Michael Firrito appointed coach of Gembrook Cockatoo in Outer East league

The ex-AFL Kangaroo says he will take bits from his previous coaches and add his own style as he launches his senior coaching career in Outer East league.

Michael Firrito of the Kangaroos in action. He will coach Gembrook Cockatoo next season. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

Two coaches had a profound impact on Michael Firrito during his 14-year, 275-game career with North Melbourne.

He says Dani Laidley and Brad Scott were “great coaches” and he intends to take bits and pieces from them as he launches his own coaching career at local level.

Firrito, 39, has been appointed senior coach of his home club Gembrook Cockatoo in the Outer East football league.

He says the appointment is “special’’ to him, given it’s the club he grew up at — his mum and dad still live next door to the Brookers oval.

“It’s an exciting new challenge for me,” Firrito says.

“To be the main man, so to speak, and call the shots is something I’m really excited about and to do it at home where I grew up is special.”

Michael Firrito playing for Gembrook. Picture: Bethany Hutchison

Firrito has been playing with Gembrook since retiring from the AFL.

The chance to pass on his vast knowledge to a young and eager-to-learn Brookers list excites him.

He also plans to hang up his boots, with this Saturday’s game against Wandin in all likelihood to be his swan song.

“I intend on giving it away but I did say that three or four years ago, too,’’ he laughed.

“But I tick over to that number that has a four and a zero in it and while the body still feels pretty good I do want to have a crack at coaching and being a playing coach is pretty difficult.

“My intention is to just purely coach.”

Nick Dal Santo, Michael Firrito and Brad Scott. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Firrito says Laidley and Scott taught him high standards and brought out the best in him.

“I had Laidley and Scott for seven years each and in between Darren Crocker was coach for about six months,’’ he said.

“Both great coaches in their own right, we had our fair share of success, not the ultimate but one prelim under Laidley and and two prelims under Scott.

“I’ll take a bit of knowledge from everyone and put my own take on it and hopefully we can have some success.

“I would like to think Brad Scott has rubbed off a bit on me but time will tell, I might turn into a lunatic coach, but I’d like to think Brad Scott was someone I really looked up to, the same as Laidley, but Scotty was a pretty fierce competive player but as a coach he was very measured, composed, never lost his cool.

“I think I’ll be quite a bit different as a coach to what I was as a player but time will tell I guess.’’

Gembrook player Matt Frazzetto. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Jay Verhagen. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Gembrook Cockatoo won the premiership in Division 1 last year but will finish on the bottom in the top flight Premier division this season.

Firrito hopes to add some recruits to “complement’’ the Brookers’ list.

“I’m really happy with the core young list of players we’ve got at Gembrook,’’ he said.

“They’ll need some help along the way but what we’ve got is pretty exciting.’’

Former Berwick premiership player Michael Harold will be Firrito’s assistant.

“We think it’s an appealing place to come,’’ Firrito said.

“We’ll certainly have a professional little set up but we need some recruits so we will look at getting some players in as well.’’

Firrito said a “six foot five ruckman’’ was on the shopping list, but laughed off suggestions his former Kangaroos teammate Todd Goldstein could join him in future years.

“I think his body is still good enough and the way the list is going they could still use him going around again that’s for sure,’’ he said.