Melbourne Heart FC has narrowed its search for new Assistant and National Youth League coaches to a shortlist of selected candidates.

General Manager, Football Operations John Didulica revealed the Club has made significant progress in its search for fresh tacticians to assist Head Coach John Aloisi, stating the exhaustive process has reached its final stages.

“The Club’s primary concern in appointing a new Assistant Coach and National Youth League Coach has been to identify candidates whose skill set best complements the existing knowledge base we possess,” he said.

“On that basis, we took a step back to consider how we should shape our football department under John, and what support network would be required given our young team.

“Having built a shortlist of candidates, we are now in the process of conducting our final interviews, assessing each individual on their capacity to cover key bases we feel need covering.”

With nearly four months until kick-off for the Hyundai A-League 2012/13 season, the senior squad faces a long wait before heading out on the quest for three points.

Preparations though will escalate in the coming weeks, with captain Fred returning to Australia to continue his rehabilitation following off-season surgery.

While a friendly match schedule is yet to be confirmed, it is expected the Club will launch its pre-season schedule during the latter part of July or August.