LISTEN: The joke that had to stop: When Gia realised he was a coach, not a player - http://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-08-1...h-not-a-player

STARTING your AFL coaching journey without a senior coach isn't ideal, but that's exactly what happened to Daniel Giansiracusa.

Then-Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney declared at the time that Giansiracusa would be a "roaring success" but between that statement and the 2015 pre-season starting he had departed.

That left Giansiracusa to make his first steps as a coach without anyone officially at the helm until Luke Beveridge was eventually appointed.

The 265-game ex-Bulldog-turned-Footscray VFL coach joins Trends this week to discuss his path to coaching, working alongside Beveridge and why he had to have a frank conversation with Jarrad Grant.

Giansiracusa also details what it was like to be at the club as the Western Bulldogs ended their 62-year premiership drought in 2016.

Trends is a podcast for the hardcore and average football fan who wants to learn more about what they're watching each weekend, plus what's going on behind the scenes.

Episode guide
1:12 – Where the coaching appetite came from

2:35 – What type of coach do you want to be?

6:05 – An "interesting" start to being a coach

7:48 – Setting boundaries with ex-teammates

11:40 – The importance of understanding others

14:18 – How brutal feedback was commonplace

16:00 – The challenges of coaching different positions

19:19 – Being at the Bulldogs for the 2016 premiership

21:53 – Rare tears after the preliminary final victory

23:30 – The chance to coach Footscray to a VFL flag

26:37 – Can VFL success set up the same at AFL level?

29:57 – The qualities behind Luke Beveridge, the coach

33:26 – Why being a senior coach means so much


I shall set some time aside later on to listen.