Peter Sumich ready to take flight as chief pilot
Kim Hagdorn | June 28, 2009
WEST Coast assistant Peter Sumich has been cleared by Eagles management to mount a bid to win a senior coaching position.
Sumich is expected to declare an expression of interest in Richmond's vacant coaching job when applications close next Friday.
He could also emerge as a contender at North Melbourne in a head-hunting exercise seeking a replacement for departed senior coach Dean Laidley.
Sumich has long-standing close connections with Kangaroos chairman and expatriate West Australian James Brayshaw and his brother, Mark, who is on the Kangaroos' coaching appointment panel.
Sumich retains an ambition to win a senior coaching assignment, despite his allegiance to Eagles senior coach John Worsfold, who won a two-year extension to his West Coast appointment on Friday.
Sumich, 41, has been senior assistant to Worsfold since 2002 and handled the Eagles' blue chip midfield headed by Chris Judd, Ben Cousins, Daniel Kerr and Dean Cox in successive Grand Finals in 2005-06.
Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett said the club would not stand in Sumich's way.
Nisbett threw full support behind Sumich in attempting to win a senior appointment while the Eagles' 2009 season was in full swing and undertaking a major rebuilding program of their player-list.
"We would be very supportive of 'Suma' if he was interested in applying for a senior job," Nisbett said.
"He has the experience of coaching his own team and great experience with building a team, winning a premiership and now rebuilding a team.
"We have no problem at all in supporting him, as we have in the past.
"There's no problem with an application going in now as there is never a good time and he has always been very committed to us."
Similar approval for assistant coaches to seek senior appointments was extended from Fremantle chief Steve Rosich.
"We would not stand in the way of any of our assistant coaches enhancing their professional opportunities by taking a senior appointment," Rosich said.
"We are pleased, though, that our entire coaching staff are all under contract until the end of the 2010 season and they are fully committed to the development of our young group and the successful steps we believe we have taken with all of our coaches performing their duties."
Dockers assistants likely to pursue interviews at Richmond and North are defensive coach Chris Scott and midfield specialist Barry Mitchell.
The Tigers have called for applications to be lodged by Friday, with plans to interview candidates over the first fortnight of July.
Richmond's selection panel, headed by Tigers general manager of football operations Craig Cameron, will also head-hunt candidates the club identifies as ideal head coach contenders.
Sumich was among the final three candidates when current Essendon coach Matthew Knights was appointed at the end of 2007.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25699241-19742,00.html
