Two-time premiership coach Doug Koop names his best-ever local side

Doug Koop coached seven clubs and some of the best local footballers this century. Now he’s put together his greatest-ever side. See who made it.

Doug Koop has named his greatest-ever side of players he's coached.

Doug Koop was a fine footballer, playing 44 league games with the Swans, North Melbourne and Melbourne in the 1980s.

In a Herald Sun article in 1987, Kevin Bartlett described him as, “a 100 per cent goer who follows instructions. Tags effectively and has good disposal.’’

Koop carried his determination into coaching after his playing days.

Over three decades he coached seven local clubs, starting off at Beaconsfield, moving onto Parkdale, Frankston YCW, where he spent six years, Chelsea, Cranbourne (for seven seasons), Dromana and Officer (through Covid).

Koop coached two premierships, at Frankston YCW (2003) and Cranbourne (2011).

“It should have been three, 2013 sticks in my craw,’’ he said, referring to Cranbourne’s last-gasp loss to Narre Warren in the 2013 MPNFL Casey Cardinia grand final.

During his career, Koop coached some of the best local footballers to lace up boots this century, including Brendan Long, Marc Holt and Troy Cashman. He refers to them as “three superstars’’.

So, from his vast coaching experience, Doug Koop lists his greatest-ever side and chats about each player:

Frankston YCW's Brendan Long runs onto the ground in the 2007 grand final, also his 300th game.

BACKS

Brendan Long, Frankston YCW: An eight-time best and fairest winner, exquisite reader of the footy with exceptional skills. A genuine superstar who could play anywhere. Won more B&Fs than he trained in my time and far more often than not you would hear opposition supporters screaming out, ‘stop kicking it to Long!!!’.

Zannon Daff, Frankston YCW: Super hard and reliable. Never beaten and had a huge desire to win the footy. Very good skills.

Adrian Matthews, Frankston YCW: Not far behind Long with his ability to read the play. Super competitive bordering on manic (he is a redhead). Very good skills.

Brandon Osborne, a Cranbourne champion. Picture: Chris Eastman

Brandon Osborne, Cranbourne: I gave him his first game and he improved with every game he played. Super focused on beating his man and played on the very best. Dual premiership player and captain.

Matt Thompson, Cranbourne: Fearless player, who too often went where angels fear to tread, not always emerging unscathed. Very skilled and slipped into the midfield easily with his run and very good skills.

Matt Rus, Cranbourne: Creative running half back with very good skills. Was often our springboard into attack, yet had a happy knack of covering his man.

Chelsea's Mitch Grant.

Mitch Grant, Chelsea: Attacking, running back with good skills who had a super leap for his size. Played on taller opposition players often beating them! A driving force from the back half.

Gavin Artico, Frankston YCW: A very good fullback who rated himself as a forward (many do). Very reliable and irritating for opposition players, as he had excellent focus on his role for the team.

MIDS

Daniel Marshall, Frankston YCW: Very clever player who wasn’t tall for a ruckman but was mobile enough to win good footy and push forward.

Curtis Barker, Cranbourne: Greg Williams-like with excellent use of handball to bring others into play. Very good accumulator and user of the footy.

Stonecat Ben Tellis celebrates a final quarter goal at Frankston.

Ben Tellis, Frankston YCW: Got better as he went on because he continued to work harder and harder, ultimately becoming a very good player in many premierships with YCW.

Shane Moodie, Beaconsfield/Frankston YCW: Honest player at Beaconsfield, who progressed to a competition-best midfielder at YCW, with an enormous capacity to run all day. Very good kicking skills (can’t remember if he actually ever handballed!).

Frankston YCW star Tony Lester. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Tony Lester, Frankston YCW: Very talented, skilful player with a good tank and the ability to push forward and kick goals from the middle.

Ryan Davey, Cranbourne: Absolute workhorse who could run all day. Good skills and good sharer of the footy. Dual premiership player.

Ed McNally, Beaconsfield: Running machine with good skills and was always working hard for the team’s benefit.

Craig Nankervis, Frankston YCW: Eight-time premiership wingman with incredible tank. Was always working hard for the team. Strong runner with very good skills and good footy brain.

Lee Holt, Cranbourne: A very solid worker who loved the contested footy and leading the way for his teammates. Good skills mostly. A genuine workhorse.

Anthony Lewis, Chelsea: Excellent runner with very good pace. Add to that a very good workrate and good skills and you have a competition-best wingman throughout his career.

Anthony Lewis on the burst for Chelsea.

Cranbourne champion Marc Holt. Picture: Valeriu Campan

FORWARDS

Marc Holt, Cranbourne: Colossus with vice-like grip who often had two or three opponents. Always led by example even when not fit. Over 1000 goals in his career. Absolute star.

Justin Berry, Cranbourne: Very good mid who was a clever forward and knew where the goals were. Excellent tank allowed him to win plenty of footy and run off the taggers.

Troy Cashman, Beaconsfield: A very clever player who rarely used up extra energy winning the footy but his collection and use was first class. Very good mid.

Chelsea's Lachlan Oakley. Picture: Mark Stewart

Lachlan Oakley, Chelsea: Bull-like attack on the footy and was a good collector. Could play the lead-up forward well because he was a strong mark. One of very few players who could win a game off his own boot.

Troy Tharle, Cranbourne: Ultimate team man who played his CHF role very, very well. Solid mark and kick who was a very valuable member of the team.

Troy Tharle.

Matt Fletcher, Cranbourne: Very clever forward who was a strong mark for his size and kicked goals.

Koop admitted it was difficult putting together his best-ever team.

“Some very good ones missed selection only because they didn’t reach the heights or consistency of the selected players in my time at the club,’’ he said.

Koop wanted to give honourable mentions to:

Ryan Jones, Cranbourne

Andre Young, Cranbourne

Michael Boland, Cranbourne

Glenn Michie, YCW

Rick Hayward, Chelsea

Sammy Radford, Chelsea