Inside the evolution of local footy coaching
Long gone are the days of rocking up to training twice a week and then barking instructions on a Saturday and thinking the job is done. Coaching local footy is now close to a full time job. We spoke to six elite coaches to get an understanding of how tough the role has become.
Gerard FitzGerald may have been ahead of his time.
Taking on his first coaching job in 1981 at Sea Lake, while working at the local school, he always had a “holistic approach” to the role.
His mantra was key in a coaching career which included 345 games and three premierships with ex-VFL powerhouse North Ballarat.
It included game plan development and mentoring the young men under his leadership.
Many associate local coaching with two training sessions a week and game day at 2pm on a Saturday.
But it’s much more than that. Those in the role often call it a “second full-time job”.
You’re not just guiding a playing list, you’re guiding an entire club according to FitzGerald.
“It’s about coaching the person, not the player,” he said.
“It’s become a fair bit more obvious now. On the field, you’re always trying to find ways to beat the competition and match the best teams but footy is about so much more than that.
“You spend time studying the opposition, trying to find ways to win games but coaches have such a big influence on who people are.
“When I speak to current coaches, I am always telling them to not take the volunteers for granted and learn about them, they want to help you and the club.
“Coaches are coaching the whole club.”
FitzGerald last coached at Hampden league club Hamilton in 2021, where his two years were interrupted by Covid.
He described the pandemic as a “watershed moment” for footy and life in general.
During lockdowns and limited face-to-face interactions, many coaches often became the person players could just “talk to” when it got tough.
“It sharpened us up in being able to come together, maybe it was something we took for granted,” FitzGerald said.
“Footy clubs have always been a great place for a sense of belonging and we were reminded of it. There has to be a strong connection between the coach and club.
While he’s no longer picking teams on a Thursday night, FitzGerald remains a shoulder to lean on for those coaching teams across the community.
Many of his former players are in their own coaching jobs and he wants more support for them all.
“The health of football clubs is helped by quality coaches,” he said.
“But how can we support them and who do they turn to if they need support? We need to be looking for the best way to support the coach.
“They get two to three years down the track and they’re tired, they don’t have enough time and the club needs to go through the entire process again which is a job too big for volunteers.
“We need to find ways to have people stick around for six or seven years because the longer you’re in it, the better you’re going to get as an individual and as a club.”
While FitzGerald is seen by many as a doyen of coaching, today’s crop of coaches at local level are all now finding they have to employ multiple skills which extend far beyond the boundary line.
We talk to several of them about what makes the job so tough, but also so rewarding.
GUIDING THROUGH TRAUMA
One year ago Melton Football Netball Club was rocked by the sudden death of Billy Sullivan.
The sudden loss of one of his players changed the way first-year Bloods mentor Troy Scoble approached coaching forever, before his side went onto win the premiership.
“That was tough,” he said.
“I had a close relationship with Billy before coming to Melton and I was fortunate to have great family support at home. The players are looking for strength and leadership from you.
“We all love footy but it’s a time where you get a better understanding every player has their own life away from footy. We’re creating an environment where we are showing our players, football can be part of their life with family and work, not the number one priority.”
Before joining the Ballarat league powerhouse, Scoble spent four years with Geelong’s VFL program before leaving for the club where his kids play. He has an understanding of the importance of the coach’s role.
“It’s more than beyond the football field,” he said.
“A lot of former players want to stay involved because they think they’ve got something to offer. You’ve got to be prepared to be one of the leaders in the club community along with the president and anyone else who has a big role to play.”
MANAGING TOP TALENT
Dan Donati was a successful player, now he’s one of local footy’s best coaches.
He won four flags in five years at Balwyn, joined Old Xaverians as an assistant in 2018, won a premiership with Barwon Heads in 2022, led Old Brighton in 2023 and then took over at Xavs from 2024.
It’s a coaching career where he’s seen the highs and lows for his players at a high level.
“I’ve always tried to put as much time into the player as possible and it does take time,” he said.
“If I’ve got spare time or I’m on annual leave, I might grab a coffee or lunch with a player, have them over for dinner. That kind of stuff is crucial to the culture of your footy club and management of your playing list.
“It’s probably harder than it’s ever been. I would love to do this full-time because you do care and you do want what is best for people.”
The tough conversations are sometimes the ones which are the most rewarding according to Donati.
“Those people who reach out to you and ask what can they do to get in, what can they do to get better are the reason you do this,” he said.
“One of our big challenges is the balance between VFL footy and playing for Old Xavs. It’s tricky and it’s the changing face of local footy.
“We encourage the boys to play at the highest level they can but we’re also about creating the best environment for them where they want to play with our club when the time might come they want to play locally full-time.”
WARDING OFF THE WOLVES
Ormond currently finds itself in an interesting position under second year coach Kyle Pinto.
The Monders sit top on the ladder in the fourth tier of VAFA footy, Division 1, unbeaten just after the halfway point of the season.
They’re one of metro footy’s youngest teams and surrounded by neighbouring clubs who can whip out the chequebook.
It’s a task which means Pinto is challenged to keep his players.
“That’s part of the beast of playing in the Ammos,” Pinto said.
“We’re trying to build a culture where training sessions are enjoyable and a place where guys want to be. Yes, we are doing conditioning and the running but we don’t want it to feel like a chore for the players.
“Family, your job and footy is the order we’ve said. Guys are going off to Europe and I’ve told them ‘enjoy your holiday’. It’s part of being young and we want them to enjoy themselves.
“When I first came to the club a couple of years ago, we employed a culture coach and he surveyed all the players about why they play footy and a lot of it came back to mateship.
“That’s how we’ve built our program to be somewhere people enjoy being.”
Pinto said an important part of building the club which has the off-field gatherings.
“We do Thursday night dinners and they’re paid for by the club with four or five teams, that’s between 90 and 100 people,” he said.
“It’s been a big part of what we’re trying to instil. We only have four or five functions during the year, we don’t want players to feel like it needs to be every Saturday night.
“We made them pointed and punchy for the most impact.”
THE RECRUITER
When Steve Burns’ Taylors Lakes lifted the 2024 Essendon District Football League Division 2 premiership, his work had only just started.
Now back in the second tier, the Lions mentor who also coached the 2010 flag, was pivoting to put together a competitive list to become the hunter, not hunted.
Burns estimates he put in around 20 hours a week during the off-season meeting with potential recruits and the existing playing list.
“When the season ends, you’re doing list analysis, taking a look at what you might need to add,” Burns said.
“You’re meeting with these guys to make sure they’re the right fit for your playing group. I’m fortunate to have a good football and recruiting manager who help ease the burden, but we’re all putting in a lot of hours.
“What you need is everyone to be aligned. In years gone by, you might have to go and get the recruits yourself, but the players have such good networks, it opens up a lot of possibilities.
“We’re fortunate the gap between Division 1 and 2 has closed a bit. When we won in 2010 and went up to A-grade it was like going into a different world.”
SELLING THE DREAM
Brett Henderson took the reins at Lara for the 2025 Geelong league season, stepping into one of the region’s toughest roles.
It was a move which saw Henderson, who last coached locally in 2011 at Echuca, move to a club where he had no existing connection. He has worked in high level programs including the Bendigo Pioneers and VFL clubs Port Melbourne and Williamstown.
Lara currently sits at the foot of the ladder without a win and a percentage of just 17.85.
Henderson estimates he puts in around 30 hours of work a week for a side where the average age is consistently about 20.
“It’s the phone calls, research, WhatsApp groups. It’s all part of us trying to create a good environment,” he said.
“The way stats and vision are available has changed it all. You sit there and cut up edits for one-on-one reviews.
“It’s a great challenge ahead of us but you need to put in the time if you want it to be successful.”
And while he’s trying to help young men become the best footballers they can, Henderson knows his support is needed well beyond the white line.
“Being a sounding board and supporting players is bigger than I imagined,” he said.
“There’s so much more to the role than just putting a side out on the park.”
THE MARKETER
If you asked the local footy fan who the coach of the community club is, they’re likely to be able to name them. But they probably couldn’t tell you who the president is.
And with that, the role of marketing the club become so much more important.
Fitzgerald believes coaches should ask themselves “are you a good ambassador for your club?”
“One thing I say to coaches is don’t take on the job if you’re not ready to be the face of the club,” he said.
“You’re going to be the spokesperson at critical times. You are leading the club and its people, it’s a prerequisite for the role.
“But it comes back to how a club can help you do that.”
CO-COACHING
Western Football League Division 1 club Parkside has employed a co-coaching set-up involving Chris Muratore and Michael Licciardo since returning to the top tier in 2024.
The decision came on the back of a 2023 premiership and Muratore becoming involved with Richmond’s VFL program.
Licciardo had never been a senior coach but worked as an assistant at several top clubs.
“It’s fantastic from the point of view, we can offer different thoughts and ideas to what we’re able to do,” Muratore said.
“The players benefit from it as well because we might explain things in different ways. You’re able to save time away from footy as well, for your family and other things.
“It’s something where you can’t have a sense of arrogance and say ‘it’s going to be my way’. Michael comes in and is able to upskill himself and he’s had the chance to lead the side on different occasions. It’s a change which has benefited everyone.”
Originally published as Inside the evolution of local footy coaching
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