Brendon Lade Biography

Brendon Lade joins the Western Bulldogs as an assistant coach, putting an end to speculation that he could take up the senior coaching position at Essendon.

"Brendon is a highly respected, experienced coach, having been involved in successful teams throughout his time in the industry as a player and now coach over the past 12 years," Bulldogs' football director Chris Grant said in a statement.

"His extensive coaching and playing background will be invaluable for our players, whilst also bolstering our already highly-skilled coaching panel."

St Kilda assistant coach Brendon Lade will take the reins in the box this week against Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium after head coach Brett Ratten tested positive for COVID.

"He's a little bit frustrated he won't be there, but he will have behind goals (video), he'll have broadcast vision, I'm sure he'll have stats running and he'll have a line to the box," Lade said about Ratten's situation.

"He'll see some things a little bit differently and convey that to us. Hopefully I can have the same impact he's had."

Kangaroo Island native Brendon Lade returns to the place he called home for 16 years in the wake of the devastating Christmas bushfires that saw him and his family evacuated.

"I didn't think it was going to get to us when it was 20 to 30km away from where we were staying," Lade said of the bushfires.

"But the wind was going straight towards us and my wife and my little fella were a bit frightened and not sure what was going on so we made the call to go up to my aunty's house in Kingscote and we stayed there.

"There were 30 of us in a two-bedroom house, which was interesting. There wasn't much sleep; I was in the car and people slept in corridors and my aunty gave up her bed and slept in the laundry.

"It was a bit hairy for us but nowhere near as hairy as it was for other people on the island."

Brendon Lade steps down from his role as assistant coach at Port Adelaide with a view to returning to Melbourne.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Port Adelaide both as a player and as a coach and I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to represent and be a part of this great club over so many years," Lade said.

"However, it's important for my family that we return to Melbourne to explore other opportunities."

Collingwood assistant Scott Burns has taken the next step towards becoming a senior coach, headlining the 2017 intake for the AFL's exclusive coaching accreditation course.

Burns was one of six coaches accepted for the third year of the level four program, along with Sydney's Brett Kirk and Port Adelaide's Brendon Lade.

Leigh Tudor (North Melbourne), Dean Solomon (Gold Coast) and Steven King (Western Bulldogs) round out the successful candidates.

Brendon Lade says he is looking forward to his new role at Port Adelaide.

"The chance to work with Ken and his coaching team was ... a big factor in me deciding to make the move," Lade said.

"During the interview process I was really impressed with his footy philosophy and the plans he has for the playing group."

Brendon Lade departs Richmond after accepting a role with his former club Port Adelaide.

Hawthorn fails in its bid to lure Brendan Lade out of retirement to join them as a ruckman after Lade accepted a position as assistant coach of Richmond.

"It won't happen," Lade's manager Justin Reid said.

"You can quote me confidently that he will be coaching at Richmond and won't be coming out of retirement."

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams says Brendon Lade's decision to become an assistant coach at Punt Road is a good move for the recently-retired ruckman.

"Ladey was a little unsure as to whether he would be ready to go straight away, but I know he's ready and within a second he'll prove that," Williams said.

"He has great knowledge of the game and has a personable way about him. He's a lot of fun."

Jacob Surjan says his team was unlucky to be on the receiving end of a crucial late 50m penalty against Nathan Krakouer in the farewell game for club stalwarts Peter Burgoyne and Brendon Lade.

"We were very stiff. We thought that 50m penalty was really soft, but the umpires are going to make the call and that was their call," Surjan said.

"Peter and Ladey have been fantastic servants of our club and as a playing group we should have sent them off on a better note."

Port Adelaide stalwarts Brendon Lade and Peter Burgoyne will retire at the end of the season.

"I just haven't got the passion in my heart, and the hunger," Burgoyne said.

"I've played 13 years of AFL footy and then before that I was playing in the SANFL for two or three years and it takes its toll."

Lade spoke of his successful return to football after twice breaking his leg and missing two years of football.

"It does make me proud but as I said to the boys everyone's got a story to tell, something going on in their life, and it's how you deal with that adversity and how you perform each week," Lade said.

Retiring ruckman Brendon Lade says that if he has the opportunity to coach next season, it won't be at Port Adelaide.

"It would be great to stay at the same club for your whole life. But I had a chat to Choco about if you do want to become a senior coach, and that's your goal in life, you need to get other experiences, see what else is out there and what other people do," Lade said.

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams says Brendon Lade will eventually become a coach, though it might not be at the club he has spent 13 seasons at.

"Brendon Lade is a very smart, astute student of the game so when he retires he will be coaching, but where that is I'm not sure," Williams said.

"We've had great service form him and it's about timing and what's available and what's not."

"If it's a position that fits in for us we'd certainly, when the time comes, be talking to him about it."