Coach options open
MODEWARRE co- coaches Josh Finch and John Meesen are no guarantee to share the roles again next year, despite both being certain to be involved with the Warriors in 2019.
Meesen told the Geelong Advertiser last month that he and Finch would review the coaching structure at the end of the season, and Warriors president Mick Fitzgerald says that hasn’t changed despite the club progressing into senior and reserves grand finals this weekend.
“They’ll certainly be involved in some shape or form (next season), whether it’s in the same structure or we mix it up a bit internally, then we’ll get there,” he said.
“With stability, we don’t foresee great change in anything, either football or netball to be honest — we’ve got a really stable group.
“We’re probably just focusing on the job at hand at present.”
Fitzgerald said the Warriors were reaping the benefits of moving to co-coaches across the entire sporting club.
“One thing we have done in the last three years with Josh being involved is building a bigger structure around the coaching, hence co-coaches in football and netball, right down to junior level,” Fitzgerald said.
“It is an enormous task, coaching country football and netball nowadays.
“The requirements on the coaches are more than it’s ever been. These guys have got a job; they’re part-timers, so we’ve probably ensured we’ve got a bigger network of coaches to share the load.”
Ahead of Modewarre’s second senior BFL grand final in three seasons, Fitzgerald lauded fourth-year coach Finch for being the ideal club leader.
“You don’t have to go too much further in terms of leadership than to look at him,” he said. “Probably the one word that sums him up is loyalty; he’s been extremely loyal and it’s not through lack of offers.
“He’s had the opportunity to play at a higher level for all of his senior football career, because he’s obviously been an outstanding player, but the loyalty he’s shown to the club has rubbed off on a lot of people.
“It was a natural pro- gression for him as a leader to take on that (playing-coach) role, and in reality, it probably came a year quicker than what we were expecting it to.
“But he leads by example on and off the field. He’s not only a fantastic player and coach, he’s an outstanding club person.
“He’s someone that everyone looks up to.”