Jason Mifsud - Assistant Coach

Gidday Saints' fans. The Ararat Football Netball Club is fortunate enough to have a few people dedicated enough to reproduce, with appropriate acknowledgements and recognition, newspaper articles for our club website that include information relevant to our region.

Occasionally we are able to post news items that are of interest to a broader community than just the Rats players and supporters.

Currently on our front page there are two stories from regional media about Jason Mifsud and his appointment to the St Kilda coaching panel. Reports from the Warrnambool Standard, available elsewhere at Big Footy also, and the Hamilton Spectator are the two main news items on the site currently.

The stories can be accessed at http://araratfc.vcfl.com.au

The recent interview of Rene Kink by Mal Brown for Inside Football is also available on the website. It can be accessed via the News Central link at the site and is titled Hulk Billing. For those born after 1975 you may not remember Kink or the fact he was briefly based at Moorabbin.

Cheers, Grimmett

Thanks very much for the info there, Grimmett - an interesting read

 Playing Career: 1989 - 2005
 Senior Games: 320
 St Kilda Football Club: 1993
 Hampden League Representative: 1991 – 2004
- Captain: 1999 – 2004
 Victorian Country Representative: 2000, 2003 & 2004
- Captain: 2003 & 2004

 Playing Awards
 Mininera League Best & Fairest Award: 1994
 Mininera League Goal kicking record: 206 goals
 Hampden League Best & Fairest Award: 1997 Runner Up: 1999 & 2004
 Hampden League Team of the Year: 1991 – 2005
 Hampden League Team of the Year Captain: 6 times
 Hampden League Greatest Team: 2005
 Four Club Best & Fairest Awards
 Twelve Club Goal Kicking Awards

Thanks Grimmett

I won't name names but one of the journalists of the articles provided by you and StKildonan was a former bigfooty contributor and often has access to news about AFL players and coaches that come from his part of the world.

As for Jason Mifsud, the fact that Rodney Eade was so impressed with his leadership when he coached Vic Country in 2003 that he recommended him for the then vacant Werribee VFL coaching position says it all. Well to be honest I'm prepared to back Thommo's judgement but that kind of validation may be required to convince the cynics of his coaching credentials.

sainter said:

Thanks Grimmett

I won't name names but one of the journalists of the articles provided by you and StKildonan was a former bigfooty contributor and often has access to news about AFL players and coaches that come from his part of the world.

As for Jason Mifsud, the fact that Rodney Eade was so impressed with his leadership when he coached Vic Country in 2003 that he recommended him for the then vacant Werribee VFL coaching position says it all. Well to be honest I'm prepared to back Thommo's judgement but that kind of validation may be required to convince the cynics of his coaching credentials.

Click to expand...

how would an assistant coach get validation that he is good at his job? i doubt thatmost supporters would know whether the assistants were any good or not.

sammm said:

how would an assistant coach get validation that he is good at his job? i doubt thatmost supporters would know whether the assistants were any good or not.

Click to expand...

I'm just saying that most decisions made by Grant Thomas are greeted with skepticism (and then later adopted by other clubs). Those that didn't know anything about Jason Mifsud can now see that he is highly rated by two senior coaches.

Newest Saint is Jason Who?
2:14:28 PM Thu 19 January, 2006
Matt Burgan

After his stint at Warrnambool (under Grant Thomas), Mifsud moved to Mortlake under former Geelong player Gerard Fitzgerald who later became a successful VFL coach and is now heading up the North Ballarat Rebels.

Mifsud then left the country and played in the VFL for Sandringham under the late, great Trevor Barker, before he was drafted by St Kilda in 1993. Of the 1993 St Kilda squad, only two of his former teammates remain today - Robert Harvey and Justin Peckett.

After he was unable to crack it for a senior AFL match in 1993, Mifsud decided to "bite the bullet" and return to the western district in 1994.

"I made a decision to go back home and coach, primarily because I was given a great opportunity to work with Aboriginal kids in juvenile justice and I just wanted to pursue the coaching caper myself," Mifsud said whose father is Maltese and mother is Aboriginal.

In 1994-95, Mifsud was playing coach of Caramut and led it to a flag in 1994 - its first in 27 years. He also kicked a staggering 206 goals that season playing predominantly at centre half-forward, although he did spend time in the midfield.

He moved to Koroit in 1996 and spent three seasons as a player under former Fitzroy and Richmond player Noel Mugavin - the uncle of Jonathan Brown - before taking over the coaching reins in 1999.

After clearing more than 1700 matches of experience, he led Koroit to its first grand final in 27 years in 2000. The club lost to Camperdown, coached then by Geelong assistant coach Ken Hinkley.

From 2000-05, the lowest Koroit finished under Mifsud was a preliminary final and it tasted premiership success in 2003.

His impressive football resume has also been backed by Western Bulldogs Rodney Eade, who when coaching the Victorian Country side in 2003, named Mifsud captain against the Victorian Amateurs.

Mifsud steps out with Saints
By ANDREW THOMSON
February 3, 2006



Mifsud said he and assistant coach Jason Cripps' match-day role would be defence , while Matt Rendall and Mick McGuane concentrated on offence.

He said the assistants would be involved in core development, watching videos and scouting opposition games.

``No stone will be left unturned in planning and preparation,'' he said.

Mifsud said there had been other changes around the club during the off-season with former Brisbane Lions conditioner Craig Starcivich taking over injury management.

He said the club had a healthier report card at this stage of the season than it had the past few years.