Mckenna Strikes Gold At Last
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday August 14, 2008
THE GC17 committee yesterday named Collingwood assistant coach Guy McKenna as the man who will lead the new Gold Coast team towards its inaugural AFL season in 2011.
McKenna's former West Coast teammate Glen Jakovich said the new franchise had secured a coach who would bring innovation, discipline and ultra-competitiveness in spades."He was always the one that was thinking outside the box," Jakovich said yesterday of his old teammate, both part of the Eagles' premiership-winning defensive unit of the early 1990s."If anything, as a player, he was probably bringing too much analysis to Mick [Malthouse, West Coast's coach at the time] about opposition sides. He was probably 15 years before his time, because he had the professionalism that coaches and players have today back in the late 80s when he first debuted. He wouldn't drink, and even though West Coast had the best fitness staff he'd always get his own personal trainer, boxing coach, he started doing yoga - we used to laugh at him - but he was always thinking about how he could improve himself as a player and we all know what type of a player he became."Over the past few years McKenna's name has been linked with almost every senior coaching job that has been going.He will take on the job of coaching the Gold Coast's under-18s side next year."Creating the team and its culture on and off field is an incredible challenge and I'm looking forward to working with these young footballers and developing the list," he said. "I want to make sure these guys are good citizens and good footballers."
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald
