Matt 1Attention: South Australian Sporting Teams! Stop Hiring SA Coaches.
March 5th 2008 15:43
When will South Australian sporting teams learn? Is it that difficult to look outside our own state? Continuing in the South Australian sporting tradition of national league teams hiring local coaches, the Adelaide 36ers have hired former player and safe option Scott Ninnis to take the reins in the wake of Phil Smyth's departure.
I have said for this some time and the proof is in the pudding, our prominent South Australian-based sporting teams are too locally conscious and rarely hire interstate candidates, even if they appear the better choice.
While occasional good results may appear to thwart my argument, here is listed the coaches of our sporting teams. See if you notice the parochial pattern:
*The Adelaide Thunderbirds netball team will be coached by Jane Woodlands in 2008 and have previously coached by Tania Obst (2006) and Marg Angove (1997-2006), ironically Woodlands' mother. These 3 are all South Australians.
*The Adelaide Lightning women's basketballers are currently led by Vicki Valk but previously had Chris Lucas and current national coach Jan Stirling at the helm. Three more South Australians.
*The Port Adelaide Football Club have been led by Croweaters Mark Williams and Jack Cahill in the AFL.
*While their crosstown rivals, the Adelaide Crows, have had Graham Cornes, Malcolm Blight and Neil Craig as South Australian mentors. Victorian Gary Ayres and Tasmanian Robert Shaw have also led the team.
*The South Australian Redbacks cricket squad has had in recent years Wayne Phillips, Andrew Sincock, Greg Chappell and Jeff Hammond lead the team. Their results since the 1995/96 Sheffield Shield victory have been by far the most inconsistent and poorest of all main South Australian sporting teams. And yet, when looking nationally for a new coach late last year who did the SACA appoint, former third-string keeper, South Australian Mark Sorell. What a surprise!
*Then there is the 36ers. Before Ninnis was favourite son Phil Smyth for 10 seasons. Sure, American Mike Dunlap was before him but his unpopularity scared those in power at the club to replace him with someone the fans knew and loved. Smyth. Admittedly Smyth's results were outstanding until the past two years, but to replace him with another local boy just reeks of either cost-cutting or gutlessness by Mal Hemmerling and the key men at the Distinctive Homes Dome.
As much as I respect Ninnis' application and his coaching background, he was not the right choice for the position. Current West Sydney coach Rob Beveridge was. He was interviewed and his resume apparently discarded for the safe option, an option that pleases the general sporting public in this state and the average 36ers fan. However, it might not please the 36ers fans who have knowledge of Beveridge's outstanding credentials with both the Australian and New South Wales Institutes of sport.
To change some of the fortunes on sporting fields and in sporting arenas in this state South Australian sporting organisations have to start making tough decisions when it comes to selecting their head coaches.
The 36ers have not shown the way and have made the wrong decision. Good luck Scotty, I'll be watching. But I'll blame a gutless heirarchy if you fail. A heirarchy that has followed this annoying pattern, not broken it.
I have said for this some time and the proof is in the pudding, our prominent South Australian-based sporting teams are too locally conscious and rarely hire interstate candidates, even if they appear the better choice.
While occasional good results may appear to thwart my argument, here is listed the coaches of our sporting teams. See if you notice the parochial pattern:
*The Adelaide Thunderbirds netball team will be coached by Jane Woodlands in 2008 and have previously coached by Tania Obst (2006) and Marg Angove (1997-2006), ironically Woodlands' mother. These 3 are all South Australians.
*The Adelaide Lightning women's basketballers are currently led by Vicki Valk but previously had Chris Lucas and current national coach Jan Stirling at the helm. Three more South Australians.
*The Port Adelaide Football Club have been led by Croweaters Mark Williams and Jack Cahill in the AFL.
*While their crosstown rivals, the Adelaide Crows, have had Graham Cornes, Malcolm Blight and Neil Craig as South Australian mentors. Victorian Gary Ayres and Tasmanian Robert Shaw have also led the team.
*The South Australian Redbacks cricket squad has had in recent years Wayne Phillips, Andrew Sincock, Greg Chappell and Jeff Hammond lead the team. Their results since the 1995/96 Sheffield Shield victory have been by far the most inconsistent and poorest of all main South Australian sporting teams. And yet, when looking nationally for a new coach late last year who did the SACA appoint, former third-string keeper, South Australian Mark Sorell. What a surprise!
*Then there is the 36ers. Before Ninnis was favourite son Phil Smyth for 10 seasons. Sure, American Mike Dunlap was before him but his unpopularity scared those in power at the club to replace him with someone the fans knew and loved. Smyth. Admittedly Smyth's results were outstanding until the past two years, but to replace him with another local boy just reeks of either cost-cutting or gutlessness by Mal Hemmerling and the key men at the Distinctive Homes Dome.
As much as I respect Ninnis' application and his coaching background, he was not the right choice for the position. Current West Sydney coach Rob Beveridge was. He was interviewed and his resume apparently discarded for the safe option, an option that pleases the general sporting public in this state and the average 36ers fan. However, it might not please the 36ers fans who have knowledge of Beveridge's outstanding credentials with both the Australian and New South Wales Institutes of sport.
To change some of the fortunes on sporting fields and in sporting arenas in this state South Australian sporting organisations have to start making tough decisions when it comes to selecting their head coaches.
The 36ers have not shown the way and have made the wrong decision. Good luck Scotty, I'll be watching. But I'll blame a gutless heirarchy if you fail. A heirarchy that has followed this annoying pattern, not broken it.
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