FOOTBALL is a small, small world.
In the time I’ve spent in football, as a player and coach, I’ve come across a lot of people.
In fact, nearly every coach at Melbourne I’ve had some dealing with in the past.
For example, I first met Dean Bailey when we completed a level three coaching course together in Perth. We got to know each other pretty well as we were roommates!
I coached against our innovations coach Dave Dunbar when he was guiding Port Melbourne and I was coaching the Northern Bullants in the VFL. We were also assistant coaches together for the Victorian VFL representative side, when we played South Australia in 2003.
I’ve known Dave for that period of time and we’ve established a great relationship.
In 2002, I tried to recruit Josh Mahoney when I was coaching the Northern Bullants.
‘Mahns’ and I met in a café near where I was working at the time - back then I was working in IT. To be honest, the offer we gave Josh wasn’t great.
Josh rejected our offer, but was very respectful in doing so and instead played for Essendon’s stand alone VFL team.
In 2003, ‘Mahns’ captained Victoria against South Australia and ‘Bails’, who was a Port Adelaide assistant coach at the time, rang me asking: ‘What’s Josh Mahoney like?’
Had Josh burned his bridge with me and not been respectful of the offer we put to him at the Bullants - then I mightn’t have given great feedback to ‘Bails’.
History now shows Josh was drafted by Port Adelaide in December 2003 and played in a premiership with the Power in 2004.
I coached against Casey coach Brad Gotch in the VFL for 10 years.
I understand his role and empathise with the issues he has to deal with, given he is the coach of a VFL club aligned to an AFL club.
When playing away from home, Brad was one of only a few VFL coaches who would come into the home club’s social rooms after a game - win, lose or draw - to discuss the game.
I always admired and respected him greatly for his coaching and because he religiously caught up with us after our matches.
During my time at the Bulldogs, I played with Brian Royal.
I met with ‘Choco’ several times when I was coaching in the VFL for advice.
For many years, I said to him: ‘We’ll coach together one day’. Our paths haven’t crossed until now.
I also played with Timmy Harrington at the Bulldogs and at Coburg in the VFA.
My wife Michelle and I are really good friends with Tim and Trish and have been for years.
When Tim was about to be appointed by the club, ‘Bails’ asked: ‘Does anybody know Tim’. I obviously did and almost felt like a referee with my feedback to ‘Bails’.
I used to see Kelly O’Donnell at the coaching conferences and we’d always share a joke. I also played against Kelly in the early 80s and have always had great respect for him.
I coached against Barry Prendergast in the VFL for several years when he was coaching Werribee.
Barry was one of my assistant coaches when I coached the VFL state side against South Australia in 2006.
I also recommended Barry for the forward scouting role at Melbourne in 2007, which he secured. He has since gone on to become our recruiting guru.
Our fitness coach Adam Paulo was also my fitness coach when I coached Sandringham.
Even when I was doing IT at the club in 2003, Pete Roberts was my liaison at Prowess. He is now Melbourne’s football technology manager.
The year I got the chop from the Bulldogs, Scott West joined the club. I missed out on playing with Westy, because he’s a fair bit younger than me, but now have the opportunity to coach with him.
I played against Chris Connolly, but never coached with him. However, I went out with his cousin many years ago! So I don’t know if that counts, but there’s another connection there!
It just goes to show what a small world footy really is.
In the time I’ve spent in football, as a player and coach, I’ve come across a lot of people.
In fact, nearly every coach at Melbourne I’ve had some dealing with in the past.
For example, I first met Dean Bailey when we completed a level three coaching course together in Perth. We got to know each other pretty well as we were roommates!
I coached against our innovations coach Dave Dunbar when he was guiding Port Melbourne and I was coaching the Northern Bullants in the VFL. We were also assistant coaches together for the Victorian VFL representative side, when we played South Australia in 2003.
I’ve known Dave for that period of time and we’ve established a great relationship.
In 2002, I tried to recruit Josh Mahoney when I was coaching the Northern Bullants.
‘Mahns’ and I met in a café near where I was working at the time - back then I was working in IT. To be honest, the offer we gave Josh wasn’t great.
Josh rejected our offer, but was very respectful in doing so and instead played for Essendon’s stand alone VFL team.
In 2003, ‘Mahns’ captained Victoria against South Australia and ‘Bails’, who was a Port Adelaide assistant coach at the time, rang me asking: ‘What’s Josh Mahoney like?’
Had Josh burned his bridge with me and not been respectful of the offer we put to him at the Bullants - then I mightn’t have given great feedback to ‘Bails’.
History now shows Josh was drafted by Port Adelaide in December 2003 and played in a premiership with the Power in 2004.
I coached against Casey coach Brad Gotch in the VFL for 10 years.
I understand his role and empathise with the issues he has to deal with, given he is the coach of a VFL club aligned to an AFL club.
When playing away from home, Brad was one of only a few VFL coaches who would come into the home club’s social rooms after a game - win, lose or draw - to discuss the game.
I always admired and respected him greatly for his coaching and because he religiously caught up with us after our matches.
During my time at the Bulldogs, I played with Brian Royal.
I met with ‘Choco’ several times when I was coaching in the VFL for advice.
For many years, I said to him: ‘We’ll coach together one day’. Our paths haven’t crossed until now.
I also played with Timmy Harrington at the Bulldogs and at Coburg in the VFA.
My wife Michelle and I are really good friends with Tim and Trish and have been for years.
When Tim was about to be appointed by the club, ‘Bails’ asked: ‘Does anybody know Tim’. I obviously did and almost felt like a referee with my feedback to ‘Bails’.
I used to see Kelly O’Donnell at the coaching conferences and we’d always share a joke. I also played against Kelly in the early 80s and have always had great respect for him.
I coached against Barry Prendergast in the VFL for several years when he was coaching Werribee.
Barry was one of my assistant coaches when I coached the VFL state side against South Australia in 2006.
I also recommended Barry for the forward scouting role at Melbourne in 2007, which he secured. He has since gone on to become our recruiting guru.
Our fitness coach Adam Paulo was also my fitness coach when I coached Sandringham.
Even when I was doing IT at the club in 2003, Pete Roberts was my liaison at Prowess. He is now Melbourne’s football technology manager.
The year I got the chop from the Bulldogs, Scott West joined the club. I missed out on playing with Westy, because he’s a fair bit younger than me, but now have the opportunity to coach with him.
I played against Chris Connolly, but never coached with him. However, I went out with his cousin many years ago! So I don’t know if that counts, but there’s another connection there!
It just goes to show what a small world footy really is.
