BRENDAN McCartney says honesty in self analysis is pivotal to an AFL player’s progress and development.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Melbourne development and strategy coach said he had seen many players overcome obstacles by being open and embracing issues with their game.
“They have to take it on to be progressive
“It’s about people working together – as players and people.”
McCartney spoke to The Courier in his first media interview since his resignation as Western Bulldogs head coach at the end of last season. He was in Ballarat as a guest of the Ballarat Sportsmen’s Club.
McCartney said the benefits of openness were as evident at Melbourne as anywhere he had been in his AFL coaching career of almost 20 years.
He said the Demons, old and new, were improving in all aspects …training better, playing better.
McCartney said while there was no quick way to build a team, at any level – “it’s hard work” - Melbourne’s development was being fast-tracked under the guidance of head coach Paul Roos and senior assistant Simon Goodwin.
After getting his first taste of coaching at junior level at Geelong and then leading Ocean Grove to a run of premierships in the Bellarine Football League, McCartney moved into the AFL system with Richmond as an assistant and development coach in 1998.
He then spent 11 years as an assistant coach at Geelong – being part of two Cats premierships. McCartney joined Essendon in 2011 as an assistant coach and then realised an ambition as head coach of the Bulldogs for three seasons.
McCartney said he had been fortunate to have a go at various roles in the AFL.
WestVic Academy of Sport athletes Emma Werner and Rory Carroll were also guests at the sportsmen’s club dinner at Ballarat Golf Club.
Each is an Australian representative – Werner as a hammer thrower and Carroll as a para table tennis player. Werner is in training for a season, while Carroll is striving to earn a selection wildcard to compete in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics.