Article With Coach Andy Collins
VFL Record
Exactly when he first met Terry Wallace is a little hazy in Andy Collins recollection, but the impact is not. Wallace, then a triple premiership player with Hawthorn, was nearing the end of his nine years at Glenferrie Oval.
By his recollection, Collins said the two might have been teammates for just the one season. He doubts whether they ever played together, however they did spend plenty of nights alongside each other on the training track, and that is where Wallace left an indelible impression.“Obviously, I used to train a lot with the senior group, and in particular I used to train against Terry Wallace,” Collins said. “He would continually beat me no wonder I could never get a game!” “I learned a lot from training with Terry Wallace. He wasn’t very quick or overly strong, but he just knew where to position himself to get the ball.”
Collins has actually shaped a lot of his philosophies on winning the football from Wallace’s style. “I’ve brought in some team rules based on that,” he said. When Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson decided that his and
Collins’ football philosophies were not in sync, Collins knew his time at Box Hill was up.
He decided to call Wallace to discuss the coaching post at the Coburg Tigers, Richmond’s VFL partner. “I really wanted to stay in coaching, and it was made quite clear there wasn’t an opportunity at Box Hill,” Collins said. “I knew David Flood (2004-05 Coburg Tigers coach) had moved on, so I rang Terry to see if they would be looking for a coach on a part-time basis. It worked out very well.”
Only 16 players return from last year’s Coburg Tigers list, with the oldest player just 23. Eric Kuret, who has stepped down from the captaincy as he makes the transition from student to full time employment, boasts the most VFL experience on the list with 69 games. On paper, it would appear the Coburg Tigers face a formidable task, but that doesn’t faze Collins, a veteran of 212 VFL/AFL games, in the slightest. “Our current system demands that soon as you turn 18 you make the transition into senior football. These young boys need to become men very quickly. I bet they don’t go up to their opponent and ask how old they are. “Our job as coaches is to prepare these guys. I believe the biggest learning curve is between 18 and 22. It is dramatic how quickly players make the transition - how old was Chris Judd when he won the Brownlow Medal?”
The word “finals” isn’t even in Collins’ vocabulary. “I will never talk finals about any of my teams. We have a bigger vision for our team here.” It seems Andy Collins could not be happier to be back working with his famous former teammate of 20 years ago.
http://coburgtigers.footballvic.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=105257
