DARYN CRESSWELL, a member of the Swans' team of the century, will return to Sydney and pull on the boots to play this season. But the 37-year-old will not be back in the red and white. Instead, he will make his comeback for the Manly Warringah Wolves in division one of the Sydney AFL competition.

The Wolves justifiably believe they have pulled off a coup in signing Cresswell - who played 244 games with the Swans between 1992 and 2003 - not only as a player, but as their new coach.

Cresswell, who was also named in Tasmania's team of the century, brings a great deal of coaching experience to Manly, having had stints as an assistant with the Brisbane Lions and Geelong, before being a head coach in Tasmania. He also unsuccessfully interviewed for the St Kilda job, which went to former Sydney assistant coach Ross Lyon in 2007.

"It is a bit of a coup and one which we're all very excited about," Manly president Peter Kay said yesterday. "I've got to tell you my mobile phone did the battery yesterday because I had so many calls [about Cresswell signing]."

Kay said the Wolves made a move for Cresswell after the former Swan had a drink with a past player of the Manly club.

"Cressa was asked what he was doing, and he said I might have a kick somewhere," Kay said. "Of course, he [the former Wolves' player] jumped on the phone to me to tell me, and then Cressa and I had a chat. I guess it started off from him wanting to have a kick and then I said that would be a bit of a waste of your talents I would have thought, particularly given his recent high level coaching at the Cats and in Brisbane."

Cresswell left his previous job as coach of the Tassie Devils midway through last year claiming he had lost the passion to coach and did not believe he would be reappointed after the season. But a story emerged soon after that he had some issues with Tassie Mariners' coach Andrew Mellor.

"I don't know the full details and it's like anything else I guess - as far as I'm aware it's all been sorted, and it was related to a personal situation," Kay said.

With Cresswell's arrival in Sydney, speculation could mount that he could be positioning himself for the coaching job at the AFL's new Western Sydney franchise, which is scheduled to join the competition in 2012.

"I don't know what his future ambitions are, but he certainly indicated to me that he just wanted the footy stuff to balance his work," Kay said. "He has bought a business in Sydney, which I think is more important if you like than a full-time footy role, so I think this is more a balance equation than a career path to a higher level of coaching.

"He wants to help Manly and we're very happy that he will be not only playing, but coaching our side. It's been great already. The levels of interest from existing players and players who might have been thinking of retiring or going somewhere else … it's rekindled their desire to play."