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Gerard FitzGerald would be a perfect fit in the AFL

Expert
25th June, 2015
5

In VFL football, Gerard Fitzgerald is a big name, having coached the most number of games in the proud history of the VFA/VFL competition.

He also achieved what many coaches couldn’t do at any level – win three premierships in a row with his beloved North Ballarat Roosters from 2008 until 2010.

He coached North Ballarat into grand finals in his first stint there and made another grand final with Port Melbourne and the finals with Springvale (now Casey Scorpions).

He was hoping to continue coaching the Roosters next season when they become a stand alone entity, as their alliance with North Melbourne is ending.

However, he won’t get that chance with the club opting to go in a different direction – although they continue to be vague when trying to give reasons for taking that stance.

Fitzy has accepted this call with grace and in his usual professional manner, but he would be shattered as he loves that club and has done so much for the code in the region.

He hasn’t said publicly what he would like to do next as this decision is probably too raw and hasn’t sunk in yet, but you would hope he stays involved in coaching as he still has plenty to offer.

If a VFL team requires a coach next year, he should be the first man picked. Maybe North Melbourne – considering the relationship the Roosters and the Kangaroos have had with their successful alignment – could look at him to guide their VFL side.

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He could become coaching director of an AFL team and help oversee the coaching staff. He would be a great addition in that role to any AFL side, but the perfect role would be as a coaching mentor to a young first-time coach.

Fitzy would offer great support to Luke Beveridge at the Western Bulldogs, even though Beveridge has made a solid start this season to his coaching career.

The perfect fit however could be Carlton. The Blues as we know have a reputation of generally choosing proven coaches, but there are signs that John Barker as the interim until the end of the year is making a great case to get the job full time from 2016 and beyond.

It would be tremendous for him to have such an experienced, knowledgeable and steady hand like Fitzgerald next to him.

Fitzy never seems to get flustered and with such a calm demeanour he would also help control the huge expectations that are laid out at Carlton every year regarding on-field performances.

He has always liked coaching his own teams and that might still happen. Any club at VFL level or any footy league that has Fitzy as their senior coach would have made a great decision, but he deserves to be in the cut and thrust of the AFL in a coaching role.

A better coaching mentor a first-time coach, whoever that might be, you couldn’t find!

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