BR: I’m really excited to be back at Melbourne. I was at Melbourne from 2000-03 under Neale Daniher. In that period, we made the 2000 grand final and although we didn’t have the ultimate success, there was some success in that time when I was here. I’m really excited to be back here, because it’s a young list. I think I can help the list become a successful team.

What attracted you to the role?

BR: I’ve been fortunate enough to be at St Kilda in the last 12 months, and to work in an environment which has been successful. But when I got to that environment, it was already at its peak. I probably didn’t have the chance to help them get there, whereas I see an opportunity at Melbourne - coming to a club with a youthful list and I can be a part of creating that success.

And you’ll be coaching the backline.

BR: I’ve been an assistant coach for about 17 years now, and the majority has been as midfield coach. Even as midfield coach, about 50 per cent of the midfield game is played in the defensive part of the ground. So I’ve had experiences coaching the defensive aspects of the game. At Richmond, I coached the forward line for a year, so I’ve had some experience there, but this is my first opportunity to actually coach backline players.

How do you feel about the challenge of coaching a new area for the first time?

BR: I’m really looking forward to the challenge, because when you’ve been in the industry for so long, you continually need challenges. That was why I coached the forward line in the last few years at Richmond, because I thought I needed the challenge to invigorate me. The backline is different to other areas - they need to bond and become a really tight unit, because they rely on each other, week-in, week-out. I’m really looking forward to building a tight, united group, which works together.

You’ve coached reserves, been an assistant coach, director of coaching and a development coach - can you touch on these roles?  

BR: With most of the clubs I’ve been with, I’ve been in a more senior assistant role. I had five years with Terry Wallace as director of coaching, which allowed me to oversee a lot of the training programs and mentor a lot of the coaches in ways. I then became development coach at St Kilda. When Tony Elshaug got ill, I took over the midfield role. As the season went on, I had an opportunity to coach an elite midfield at St Kilda, which got us into two grand finals, so that invigorated me. I was really appreciative of St Kilda for giving me the opportunity.

You’ve been in the coaching system continuously since the mid 1990s - not many remain from that era today. What’s that like to have been involved for such a long time?

BR: I’m fortunate I am one of the survivors. Sometimes you feel a little bit honoured that you’ve survived so long, because as you start to get a little bit older, you need to remain vibrant as an assistant coach.You need to be enthusiastic and get out there with the players one-on-one.

How do you find being an ‘elder’ statesman around the coaching/playing group?

BR: One of the major things you’ve got to gain is respect from the players you’re coaching and you’ve got to come up with different ways of doing that. As you get older, they see you as that elder statesman and not the young coach. I’ve got to continue to overcome those challenges. One of the strengths that I’ve got is drawing on that experience. You can always draw on past experiences from players.

You’ve been involved with five clubs - Western Bulldogs, Richmond, North Melbourne, St Kilda and now back at Melbourne. As a general rule, have you found the clubs similar or quite varied?

BR: You notice enormous differences, and it’s mainly in the environment. The environments in footy clubs have been created by past players, so the environment at this footy club could’ve been created by players of the late 90s/early 2000s. They also change - that can be good or bad - and it’s up to you as coaches to get that environment to an elite standard. That’s the biggest thing I’ve noticed - the changes at each club. The players and staff are all good people, but the biggest things I’ve noticed are the environments.

What has been the biggest change you’ve seen in coaching?

BR: Technology has just gone through the roof. Sports science has been the biggest change I’ve seen. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been in it for so long that I’ve seen a massive change in technology. The way the game is getting played now, there is less one-on-one to more zoning or covering areas.Hawthorn certainly changed the game in 2008, and Collingwood and St Kilda have taken that to a new level again. Whether that stays that way, or someone else comes up with other ideas of trying to defend the ground or individual players - that’s just the evolution of football. That’s part of our job - to see where the game is going.

Before you entered the coaching ranks, you were a distinguished VFL/AFL player, featuring in 199 matches and kicking 299 goals for Footscray (Western Bulldogs). How do you reflect on your playing career?

BR: When I first spoke to the playing group I said to them ‘your playing days are the best days of your lives’. We’re blessed to be able to have the honour of being able to play AFL football and they are the best times of your lives. You’ve got to cherish them, because we all miss them. I know it’s only a short period of your life and for some it’s a shorter period than others. It goes very, very quickly, but I feel fortunate that I had that opportunity. From that opportunity, it’s given me another opportunity to stay involved for another 16 or 17 years on top of that, so I’ve been blessed and I’m looking forward to that continuing on.