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WA State Talent Academy coaches announced
Posted Aug 28, 2009 - 11:10 AM
WA State Talent Academy coaches announced
THE West Australian Football Commission has appointed new head coaches for the State 16s and State 18s Academies as preparations begin for next season’s NAB AFL National Championships.
State 18s assistant coaches Brad Wira and Jon Sharp have both been promoted to head coaching roles after helping the side take out this year’s championship with an undefeated run that culminated in a Grand Final win over Victoria Country.
Wira will lead the WA State 18s Academy after taking the reins from Andrew Lockyer, while Sharp will head up the WA State 16s Academy when he replaces outgoing coach Trevor Williams.
Lockyer and Williams coached their respective State sides for two years but will step aside for 2010 with a WAFC pathway policy in place to rotate coaches on a bi-annual basis.
Wira not only brings experience as a State Academy back-line coach to the role but also a strong background as a player who notched up more than 90 AFL games for the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle, 120 WAFL games with Claremont and one with South Fremantle.
He has also coached Claremont at League level and acted as head coach for the State 18s during their win over the Northern Territory earlier this year, while also playing in two State Games and one State of Origin game during his own playing career.
Sharp, who was this year’s forward line coach for the State 18s, also has a strong coaching foundation at development level, commencing as a junior coach at Ocean Ridge in 1995 and working his way up the divisions to become West Perth Development Squad coach.
He has also recently been a senior player-coach with Ocean Ridge Amateurs C-Grade side and coached at Colts level with the same club.
WAFC High Performance Manager Jon Haines congratulated both coaches on being appointed to their roles after a thorough selection process involving a high calibre group of applicants.
“There was an excellent level of interest in the roles and the quality of applicants and the subsequent presentations were of the highest standard,†Haines said.
“The two-year tenure for Academy coaches has helped to create a more open coaching pathway and these types of roles are now a very realistic goal for aspiring coaches.
“To have coaches like Jon and Brad progress through the coaching pathway into these crucially important coaching roles is testament to the way the pathway has evolved.
“It is also appropriate to acknowledge the massive contribution that both Trevor and Andrew have made to not only the State Academy but to coaching in general. They have been wonderful ambassadors and we look forward to their ongoing contribution to the game in WA.
“Assistant coaching roles within the State Academy will now be discussed with the appropriate applicants and the full coaching panel for each program communicated in due course,†he said.
The WA State 16s and State 18s programs have produced 74 AFL draftees in the last three years, including 2008’s top 10 selections Nick Naitanui, Stephen Hill and Daniel Rich.
