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THE Port Adelaide Football Club has confirmed the members of a six-person panel that will select the club’s next AFL coach.
Port Adelaide chief executive officer Keith Thomas said the selection committee includes highly respected independent football figures who will work with himself and other senior club officials to identify the best person for the role.
The selection panel is made up of:
• PETER SCHWAB - AFL director of coaching (2011-present), Hawthorn senior coach (2000-2004), Hawthorn player (1980-1991 - 1983, 1986, 1988 premierships)
• TOM HARLEY - AFL NSW/ACT general manager (2011-present), AIS/AFL Academy coach and mentor, dual Geelong premiership captain (2007, 2009), Geelong player (1999 -2009), Port Adelaide player (1997-1998)
• BRUCE ABERNETHY - PAFC football director
• KEVIN OSBORN - PAFC director and deputy chairman, PAFC football strategic committee chairman, Economic Development Board of SA deputy chairman
• KEITH THOMAS - PAFC chief executive officer
• PETER ROHDE - PAFC general manager football
Four-time AFL premiership coach DAVID PARKIN will serve as an advisor to the committee, making his expertise available as required.
Thomas said the panel had already begun establishing selection criteria for the role of senior coach. It will then identify the best candidates before undertaking a series of interviews and making a recommendation to the board of the Port Adelaide Football Club.
“We are looking for the outstanding candidate for an outstanding opportunity to continue the education of what we believe is a group of players that will underpin Port Adelaide’s next era of success,” Thomas said.
“We are going into this open-minded to find the best person to lead the coaching team that we take into Adelaide Oval from 2014.
“The next coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club will be charged with ensuring our football program continues to make progress and engenders real confidence and optimism about the footy that we’ll be playing in 2013 and at Adelaide Oval from 2014.”
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Thomas said the selection panel will be mindful of finding a senior coach with the ability to manage the needs of the Port Adelaide playing group and the club.
“What is critical here is that we understand the unique and specific needs of our playing group and our club, and that we match that up with the right candidate,” Thomas said.
“We have a young, developing and very promising group that has not experienced a great deal of success yet in their senior career. But we are starting to get games into them and with continued development under a highly compatible coach I have no doubt we will make great progress.
“We need to acknowledge where we’re at in our cycle and the coach needs to add value to that. We’re learning our trade. We’ve got a lot of young players who for a variety of reasons haven’t played a lot, but it’s a very talented and promising list.
“The next coach has got to be able to continue their education and also bring very clear expectations to the group about what is required to play at this level.”
Thomas said he hoped the panel would make a recommendation in time for an appointment around the time of the AFL grand final, allowing the new senior coach to play a role in the Trade Period, National Draft and other important decisions in the lead-up to the 2013 season.
The club does not intend to comment on potential candidates during the selection process.
