WA football rewards Cable for coaching
IT’S NOT easy carving your own football identity out from the shadow of a famous relative, not least from one whose name is Barry Cable.
But Barry Cable jnr, firstborn son of the Western Australian great, has been able to do just that in football, as a coach.
Cable was recently presented with the Junior/Modified Rules Coach of the Year award at the inaugural Australian Football Coaches Association Awards for WA, due recognition from his peers in a field he loves with a passion.
This year has been Cable’s fourth in guiding juniors through their formative years of football.
Cable, 40, said while he’d rather the accolades go to others, he was pleased with the recognition all the same.
"Only the other day I was talking to a mate and saying (the award) doesn't encourage me to do more -- because awards aren’t why you do it -- but that it's good to be acknowledged," he said.
"You're definitely not going to knock it back because you do put a lot of time and effort into it and the hard work takes up a fair bit of time. So in that way, it's good to get something back."
While his dad stepped up to coach Perth and North Melbourne in his twilight years, Barry the younger has no such desire to follow suit to senior football.
Cable is mentor to the Riverton Roos' under-12s and began his involvement at the club when his sons started playing footy, beginning with the under-9s.
He has also coached in the competitive schools scene: the Year 10s at Wesley College, which competes against other college teams from Aquanis, Scotch, Trinity and Hale -- those private school nurseries which has produced countless top WA footballers through the years.
Cable said he would like to see more former WAFL and AFL footballers take up coaching juniors.
"Sometimes I wish more ex-players get back into it," he said.
"You see ex-players on the boundary line at games and while some other people might be better at coaching, I'd still like to see ex-players put a bit more back into footy. It's how I started out."
Cable played a handful of league games with WAFL club Perth, the club his father played for, up until 1989 then in 1990 he joined brother Shane at Subiaco.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Last Modified on 25/11/2008 14:36