WHILE most of the credit for the improved Geelong performance this year should go to the players and coach, the six new staff to arrive in the past 18 months has been significant.
NEIL BALME
Collingwood sacked its football manager at the end of last season, probably as a victim of the "we had a bad season, someone has to go" mentality common in elite sport, so it was no surprise when Balme was snapped up by the Cats. His football experience and knowledge are widely recognised and his people skills valued. The infamous Geelong review at the end of last season had recognised that the peripheral matters related to his position as senior coach had distracted Mark Thompson from his main task — coaching. Balme, who was senior coach at Melbourne before his Collingwood job, has taken a considerable load off Thompson's shoulders, allowing him to concentrate on coaching.STEPHEN HOCKING
Hocking played 199 games for Geelong between 1984 and 1994 then ran a successful framing business. He was lured back to the Cats in February last year as high-performance manager and now goes under the title of assistant football manager.He has responsibility for the medical and fitness staff, has a match-day role in the coach's box and liaises closely with the coaching staff. Understated and publicity-shy, Geelong insiders say that Hocking has loads of common sense and a great insight into what makes a football club tick. All agree he has had a great influence.
CHRIS BRADSHAW
When long-serving, highly respected club doctor Hugh Seward decided it was time to hang up his stethoscope after 25 years, he embarked on a search to ensure that Geelong secured the best possible person to succeed him in this important role. His search took him to London and Fulham soccer club where former Richmond club doctor Bradshaw was coming to the end of a two-year stint as the Premier League club's head doctor. Bradshaw was the perfect person to draw all aspects of the club's medical, rehabilitation and conditioning staff together with his infectious enthusiasm, in addition to his vast knowledge and experience as an international athlete and Olympic team doctor.Bradshaw arrived in May last year and by year's end had surrounded himself with professionals of high quality.
He now co-ordinates a support team that is skilled, knowledgeable and, most importantly, communicates and works well together.
DUNCAN KELLAWAY
Kellaway played 180 games at Richmond from 1993-2004. He was widely admired as a player of enormous courage and one who got the most out of his natural ability. During his career he also acquired a physiotherapy degree and now joins the experienced Nick Ames as one of Geelong's two physiotherapists. Added to his physio role, Kellaway is a match-day runner, which enables him to use both his football experience and academic knowledge as he plays a part in injury rehabilitation. His football background ensures plenty of respect from the Geelong players, a number of whom experienced at close quarters his competitiveness on the football field.PAUL HAINES
Eyebrows were raised when the prized position as head fitness coach at Geelong was given at the end of last season to a 25-year-old former amateur footballer from Adelaide. Haines had been the assistant fitness coach at Adelaide, supposedly hand-picked by Neil Craig out of Adelaide University's sports science department and groomed for bigger and better things by the Adelaide coach and his fitness guru Stephen Schwerdt. His is now regarded as an inspired appointment. His enthusiasm, knowledge and feel for footy have earned him respect and there is no doubt that the general fitness level has improved significantly.DEAN ROBINSON
The final piece of the jigsaw puzzle was the appointment of Robinson — poached from Manly rugby league club — as head of rehabilitation. A qualified physiotherapist with a special interest in conditioning, Robinson has developed the Cats' agility and speed using techniques widely used in rugby league but previously not part of the traditional AFL conditioning program. The sight of Geelong players in rugby-style grappling and wrestling bouts seemed out of place at an AFL club but have brought significant improvements.With salary caps and the draft system, the main opportunity for clubs to gain an advantage over their rivals is in their support staff. Over the past 18 months Geelong has identified its deficiencies and made several excellent appointments to key support positions.
While it is important to get the right people in place it is even more important that those people work well as a team. There can be no big egos among support staff and Geelong has a group together who fit that mould. As a result, no one should be surprised by their success.
Peter Brukner is a sports physician and former club doctor at Melbourne and Collingwood.
