Coburg’s Leigh Adams wanted to walk his own path as a coach after retiring from the AFL

Leigh Adams could have taken the easy road after retiring from the AFL but the former North Melbourne sharpshooter is determined to forge his own path as a senior coach.

Coburg coach Leigh Adams. Picture: Hamish Blair

Leigh Adams reached the highest level as a player and, like anyone in the AFL industry, aspires to be the best he can be.

But after retiring in 2015 due to concussion issues, the former North Melbourne forward was determined to get out of the AFL bubble and walk his own path as a coach.

Adams looked to suburban football and took the reins at EFL club South Croydon in 2016.

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After a mid-table finish in his first year, the Bulldogs surged up the ladder in 2017 and produced a huge grand final upset by defeating Vermont to capture the club’s first top-flight premiership.

It was a watershed coaching moment for Adams and he was quickly snapped up by VFL club Coburg.

Adams said taking control of his own team instead of stepping straight into an AFL assistant role had allowed him to better develop his own style.

Coburg coach Leigh Adams talks to his players.

“It’s a big step up (to VFL) obviously from local footy. I’m only 31 and in my fourth year of coaching, second-year coach of a VFL club,” he said.

“I was very wary of going into the AFL system once I’d finished up. I wanted to get away from professional footy.

“I wanted to have a look at what was out there and focus on my coaching career rather than be an AFL line coach where you don’t have a lot of say on game plan and personnel changes.

“To be able to play around with my own tactics and own coaching style has been really good to work out the type of coach I want to be.”

Adams is thankful both South Croydon and Coburg took a chance on him and is determined to repay the Lions with a rise up the VFL ladder after just one win in his debut season.

Having played 104 AFL games, developing players for the next level is one of Adams’ major goals at Piranha Park and he could one day get a call up himself.

“Yeah, I’m pretty similar to a lot of guys on our list and they just want to be at the highest level they can be,” he said.

“I just want to coach at the highest level I can. At the moment, at VFL footy, I’ve already become a lot better coach being at this level.

“If I could get to the next level that would be brilliant, but if not I’m pretty comfortable where I am.”

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