by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago
Adelaide has appointed Port Adelaide midfield coach Phil Walsh as its new senior coach for the next three years. Walsh, a highly regarded tactician, joined Port in 2014, after five seasons with the West Coast Eagles as Strategy and Innovations Coach. He was also midfield coach for Port in 2004. Walsh, who played 122 games for Collingwood, Richmond and Brisbane, started his coaching journey overseeing strength and conditioning at Geelong in the 1990s. Club chairman Rob Chapman said Walsh would be a perfect fit for the club and could lead it to success.
Walsh, in accepting the appointment, said he was looking forward to the fresh challenge, adding "Success doesn’t come looking for you. You must chase it as a team, with a focus on hard work and elite habits.”
The Crows have also added the just retired Swan Ryan O'Keefe and David Teague to the coaching staff. O'Keefe, who played 286 games and is a dual premiership player, will be development coach and a midfield assistant. Teague, who played 83 games with North Melbourne and Carlton, will oversee the forward line. Teague began his coaching career with the Northern Bullants in the VFL and combined that role with a development position at Carlton. He then worked alongside the new senior coach as an assistant at West Coast before joining St Kilda this past season.
Walsh said both O’Keefe and Teague brought different experiences to the club and would and complement other members of the coaching group. “Ryan is a quality person who comes from a successful environment ... David and I developed a strong rapport ... at the Eagles ... He is a talented and astute young coach".
Former Carlton player Scott Camporeale will continue to mentor the midfielders, while former Cat Darren Milburn is in charge of the defense. Former Brisbane, St Kilda and Adelaide ruckman Matthew Clarke is the ruck coach.
In related news, former Brisbane star and senior coach Michael Voss has been appointed as Walsh's replacement at Port Adelaide and popular forward Jason Porplyzia announced his retirement after 186 games with the Crows.
Source: Ian Shuttleworth, Adelaide Media Release, afl.com.au
Article last changed on Monday, October 20, 2014 - 9:53 AM EDT