Former Collingwood assistant coach Michael Broadbridge has teamed with Chris Connolly at Fremantle for the 2005 AFL season.

Broadbridge joins Chris Waterman, Kelly O'Donnell and Steve Malaxos as an assistant coach at the West Australian club following five seasons at Collingwood.

A former WAFL player with East Fremantle and Swan Districts, Broadbridge has returned to Perth in an attempt to further his AFL coaching career.

He believes his time at the Magpies under Mick Malthouse has prepared him well for this next phase of his career.

"At Collingwood I was very fortunate to work with some terrific experienced midfielders, the likes of Nathan Buckley, Scott Burns and Paul Licuria," he said.

"Just being involved with those guys and seeing the level of professionalism and their work-rate and commitment to improving themselves, you'd be crazy if you didn't learn from being in that environment.

"Also being underneath Mick, picking up his experience in the 20-odd years he's been coaching."

Broadbridge, who specialised in the midfield and opposition analysis at Collingwood, was the national under-18 coach in 1999.

He played a total of 144 games in the WAFL, captained Swan Districts from 1993-94, before turning to coaching after suffering a major knee injury.

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