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http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23149396-5011880,00.html
Mark Harvey says Dockers ready to challenge Geelong Article : Damien Barrett
February 02, 2008 06:00pm
HE played the game with a fearlessness that bordered on stupidity.
He is now in charge of a club regularly criticised for being too soft, which means it is not difficult to work out how Mark Harvey will coach Fremantle.
Interviewed in South Africa, Harvey did not specifically say he would be demanding increased toughness from the at-times fragile Dockers.
More than once, though, he referred to mental toughness and said he would be seeking better outcomes "when the game was in the balance''.
And Harvey says he respects his predecessor, Chris Connolly, as much as anyone he does in football.
Harvey talked of pride associated with finally reaching a senior coaching position and of his belief it was more important to wait for the right role than to apply for every vacancy. He also said the
Dockers were ready to challenge the competition elite, including Geelong.
"Yeah, I am (very comfortable with where he is right now). I've covered a lot of areas in the coaching perspective, a lot of unique areas,'' Harvey said.
"I don't know what the right formula is by the way, but I feel I've prepared myself for what lies ahead.
"And I'm not one of those coaches who's going to worry about the job all the time. I'm just going to try to do the best I can to get the best out of the playing group and not worry about things that happen outside that.''
Harvey paused when asked if the Dockers could win the 2008 premiership.
"We'll have the foot on the doorstep. We won't be far away and it'll be a matter of when the game needs to be won, when you need to be mentally tough ... will we overcome that?'' he said.
"If we do, we'll be around it. From my point of view, we can be up there with the big boys, and I include Geelong, so whatever you make of that you make of it.
"But we're going to be keeping a low profile around that and if something becomes of that, well, we'll wait and see.''
Harvey's appointment vindicated his decision to wait, and wait, and wait, for the job that felt right.
His approach was seen as unnecessary hesitancy by some, and by others as Harvey being unsure of himself.
Some even felt it indicated Harvey was not ready to take a senior role.
"I know that certain coaches were saying: `Well, why aren't you stepping up'?'' Harvey said.
"Well, I never wanted to be too over-anxious about becoming a coach. I reckon people who are that way about whatever it is they're pursuing can go about it the wrong way.
"I think people respect the way you go about it.''
Think of the recent searches for coaches by AFL clubs, and recall how most employed consultancy firms to sound out and short-list candidates.
Harvey does not like where those processes are heading and reckons football clubs need to revert to old-school practices.
He admits to giving a PowerPoint presentation in his application for the Fremantle job, but stressed the most important quality required was one that could not be measured by people who do not know football.
"I did a PowerPoint presentation - all prospective coaches have to do it these days - but the problem I have with that is what they can never judge is your interaction with your coaches and players,'' Harvey said.
"I mean, how do they get that? Seriously, how can they determine that? When guys make decisions on guys at board level, or when someone has come in to analyse a situation, like a group of experts or a psychologist, well, I'm not sure where all that's heading.
"And I'm not sure if we're going down the right path with all of that. I think clubs should reassess the way they go about picking a coach.''
When Connolly resigned last year, Harvey was astounded by the big-picture view the departing coach took to what was a low point of his career.
"Chris was fantastic with how he handled what happened, and the understanding of what he wanted me to do beyond that decision he made was very calming,'' Harvey said.
"It was very credible from a guy who was probably not thinking straight at the time.
"In the end, you have to say he gave it the very best shot he had. I've never seen a guy more passionate about football. He lives and breathes it.''
Harvey loves the Dockers and says their supporters are as "staunch'' as Collingwood's.
He says the club is no longer West Coast's little brother, a fact the Eagles know, but it was also time Fremantle proved such to the rest of the competition.
Mark Harvey says Dockers ready to challenge Geelong Article : Damien Barrett
February 02, 2008 06:00pm
HE played the game with a fearlessness that bordered on stupidity.
He is now in charge of a club regularly criticised for being too soft, which means it is not difficult to work out how Mark Harvey will coach Fremantle.
Interviewed in South Africa, Harvey did not specifically say he would be demanding increased toughness from the at-times fragile Dockers.
More than once, though, he referred to mental toughness and said he would be seeking better outcomes "when the game was in the balance''.
And Harvey says he respects his predecessor, Chris Connolly, as much as anyone he does in football.
Harvey talked of pride associated with finally reaching a senior coaching position and of his belief it was more important to wait for the right role than to apply for every vacancy. He also said the
Dockers were ready to challenge the competition elite, including Geelong.
"Yeah, I am (very comfortable with where he is right now). I've covered a lot of areas in the coaching perspective, a lot of unique areas,'' Harvey said.
"I don't know what the right formula is by the way, but I feel I've prepared myself for what lies ahead.
"And I'm not one of those coaches who's going to worry about the job all the time. I'm just going to try to do the best I can to get the best out of the playing group and not worry about things that happen outside that.''
Harvey paused when asked if the Dockers could win the 2008 premiership.
"We'll have the foot on the doorstep. We won't be far away and it'll be a matter of when the game needs to be won, when you need to be mentally tough ... will we overcome that?'' he said.
"If we do, we'll be around it. From my point of view, we can be up there with the big boys, and I include Geelong, so whatever you make of that you make of it.
"But we're going to be keeping a low profile around that and if something becomes of that, well, we'll wait and see.''
Harvey's appointment vindicated his decision to wait, and wait, and wait, for the job that felt right.
His approach was seen as unnecessary hesitancy by some, and by others as Harvey being unsure of himself.
Some even felt it indicated Harvey was not ready to take a senior role.
"I know that certain coaches were saying: `Well, why aren't you stepping up'?'' Harvey said.
"Well, I never wanted to be too over-anxious about becoming a coach. I reckon people who are that way about whatever it is they're pursuing can go about it the wrong way.
"I think people respect the way you go about it.''
Think of the recent searches for coaches by AFL clubs, and recall how most employed consultancy firms to sound out and short-list candidates.
Harvey does not like where those processes are heading and reckons football clubs need to revert to old-school practices.
He admits to giving a PowerPoint presentation in his application for the Fremantle job, but stressed the most important quality required was one that could not be measured by people who do not know football.
"I did a PowerPoint presentation - all prospective coaches have to do it these days - but the problem I have with that is what they can never judge is your interaction with your coaches and players,'' Harvey said.
"I mean, how do they get that? Seriously, how can they determine that? When guys make decisions on guys at board level, or when someone has come in to analyse a situation, like a group of experts or a psychologist, well, I'm not sure where all that's heading.
"And I'm not sure if we're going down the right path with all of that. I think clubs should reassess the way they go about picking a coach.''
When Connolly resigned last year, Harvey was astounded by the big-picture view the departing coach took to what was a low point of his career.
"Chris was fantastic with how he handled what happened, and the understanding of what he wanted me to do beyond that decision he made was very calming,'' Harvey said.
"It was very credible from a guy who was probably not thinking straight at the time.
"In the end, you have to say he gave it the very best shot he had. I've never seen a guy more passionate about football. He lives and breathes it.''
Harvey loves the Dockers and says their supporters are as "staunch'' as Collingwood's.
He says the club is no longer West Coast's little brother, a fact the Eagles know, but it was also time Fremantle proved such to the rest of the competition.
