By Travis Parnaby
Refreshed and excited, Denis Pagan is back in the coaching fold in the TAC Cup.
The 61-year-old master coach will mentor the youngsters at the Northern Knights and replaces Paul Satterley at the helm.
“I thought if I could help the young kids to achieve their dreams it was the best way to go,” Pagan said of his decision to step back into the coaching frame.
“I just thought I’d get on the front foot and have a chat to Peter Schwab, John Hook, Anton Grbac and Leon Harris and it went from there.
“It wasn’t a tough decision. I wanted to coach again.
“I didn’t want to die with the music in me.”
It is a somewhat full-circle move – Pagan found great success as coach of the North Melbourne Under-19s netting five premierships.
“I started off there and I didn’t know where that was going to take me. I thought after a few years that would be my lot,” he recalled.
“I just did the best I could with what I had. I’ll do the same thing here. There’s nothing in this job than just to help the young men.”
Pagan dismissed the notion his return to coaching was merely a precursor to a return to the national competition.
“I don’t know what’s around the corner. I just want to do the best I can here and hopefully, have some impact,” he said.
“I love coaching, I love football. The only person being negative about it is my wife. She said am I off my head!
“I just decided this was a good fit for me at this time in my life.
“I don’t care what anybody thinks. There are plenty of people who say a lot of things about Denis Pagan – some of it good, some of not so good.
“I’m happy to do what I’m doing. I’m excited about getting cracking.”
Pagan believed he had become a better coach through experience.
“A lot of people don’t know what makes a good coach – it is trial and error,” Pagan said.
“I reckon I learnt more in five years of coaching at my previous employers place than I did in 24 years at the previous place.
“I’ve always had a strong belief in my own ability. You learn more about it every day you’re involved.”
Pagan has a clear objective at the Knights – to assist his players to perform at their best.
“It’s about development. The top 10 kids, my wife she could probably coach them. Those boys on the borderline, perhaps they’re a fourth round choice, a rookie-list player and you help them get there by the quality of your teaching,” he said.
“If you put the right processes in place the result will take care of itself.”
In a major compliment for the TAC Cup competition, Pagan praised the outstanding professionalism he found in his discussions with the Northern Knights.
“I’m working with a good organsiation. The processes in place and I look at the work (Northern region manager) Peter Kennedy has done out there and I think to myself it’s nothing short of an AFL club,” Pagan stated.
“Some of the processes at AFL level aren’t as good as this.
“It’s going ahead in leaps and bounds.
“I just hope I can make an impact, enjoy it and the players grow and develop and everybody has a bit of fun doing it.”
Last Modified on 23/01/2009 16:45
