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DON’T expect Steve Grace to apply the handbrake to Footscray’s freewheeling style after two VFL flags in three seasons.
Grace has moved into the driver’s seat at the reigning premier and replaces Ashley Hansen after a restructure of Luke Beveridge’s coaching panel.
The 47-year-old has arrived at Whitten Oval after stints as a development coach at Collingwood and Fremantle.
Grace knows his way around VFL grounds, having also been an assistant to Mark Williams during Sandringham’s three-peat from 2004-06.
“The game’s hard and it’s difficult for the players at times,” said Grace, who started his coaching journey at Phillip Island in 1996.
“As a coach, you tend to forget that, and I certainly don’t underestimate that.
“What I’ve learnt being able to coach at various levels — from local, amateur, country level through to TAC Cup and VFL and up at AFL level — is the game’s hard at all levels. The players need to be supported in as many ways as they can.
“Sometimes their belief wanes and your ability as coach to keep their belief and ability levels high, and them seeing the possibility in their own games, I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Grace and Beveridge have been close friends since their childhood, while the new coach will also reunite with Chris Maple, Daniel Giansiracusa and Steven King.
He said Footscray fans should expect the side to showcase “Bulldogs football” in 2017 as the club sticks with a recipe which has proven so successful. Six days after Hansen and skipper Jordan Russell hoisted the VFL silverware last season, the Western Bulldogs saluted on the biggest stage and snapped a premiership drought stretching back to 1954.
“The club has established a style and a brand over the last two years under Luke and obviously the assistant coaches,” Grace said.
“It’s a very strong brand of football that’s not afraid to take the game on, an aggressive brand, a combative brand, but it also allows players to play with realms of possibility in their own games.
“That’s something I enjoy coaching, seeing players get the most out of themselves in terms of seeing the possibilities in the games.
“Don’t put any limits on the players and certainly don’t have them putting any on themselves. I think that’s something we see at AFL level and it’s something we see come through at VFL level.”
Russell, Anthony Barry, Lachlan Dalgleish, Alex Greenwood, Will Hayes, Nick Jamieson, Liam Nash, Jordan Staley and Andrew Tashevski-Beckwith have re-signed for the coming campaign, which starts against Box Hill on April 14.
The decorated Russell produced a season to savour in 2016 and was named in the VFL Team of the Year.
But while his on-field deeds deserve plaudits, the 30-year-old’s leadership qualities are not in question.
“So far over the pre-season, his experience and his enthusiasm as a young coach has been really impressive,” Grace said of Russell, who is a development coach at the AFL club.
“His game knowledge is clearly improving all the time as a coach, as are his skills and management level.
“His ability to play and lead as a player at VFL level is still outstanding. Having been able to watch the finals series knowing that I was coming in as a coach and seeing the way he directs on the ground was fantastic. He’s going to be very valuable again.”
Former AFL-listed Bulldog Tom Young (Sydney University), Billy Gowers, Jayden Foster (both Carlton), Matt Goodyear (Collingwood), Anthony Bruhn (Frankston YCW), Josh Patullo (Gippsland Power) and Nick De Steiger (Old Melburnians) are among the recruits.
“The exciting part of it is we’ve retained 99 per cent of the VFL list and there are some fantastic young players there and great character young men as well,” Grace said. “The thing that stood out to me as soon as I got in there is how open the players are, how friendly they are and how committed they are to becoming good players and good people, which is what you want to be involved in.”
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Grace has moved into the driver’s seat at the reigning premier and replaces Ashley Hansen after a restructure of Luke Beveridge’s coaching panel.
The 47-year-old has arrived at Whitten Oval after stints as a development coach at Collingwood and Fremantle.
Grace knows his way around VFL grounds, having also been an assistant to Mark Williams during Sandringham’s three-peat from 2004-06.
“The game’s hard and it’s difficult for the players at times,” said Grace, who started his coaching journey at Phillip Island in 1996.
“As a coach, you tend to forget that, and I certainly don’t underestimate that.
“What I’ve learnt being able to coach at various levels — from local, amateur, country level through to TAC Cup and VFL and up at AFL level — is the game’s hard at all levels. The players need to be supported in as many ways as they can.
“Sometimes their belief wanes and your ability as coach to keep their belief and ability levels high, and them seeing the possibility in their own games, I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Grace and Beveridge have been close friends since their childhood, while the new coach will also reunite with Chris Maple, Daniel Giansiracusa and Steven King.
He said Footscray fans should expect the side to showcase “Bulldogs football” in 2017 as the club sticks with a recipe which has proven so successful. Six days after Hansen and skipper Jordan Russell hoisted the VFL silverware last season, the Western Bulldogs saluted on the biggest stage and snapped a premiership drought stretching back to 1954.
“The club has established a style and a brand over the last two years under Luke and obviously the assistant coaches,” Grace said.
“It’s a very strong brand of football that’s not afraid to take the game on, an aggressive brand, a combative brand, but it also allows players to play with realms of possibility in their own games.
“That’s something I enjoy coaching, seeing players get the most out of themselves in terms of seeing the possibilities in the games.
“Don’t put any limits on the players and certainly don’t have them putting any on themselves. I think that’s something we see at AFL level and it’s something we see come through at VFL level.”
Russell, Anthony Barry, Lachlan Dalgleish, Alex Greenwood, Will Hayes, Nick Jamieson, Liam Nash, Jordan Staley and Andrew Tashevski-Beckwith have re-signed for the coming campaign, which starts against Box Hill on April 14.
The decorated Russell produced a season to savour in 2016 and was named in the VFL Team of the Year.
But while his on-field deeds deserve plaudits, the 30-year-old’s leadership qualities are not in question.
“So far over the pre-season, his experience and his enthusiasm as a young coach has been really impressive,” Grace said of Russell, who is a development coach at the AFL club.
“His game knowledge is clearly improving all the time as a coach, as are his skills and management level.
“His ability to play and lead as a player at VFL level is still outstanding. Having been able to watch the finals series knowing that I was coming in as a coach and seeing the way he directs on the ground was fantastic. He’s going to be very valuable again.”
Former AFL-listed Bulldog Tom Young (Sydney University), Billy Gowers, Jayden Foster (both Carlton), Matt Goodyear (Collingwood), Anthony Bruhn (Frankston YCW), Josh Patullo (Gippsland Power) and Nick De Steiger (Old Melburnians) are among the recruits.
“The exciting part of it is we’ve retained 99 per cent of the VFL list and there are some fantastic young players there and great character young men as well,” Grace said. “The thing that stood out to me as soon as I got in there is how open the players are, how friendly they are and how committed they are to becoming good players and good people, which is what you want to be involved in.”
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