West Adelaide have given more than their fair share of champion footballers to rival clubs over the past 100 years, but perhaps, we have given just as much or more in terms of coaches.
Whilst coaches for league teams in Victoria started before 1908, the use of a “specialist coach” for League clubs in the SANFL (SAFA back then) seems to have begun in 1908. Adverts like the one on the right were placed in various publications for expressions of interest to coach league sides at the beginning of 1908 for West Adelaide, South Adelaide and I am following up on a lead for West Torrens.
In 1908, West Adelaide secured the services of John Cole Reedman who began his career in 1887 with Hotham but made a name for himself at both North and South Adelaide as an out and out champion. He was noted at the time as a great tactician and a man who was able to make boys into men - This certainly must have been the case as he took West Adelaide from 6th (7 Team comp) in 1907 to Premiers and Champions of Australia in his first year as coach.
The fact that West Adelaide went top in their first year with a non-playing coach must have caught on because in 1909, Port Adelaide (Arch Hosie), North Adelaide (J.C Reedman – yes they took our coach), Norwood (J.J Woods) and Sturt with three men (F.C Dunne, H. Cumberland and Ex West Adelaide Footballer, E.L Renfrey) employed coaches.
Port Adelaide’s honour board claims coaches prior to 1909 BUT this is very misleading and historically incorrect. They have re-named practice captains and Head Trainers as coaches but ALL clubs had men serving in these positions prior to 1908.
Another interesting fact was that both Glenelg and Central District Football Clubs’ first League coaches were ex West Adelaide players. Glenelg’s first coach was Jack Hanley and a year later the famous red and black – H.R ‘Dick’ Head. Central District’s first League Coach was yet another West Adelaide champion and Magarey Medal winner, Ken Eustice.
Around 1910, the SAFA made it clear that they were not in favour of clubs employing coaches. Clubs were not meant to pay players (they could reimburse for expenses) and the position of paying a “playing-coach” was seen as a moral loophole by the league and frowned upon. It is for this reason that many club annual reports do not mention coach in these publications although articles and adverts can be found mentioning players taking up this position at various times of a season.
It was also very common that the Captain was coach and wore number 1 with vice-captain wearing number 2. This was a tradition at West Adelaide well after WW2. The last captain to wear number one was Kevin Beswick in 1979-1980.
Some famous men who have coached West Adelaide who were champions at other clubs include Port’s Legend, Shine “Sampson” Hosking (1922-1924), Norwood & Sturt’s Jack Oatey (1957-1960), Port Adelaide’s John V Cahill (1985-1987) and Norwood’s Michael Taylor (1996-2000).
Other famous coaches from West Adelaide include Fos Williams (1950-1958, 1962-1973 PAFC / WAFC 1974-1978) and H. Bruce McGregor (1926-1929 & 1937-1939).
I think however, that this next name sums up West Adelaide as that unique club. Not only does our club have a partial goal-post hanging in the Past Players bar from an agonising Grand Final Loss, but yet another record that will probably never be beaten. D.N “Knuckles” Kerley. The King had three stints at West Adelaide and was sacked by the committee twice. Premiership Coach in 1961, Neil coached in 1962 and was replaced by the “Mouth” – Doug Thomas in 1963. Then after successful stints at South, Glenelg and doing the hard yards with West Torrens, Neil returned to West Adelaide in 1981 winning the 1983 premiership and participating in the successful America’s Cup campaign. Neil then Coached Central Districts but West Adelaide was not done with Neil. After an ugly off-field stand-off involving Kevin Morris and some members of the West Adelaide Committee after our Grand Final loss in 1991, The King was reinstated to Coach the Bloods in 1992 and was sacked again at the end of the 1993 season. One club, 3 stints and sacked twice! What’s more amazing is that Neil’s affair and involvement with West Adelaide is as strong as ever - What other man or club could boast such a marriage?
In the modern age, the coach is more than a tactician. He is a mentor, phycologist, teacher and leader. He is the face of the club with the media and has the responsibility to leave the club in better shape than when he started. Coaches in many ways are the guardians of the club and the game of football as a whole. While many of us like to be armchair coaches from the comfort of the lounge or terraces, game day is just a small aspect of coaching.
By Mark C Beswick
Club Historian