Newly-appointed Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney may not have played in the AFL but has plenty of fans among the game's greats.

McCartney pipped favourite Leon Cameron and interim coach Paul Williams to the post vacated by Rodney Eade, who was sacked last month after seven years.

He will head the Bulldogs after a long coaching apprenticeship at local level and at Richmond, Geelong and Essendon.

After 11 seasons and two premierships as an assistant coach at Geelong, McCartney followed Mark Thompson to Essendon and made an indelible impression on current coach James Hird in just one year.

"He is a fantastic teacher of the game and has an incredible knowledge and understanding of trends in modern football and has taught me a lot over the past 12 months," Hird said.

McCartney and Thompson also hold each other in the highest regard.

The Bulldogs sought out McCartney for the role, believing that despite his absence of an AFL playing career, his record of success spoke for itself.

"It was a unanimous recommendation by our coaching selection committee," said Bulldogs CEO Simon Garlick.

"Brendan's leadership, experience, technical capacity, values and integrity, shone out from the moment discussions with us began.

"There's no coincidence that Brendan has been associated with success and premierships wherever he has gone - he's an outstanding competitor and individual who knows how to win,"

McCartney, who has signed a three-year contract, believes his new club isn't far away from an elusive second AFL premiership.

Before slipping to 10th place this year, the Bulldogs had advanced to three successive preliminary finals under Eade.

"This club was in a very good position to win a premiership, so a combination of rebuild and refresh," he said when asked what the club required.

"Every player on the Western Bulldogs list has room for improvement.

"I can't wait to get into this, and I can't wait for us to confirm our place as a footy club that is respected, admired and feared."

McCartney becomes one of the few men in the modern VFL/AFL era to be appointed as a senior coach without playing the sport at the highest level.

His career peaked with 87 games for Geelong club Newtown, where he described himself as a hard-working team player who was strong at the ball.

Before breaking into the AFL system he coached at Newtown and Ocean Grove.

Coincidentally, McCartney and Mark Neeld - who was appointed as Melbourne coach on Saturday - each won four premierships as coach of Bellarine Football League powerhouse Ocean Grove.

"The journey has me well-placed, I've been so lucky to work with so many great people and great coaches and great players," he said.

McCartney said his trademark as a coach was as a "developer of people".

"And to do that you have to get to know them ... while also having a really good understanding of what constitutes good teams," said McCartney, who was still to meet with the Bulldogs players.

"People who are selfless, quite resilient and proud of what they do ... who are fiercely competitive.

"I'm a competitive person."

He said he was also an inclusive coach, taking advice from his assistants and the players' leadership group.

McCartney said his experience of narrowly missing the Port Adelaide coaching position last year, won by Matthew Primus, was invaluable as he went through the process at the Bulldogs.

His appointment leaves Adelaide and St Kilda as the only AFL clubs still without senior coaches for 2012.

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