At today’s press conference MELBOURNEfc CEO Steve Harris provided further detail on the process that the Club will use to recruit a new senior coach for the Club.
Harris said, “The process has been worked on for some time, and is designed to ensure we make the most informed choice for what the Club believes it needs for 2008 and beyond.”
“We have been increasingly looking at elite performance management in a more focussed way for some time, recognising that while our Club does not have the same financial resources as others, we have to find the smartest ways to compete through how we use all our time and resources.”
The process
- The Club Board has established a Board sub committee comprising the Chairman and three other directors.
- This sub committee will receive a report from the CEO towards the end of July on preferred coaching directions, resources and structures and based on that report will move into a full recruiting/interviewing phase.
The Club has established clear criteria that will be taken into account for the recruiting phase, including;
- A clear plan for success for MELBOURNEfc, which means consistent competitiveness, winning matches and winning premierships
- High-level leadership skills on and off field
- Communication skills
- Coaching innovation knowledge
- Strategic thinking and decision making
- Experience in professional and personal development of players and staff
- Appreciation of technical, psychological, medical, sports science and technology resources
- Game day preparation
- Match day management
- Personal values and attitude
- Skills as an advocate of MELBOURNEfc and the AFL.
Against these criteria the initial report by the CEO on resources, directions and structure will reflect input from:
- Neale Daniher
- The Club’s assistant coaches and Mark Williams from Sandringham
- The Club’s Football Manager Chris Fagan
- The Club’s Recruitment Manager Craig Cameron
- Club medical and fitness staff
- The Club psychologist
- Performance directors from overseas clubs
- Former AFL coaches
- Former AFL players, both Melbourne and non-Melbourne
- Other AFL CEOs
- Expert consultants with leadership and peak performance expertise.
The Club will utilise the services of a leading recruiting firm, John Allen and Associates, a very respected firm with experience in such matters, including most recently the Western Bulldogs.
The Club will also be utilising a recognised leadership skills profile assessment tool which is used by leading businesses and sporting organisations. This tool provides useful insights into the approaches and strengths a candidate would exhibit in areas such as motivation, decision-making and elite personnel management.
The Club will speak with up to 10 former coaches and players, all of whom have been involved in successful AFL clubs as players, coaches or administrators. The Club will not identify this group of advisors so as to best allow them to provide full and frank input.
The Club has been speaking to former players and coaches about their view of our team performance, not just this year but recent years, our team competitiveness and list strength, the team's strengths and weaknesses and coaching challenges and techniques.
No candidates will be ruled in or out. All current Club staff with coaching experience will be considered if they wish to be considered, as will anyone outside the club.
The Club is dedicated to not only securing the services of a senior coach but ensuring that the football department structure, resources and direction are at their optimum to ensure future success for the Club.
