Sydney Swans legend Michael O'Loughlin to be head coach of AFL-AIS Academy
Jessica Halloran, The Sunday Telegraph
November 2, 2010 10:07am
SWANS great Michael O'Loughlin has been given the plumb job of nurturing the next Chris Judd, Gary Ablett or Buddy Franklin.
O'Loughlin, who played 303 games for the Swans, will be head coach of the AFL-AIS Academy, where he will be mentoring the game's top 30 prospects next season.
However, he may inadvertently give the Swans' arch-rival a considerable leg-up because new club Greater Western Sydney has nine of the top 15 picks in the 2011 draft.
Many star players, including two-time Brownlow medallist and premiership player Judd, are on the AFL-AIS Academy honour roll. O'Loughlin will manage a number of camps for the AFL-AIS players over the next 12 months.
"I think it's the best job in football," O'Loughlin said.
"You are developing these young players who are likely to be the superstars and champions of the future of our great game.
"We are dealing with the elite junior players who are all striving to play at the elite AFL level. For me, it's really exciting to be involved in their development with that.
"I think the biggest strength I have is being just freshly out of the game. At the end of the program the junior players will leave knowing exactly what is expected of them.
"One of the things I can guarantee is that every junior player in the program will walk away with no doubt of what is required at the elite level."
O'Loughlin, 33, takes over from Jason McCartney, who has become an assistant coach at Fremantle.
After 15 years of senior football, O'Loughlin retired in 2009.
The AFL's general manager of development Dave Matthews said O'Loughlin was chosen for his outstanding leadership qualities.
"Michael has been, in a short space of time, very impressive in his management and involvement in a variety of programs that we run," Matthews said.
"Particularly to bring on young indigenous youth he's been involved with in the Flying Boomerangs indigenous youth program. He was coach of the world 18, which brought together people from very diverse cultures, and he's been a mentor in the AIS academy this year."
GWS has picks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 in the 2011 draft, but that isn't a concern to O'Loughlin.
"We won't know who will be drafted to where and what not - it's more about preparing these guys about the fact it's not a walk in the park to play at this level," he said.
"Every kid 16, 17, 18 wants to play AFL football for any club. There's a few things they'll have to show me and the other assistants of what makes them worthy of being involved in the programs.
"There will be no stone left unturned that will help them on their way. The destiny is in their hands."
