SA Footy

It was just mentioned in the D4 thread that a 24 year old DJ McIntryre will be coaching B grade at Salisbury West and I for one wish him well

Can young coaches be successful?

Has your club had any young coaches at senior level that have really stood up to the test?. Lets say young for the purposes of this conversation is Under 30.


WUB, how old were you when you won your first flag as coach please? I reckon you'd be up there...

*edit* I should change that to "May coach at Westies" hasn't actually been confirmed yet..

Footy Chick wrote:It was just mentioned in the D4 thread that a 24 year old DJ McIntryre will be coaching B grade at Salisbury West and I for one wish him well

Can young coaches be successful?

Has your club had any young coaches at senior level that have really stood up to the test?.


WUB, how old were you when you won your first flag as coach please? I reckon you'd be up there...

turned 28 the day of the grand final...

It's not easy coaching the B Grade and then backing up to play the A Grade game.

Yes young coaches can be successfull, age shouldn't be a factor or barrier if the person is capable of doing the job.

I don't disagree, however others may be of the opinion they haven't the experience that an older coach/someone just finished their career may have.

Footy Chick wrote:I don't disagree, however others may be of the opinion they haven't the experience that an older coach/someone just finished their career may have.

How is someone expected to gain experience in coaching if not given the opportunity? What's to say the younger coach isnt more in tune or understanding of the game than the older bloke?

Neil Kerley started his coaching career at 27...

I was 31 when I coached our C grade premiership

Footy Chick wrote:I don't disagree, however others may be of the opinion they haven't the experience that an older coach/someone just finished their career may have.

There's really no substitute for experience FC. A young coach can be successful if he's got the B's under a good A grade coach and the club has depth. Outside that he would need to be very very special. Took me 14 years of coaching to get my 1st A grade flag.

In 2011 at Salisbury we had a 23 year old coach the B's and he took us to the grand final. He was a very good coach and he had the respect of all the playing group.

S Demon wrote:I was 31 when I coached our C grade premiership

To old for this forum mate

Yank Man wrote:

Footy Chick wrote:I don't disagree, however others may be of the opinion they haven't the experience that an older coach/someone just finished their career may have.

There's really no substitute for experience FC. A young coach can be successful if he's got the B's under a good A grade coach and the club has depth. Outside that he would need to be very very special. Took me 14 years of coaching to get my 1st A grade flag.

.. Probably the best coach I've ever had went a whole season without winning a game and he was under 30... And should be contributed somewhat were the club is today... Hope he never reads this forum.
Mike Tomlin coach of the steelers won a Super Bowl at 35, Also was an assistant when he won one at the ripe old age of 29....

I think 24 is too young. Definitely for A grade, may handle it in B grade with the right support.

The issue is not understanding of the game, it is being able to manage people and for an A grade coach being the figure head of a club.

If the young coach has had experience in their professional lives in teaching/coaching/leadership roles they may be equipped to do it.

Having said that, most coaches no matter their age are rubbish, have little idea about coaching and are just loud passionate supporters.

Im 33 (today actually) and i am going into my 4th year as coach. In my first year of C3 we made it to 4th after being bottom or 2nd bottom fo r a few years. Same result for the next year in C2. I got a chance to coach our B grade last year and to be honest it was very difficult to acclimitise to coaching against guys that have been in the system for so long and against guys that either couldnt fit in to the 1's due to points or form slump. Now being in Div 1 i guess the prerssure will be even greater for someone like me. I do agree completely that you must have a decent and accomodating A grade coach to support and guide you through everything. I was extremely vocal and emotional in some respects and just a few tweeks i had help to pull my head in basically and worry about the game instead of trying to call it. It is tough when you are young but i hear stories all the time of current coaches starting their careers as player coaches at the age of 24-27 back in the day. Big difference now days but same principle applies. If you have the respect and belief of the palying group and especially the club. You should have no issue in getting some success. Some people take it lightly and get burnt out but then they need to be able to admit that and get some help. Overall im loving the start to my coaching career. Working with the young lads and try to teach them somethign that i have learnt a long the way. If i can get through to one bloke and he gets rewraded then thats all im after (a part from a flag as I've never been part of one in my senior football where i have been a player or coach) fingers crossed!

Yank Man wrote:There's really no substitute for experience FC. A young coach can be successful if he's got the B's under a good A grade coach and the club has depth. Outside that he would need to be very very special. Took me 14 years of coaching to get my 1st A grade flag.

Surely winning an A grade flag is the sole determining factor in what makes a good/successful coach?! I'm sure there is a large list of coaches who have been regarded as successfull or good that havent won a premiership - Geoff Riddle is a name that instantly springs to mind with what he was able to accomplish with Mawson Lakes.

On the flip side, i'm sure there are plenty of coaches who possibly weren't the best but were fortunate to be in charge of a side that the depth and calibre of players to win flags regardless of who was at the helm.

SATCHEL wrote:Im 33 (today actually)

Happy birthday

I think our current coach could do with a few more years experience but he'll learn

Jetters wrote:I think 24 is too young. Definitely for A grade, may handle it in B grade with the right support.

The issue is not understanding of the game, it is being able to manage people and for an A grade coach being the figure head of a club.

If the young coach has had experience in their professional lives in teaching/coaching/leadership roles they may be equipped to do it.

Having said that, most coaches no matter their age are rubbish, have little idea about coaching and are just loud passionate supporters.

I was 35 last year and coached our D grade to 8th. Bit surpised the club didn't offer me the A grade position this year.

Our current coach Daniel Schell is 31 and has been coaching B grade sides for 4 or 5 years. The experience from that definitely shows now in his first A grade gig. His knowledge and communication skills are fantastic, especially with the younger guys and U18's which he would have worked a lot with in his time as a B Grade coach.
Our C Grade coach last year, Matthew Bedgegood, was a young fella too. Now a B Grade coach at Kilburn, I'm sure his future is bright and the experience he is gaining now will go a long way to him being a very good A grade coach down the track

Jetters wrote:I think 24 is too young. Definitely for A grade, may handle it in B grade with the right support.

The issue is not understanding of the game, it is being able to manage people and for an A grade coach being the figure head of a club.

If the young coach has had experience in their professional lives in teaching/coaching/leadership roles they may be equipped to do it.

Having said that, most coaches no matter their age are rubbish, have little idea about coaching and are just loud passionate supporters.

I really hope you are a coach & are just taking the p!ss.