Coach Assistant coaches.

Remove this Banner Ad

anchor man

Premiership Player
Apr 6, 2001
3,686
3,716
Success WA
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Dockers ∧South Fremantle
Under Ross Lyon we saw and heard very little from our assistant coaches.Will we see something different under Justin Longmuir.
Even looking in the year book, there is no official offering as to what the roles are of these assistants.
We lost Brett Guerra earlier on.A disagreement with Lyon I think.His role development coach.What was he supposed to be developing.
Siomn Eastaugh.... Assistans coach. Was he the ruck coach!!
David Hale... Assistant coach... what was his role.
Anthony Rock... assistant coach.. was he the mids coach!!
Mark Webb... senior development coach!!
Roger Hayden.. Development coach.
Adam Read... development /coaches assistant.
What does it all mean. What were, or are their specific roles at the club, can any one tell me.
Will we see more of these assistants now with a new coach?
 

FreoBraddles

Team Captain
Feb 19, 2016
569
2,953
AFL Club
Fremantle
I’ve copied in the roles of each assistant and development coach below from one of our other threads.

In terms of whether we will see/hear from then more I guess it’s hard to say now - but my guess is we probably will. One of the criticisms of Ross, rightly or wrongly (and this isn’t to become another Ross debate, Please!) was that he was too controlling. That said, at times this year I thought I was hearing more from them than in previous years.

COACHING
Senior Coach -
Justin Longmuir - Commenced September 30 2019 | Contracted until 2022.

Defensive Coach - Michael Prior - Commenced 2008 | Contracted until 2019.
Midfield Coach - Simon Eastaugh - Commenced 2014? | Contracted until 2019.
Midfield Coach - Anthony Rock - Commenced 2016 | Contracted until 2019.
Forwards Coach - David Hale - Commenced 2016 | Contracted until 2020.

Defensive Development Coach - Roger Hayden - Commenced 2012 | Contracted until..
Forward Development Coach - Brent Guerra - Commenced 2016 | Departing at end of 2019 (Confirmed: Guerra to depart Freo)
Midfield Development Coach - Adam Read - Commenced 2007 (Recruiting role) | Contracted until.
.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Superkoops

Norm Smith Medallist
May 7, 2009
6,587
11,219
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
I remember reading somewhere that Anthony Rock had been contracted for 2020. May have even been from the horses mouth in an end of season interview. He was interviewed in the lead-up to the round 23 Port vs Freo game.
 

fnerd

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 23, 2009
7,180
10,715
Castilly rock
AFL Club
Fremantle
I sincerely hope so ,

J-lo clearly comes highly rated and with a decent resume but he is still inexperienced and an unknown therefore I think a DOC/senior assistant is nearly as critical as his appointment in the first place.

That’s why , to me Pyke is almost a must get signature.
Not only is/was he a decent coach in his own right but he’s a highly regarded tactician/strategist (even acknowledged by bell) and this is one area where, even long before his appointment I thought was not one of J-los stronger points. - his clearly appears to be in man management and building good rapport with people.

I think pykes strengths would complement Justin’s weakness perfectly and vice verca.

No matter what you thought of Ross he was a highly experienced and very good tactical coach with a very deep understanding of the game and replacing his football iq will not be easy and nor should it be all thrust upon longmuir as an inexperienced coach

Hence why it’s going to take a varied coaching group to replace him,

Along with Pyke would like to see josh carr and Jaime graham sounded out .
Also would be very keen on Leigh Tudor if the rumours are true.

That lot combined with Hale and rock I think would give us a great group from which to support our new head coach
 
Sep 18, 2013
2,697
6,349
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Swan Districts Vancouver Canucks
There was a bloke on the panel that selected Longmuir who'd make a great Assistant Coach.
While I agree with you, I'd like to get a bit more outside knowlege into the club.

Assistants with recent experience at Hawthorn or Richmond bringing some knowlege over would be ideal.

Also I think LukeMc is enjoying being a Pharmacist for now. (I assumed that's who you meant - I'm not sure how Dale would go as midfield coach.)
 

Scham

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 19, 2004
22,432
20,451
AFL Club
Fremantle
The rumours were strong around Andy Otten joining us, most likely in development but perhaps to replace Prior.

I’d love to get some more Clarkson influences in the team. We’ve got Hale and JLo has obviously picked some up through Simpson but getting some more from one of the previous 4 premiership teams would be ideal whether it be in coaching, S & C or other roles within the footy dept.
 

Docker82

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 21, 2013
8,664
14,219
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
While I agree with you, I'd like to get a bit more outside knowlege into the club.

Assistants with recent experience at Hawthorn or Richmond bringing some knowlege over would be ideal.

Also I think LukeMc is enjoying being a Pharmacist for now. (I assumed that's who you meant - I'm not sure how Dale would go as midfield coach.)
Yes. I also think his former partner in crime (Johnson) would go alright as well but ive literally heard from people who've been coached by McPharlin that he's very good.

I agree we need outside knowledge but there's also room to bring our good people back through the door as there should be a few vacancies really.
 
Sep 18, 2013
2,697
6,349
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Swan Districts Vancouver Canucks
should be a few vacancies really.
unnamed.gif
 

fnerd

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 23, 2009
7,180
10,715
Castilly rock
AFL Club
Fremantle
Yes. I also think his former partner in crime (Johnson) would go alright as well but ive literally heard from people who've been coached by McPharlin that he's very good.

I agree we need outside knowledge but there's also room to bring our good people back through the door as there should be a few vacancies really.
yeah I’ve heard the same. Highly regarded (hence him being sought out for the coaching committee)

Stated in a post quite some time back that of all out recently retires ex players he’s the one I think could go on to become a good coach .

I remember even when hearing him during interviews (one in particular while coming off the ground at half time and his comments on radio during matches he speaks very articulately and with a very good grasp of technical side of the game.

That said if he ever does want to go into coaching I think a stint over east under the likes of clarko/Geelong and Richmond would be an ideal apprenticeship
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

tacopavlich

Premiership Player
Oct 19, 2010
3,271
2,480
perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
That’s why , to me Pyke is almost a must get signature.
Not only is/was he a decent coach in his own right but he’s a highly regarded tactician/strategist (even acknowledged by bell) and this is one area where, even long before his appointment I thought was not one of J-los stronger points. - his clearly appears to be in man management and building good rapport with people.

I think most clubs would have the same assessment of Pyke, and if he was after an assistant role he could basically walk into any club of his choosing. I think the only chance we could lure him to our club is with the carrot of a senior coaching position or something equally as lucrative.
 

tacopavlich

Premiership Player
Oct 19, 2010
3,271
2,480
perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
There was a bloke on the panel that selected Longmuir who'd make a great Assistant Coach.

In vacuum I agree but we already have enough inexperience in our administration that I think we need to try and balance the equation a bit more.
 

ImperialPurple

Matthew Pavlich Medallist
May 26, 2003
24,238
18,050
South Freo
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
SFFC, Aussie Women's Cricket, HNK
They have to seriously consider Sandi to replace Eastaugh if he's interested. He already has a great mentor relationship with Darcy, and I dare say Meek could learn a s**t load from someone who is an expert at the craft of rucking. I would suggest Lobb, and any back up rucks, could improve their ruckwork with Sandi guiding them. I wonder how much Eastaugh actually coached the rucks in the art of rucking and giving the midfielders first use. I think Sandi would have him covered in that area of knowledge, and would have taught the young blokes a s**t tonne more that Eastaugh could have / did.
 
Sep 18, 2013
2,697
6,349
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Swan Districts Vancouver Canucks
I think most clubs would have the same assessment of Pyke, and if he was after an assistant role he could basically walk into any club of his choosing. I think the only chance we could lure him to our club is with the carrot of a senior coaching position or something equally as lucrative.
When he stepped down at Adelaide, the papers mentioned he was "independently wealthy", I'm sure he doesn't need money.

If he's interested in keeping his hand in the game and wants to live in Perth, them I'm sure the Dockers could come up with something that would suit.

Assuming JL is ok with it.
 

fnerd

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 23, 2009
7,180
10,715
Castilly rock
AFL Club
Fremantle
I think most clubs would have the same assessment of Pyke, and if he was after an assistant role he could basically walk into any club of his choosing. I think the only chance we could lure him to our club is with the carrot of a senior coaching position or something equally as lucrative.
Yes I have no doubt at all he could walk into a job but as he’s obviously not going to do that in Adelaide it really only leaves WA (doubt he’d want to uproot his family and move to Victoria where he has no ties at all). Now I’m sure WC could and would find a position for him ,I’m pretty sure in terms of a meaningful position freo would look attractive.
Plus he clearly has great respect/rapport with jlo considering he asked him to join him at Adelaide in 2017

More to the point tho every indication I’ve seen regarding him is that he’s actually a bit over the whole head coaching caper and that he was more likely too seek an assistants position with a club , should he want to remain in the game.
 
Last edited:

Scham

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 19, 2004
22,432
20,451
AFL Club
Fremantle
With JLo looking to me like he’s going to need a lot of support and even some guidance, it won’t surprise me if we stick with most of our current assistants.

If we can get Pyke to replace Rock it’d be good and Eastaugh is really surplus to requirements but otherwise I doubt there’ll be much change.

Otten replacing Guerra in Development too?
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Back