FOOTBALL has a knack of turning a full revolution – just ask new Casey Scorpions coach Rohan Welsh.
When you trace through Welsh’s career, back from the more recent days when he guided Vic Metro to two NAB AFL Under 18 Championships and was at TAC Cup region Oakleigh Chargers, who he took to the 2006 flag.
Scroll back further to his playing days at Carlton – he kicked two goals in the Blues’ losing 1993 Grand Final match against Essendon.
And then you’ll come to the VFL. Or as it was known when Welsh was playing the VFA.
In fact, Welsh had two stints in the VFA – his starting point at Dandenong, where he was a member of the Redlegs’ 1991 premiership and then a two-year stint at Frankston when his AFL career had finished.
Delve a little deeper and you’ll find a Rohan Welsh as the winner of the ‘Frosty’ Miller medal in 1991 with 84 goals for Dandenong.
After he finished with Vic Metro last season, Welsh expected to have a season away from football when he received a phone call just before Christmas asking if he would be interested in the Scorpions’ job.
Brett Lovett, who took Casey to the top of the ladder at the end of the 2012 home and away season, unexpectedly stepped aside.
“I said ‘I can come down for a chat next week and they said can you come over the weekend’,” Welsh said.
“I went there on the Sunday and they offered me the job on the Sunday night or Monday. It happened pretty quickly.”
Welsh said he’d always been interested in doing “something” in the VFL and when the Casey opportunity arose he thought he’d take it.
While Welsh’s position is part-time, he’s immersed himself full time in the position.
As part of his role with the Scorpions, Welsh is also on the match committee for Melbourne, the affiliate for Casey. He does the reviews with all the Melbourne players who play with the Scorpions.
“From a development point of view for myself it’s really good, just to see how an AFL club works,” Welsh said.
While he has been in the position less than six months, Welsh is continually working on improving the alignment for the benefit of both clubs.
For the first time, Melbourne players who are playing with Casey train with the Scorpion players before a match.
While the logistics can be difficult, given that AFL players must have days off, a group of the Scorpion players have been travelling to AAMI Park to train with Melbourne on a Friday morning.
Welsh said the interaction between the two groups – Scorpions and Demons – has been greater than in the past.
“In the past they would come into the room and half would not know each other and they would just run out on the ground and try to play footy,” Welsh said.
“From that point of view we’ve really started to work on the alignment. It has been a real positive.”
Casey Scorpions didn’t actively target any ex-AFL or other VFL players. It concentrated on young players from TAC Cup regions or local community leagues.
Welsh said one of the most encouraging aspects is the continual development and improvement of the young players.
“From a developmental point of view for the club, I think that is the way to go,” Welsh said.
“There may be short term pain, but over the next couple of years I think the club will put themselves in a position where it will be pretty strong.”
Dealing with disappointed players goes with the territory of a coach, but Welsh said he feels the best way to deal with it is to be “honest, up front” with players.
Welsh said the message to all players is that “inadequate performances” and/or “inadequate attitude” will not be tolerated.
He said senior players should not have to be reminded of what’s required and that applies to both lists.
“It’s up to them to get their way back into the team. It’s not good for them to sulk and say ‘it’s all too hard’ as at the end of the day they have to work their way back into the team,” Welsh said.
“The easiest way for them to do that is to work hard.”
Welsh said the criteria for selection revolved around form not reputation and he added that the prefix of being an AFL listed or rookie player doesn’t guarantee anyone anything.
It has the endorsement of Melbourne.
“We’ve had that discussion with all the players and the playing group and that’s the way it is,” Welsh said.
“There’s going to be times when more (Melbourne) senior players are coming back from injury and Casey players understand that they possibly wouldn’t go into the Development team.
“That’s the nature of the competition. It’s like the 23rd player, he comes out of the TAC Cup, Gippsland Power and he gets an opportunity to play.
“I told the players that these are the rules, these are the parameters. As long as the guys know that the team is picked solely and purely on merit and form and if they don’t perform they don’t get picked.”
Photo: Dave Savell
Last Modified on 22/05/2013 12:07