’ve been able to finalise our full-time coaching structure soon after the completion of the 2010 season,” said Walsh.
Originally recruited from WAFL club East Fremantle, Lockyer will go down as one of the game’s great success stories of the rookie-list system. He came onto the Magpies’ rookie list in 1997 and was elevated onto the senior list one year later before making his debut in round eight, 1999.
The 30-year-old finished top five in the best-and-fairest four times (2000 - 2nd, 2001 - 5th, 2002 - 4th, 2007 - 3rd). He was able to admirably overcome having large parts of 2003 and 2004 ruined by serious knee and foot injuries, and went onto play a remarkable 136 consecutive games from round 10, 2004, through to round four, 2010.
While Lockyer replaces Brown as VFL coach and will work under McRae, the club also announced earlier this week that former Carlton and St Kilda player Matthew Lappin will join McRae and Lockyer as new members of the coaching panel for next season.
McRae, a three-time Brisbane premiership player who spent the 2010 season on the Lions’ coaching staff and prior to that was a development coach at Richmond for three years, replaces Luke Beveridge, who after two successful years at the club decided to return to his former vocation outside football.
Lappin, who spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Carlton, replaces Paul Hudson as an assistant coach. Hudson has been appointed to the St Kilda coaching staff for 2011.
Lockyer, Paul Medhurst and Shane O’Bree have all retired from playing after being on the list in 2010. Further list changes will be announced by the first list lodgment deadline on October 29.
