After the Dockers dismal season on the field this year, the club is looking to the water for a vast improvement next year, signing a former international rowing coach to its staff for 2017.
The Dockers announced on Monday afternoon, Tom Morris, who coached the Canadian rowing team to a silver medal at the Rio Olympics would take on the new role of high performance manager next year.
![The Dockers have added the former Canadian rowing coach to its staff.](/web/20161102104603im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/e/t/n/o/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsesdm.png/1477897329774.jpg)
The main role for the Perth-born Morris would be the "ongoing education and development of the club's coaching team".
Dockers general manager of football operations Chris Bond said securing someone of the calibre of Morris would have an immediate impact on the club which finished 16th this season with only four wins.
"We have done a lot of work on how best to ensure the ongoing growth, development and education of both our coaching team and playing group," Bond told the Dockers' website.
"Tom has worked with coaches and sports science staff at a national level in Australia and Canada preparing athletes for Olympic competition, where coaching of the highest standard is paramount in achieving success.
"He will work closely with our coaching team to be high performance coaches in their individual areas.
"Throughout the interview process Tom was a really impressive candidate and we believe he has the potential to make a real impact at the club."
![The Dockers' job ad that appeared on the front page of the sports section of The Weekend Australian.](/web/20161102104603im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/8/h/o/v/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsesdm.png/1477897329774.jpg)
Morris also holds a Bachelor of Psychology from Murdoch University, which could come in handy if you believe the rumours about the ongoing squabbles between certain players and coach Ross Lyon.
Morris said he was hoping to add a "positive new dimension" to the coach staff.
"I look forward to working collaboratively with the coaching team at Fremantle and to add a positive new dimension to the program with the aim of further developing standards within the coaching group to ensure that both athletes and coaches are fully supported in the pursuit of peak performance," Morris told the club's website.
"I've been fortunate to work in high performance environments in both Australia and Canada and understand what it takes to succeed as a coach at the highest levels of sport."
His appointment comes after the club opted to take the unusual step of advertising the position on seek.com.au and on the front page of the sports section of The Weekend Australian.
Traditionally, jobs within AFL football departments have been secured by word of mouth and, in the case of Lyon, with great secrecy.
But following a disastrous campaign in 2016 it appears Fremantle was keen to ditch tradition to get its man.