MPFNL: Red Hill appoints Jamie Mollo and David Gallagher as co-coaches for 2025

A former AFL player who says he’s still inspired by his time playing under Malcolm Blight has been appointed co-coach at a MPFNL Division 1 finalist.

David Gallagher in action for the Adelaide Crows against North Melbourne at Football Park in May, 2000.

It’s a new look for one of the Mornington Peninsula league’s emerging sides.

Red Hill has tweaked its coaching set up, confirming long-serving senior coach Jamie Mollo will share the role with former AFL player and Sandringham premiership star David Gallagher.

The Mollo-Gallagher co-coaching arrangement will look to steer the Hillmen into premiership contention after they made the Division 1 finals for the first time in 2024.

“It is a genuine co coaching situation between the two of them,” Red Hill president Graham Sherry said.

“They know and respect each other. I think it will be great.”

David Gallagher boots Sandringham forward.

Gallagher, 44, played 33 AFL matches with Adelaide and Carlton between 1999-2002.

He then became one of the VFL’s finest players at Sandringham, as an integral member of the 2004-05-06 premiership sides. He also won two best and fairests and captained the club.

Gallagher crossed to the Frankston Dolphins in 2013, and that’s where he met Mollo.

The pair have been close friends since; Mollo got Gallagher to Red Hill as an assistant coach in 2023.

“I played a couple of years of country footy then finished off at Deer Park in 2017,” Gallagher said.

“I then had five years away from the game, it was actually really good for me. I think I needed it.

“But I was still studying leadership stuff and philosophy on my own. And then because I was still in touch with Jamie there came a point when there was an opportunity…Red Hill needed an on ball coach in 2023…I thought why not. And it’s just gone from there.”

Premiership coach Jamie Mollo. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Gallagher, who will be Red Hill’s game day coach, said the Hillmen have an abundance of exciting young players.

“Nothing excites me more in footy than potential,” he said.

“In terms of our potential it’s, well, who knows how far we can go.

“I have high hopes. I think there is no shortage of talent.

“There’s a whole bunch across the entire list that we need to step up in order for us to make the finals again and maybe win a final…maybe we can win two and then who knows, man.”

It will be Gallagher’s first foray into senior coaching and he may draw on the experience of playing under some iconic coaches, including Malcolm Blight at the Crows.

“He’s probably the most influential and inspirational coach I ever played under,’’ Gallagher said.

“I was lucky to have him for a year at Adelaide and just the way he thought about the game …the way he would use those ideas to try and help get the best out of his players…he’s a huge inspiration for me to this very day and that was a long time ago. Yeah, he made quite the impression.’’

Malcolm Blight patting David Gallagher on the back. AFL football - Adelaide Crows verus North Melbourne practice match at Penola in 1999.

Gallagher said Blight’s “unorthodox’’ coaching style resonated with him.

“The way he thought about things was unorthodox you could say but it didn’t cross over into being weird, it was thinking about it in a different way,’’ he said.

“Because of that he was really able to engage the players and therefore get the best out of them. That will influence my style.

“Also Mark Williams at Sandringham was a huge influence on me. We won three flags under him and he’s also a huge mentor of mine, I’m lucky to still be in contact with him to this day.

‘Wilbur’ is a special guy, he’s a lovely dude, he’s always got time for me and I’ll forever have gratitude for the influence he had on me.”

Mollo joined Red Hill in 2018, taking the Hillmen straight to a grand final. In 2019, he steered Red Hill to the Division 2 premiership. Mollo’s co-coaching duties will include the newly established role as club director of coaching.