Words: Michael Flynn, Football Queensland
Image: Moreton Bay United Jets

The NPL Queensland pathway has the potential to extend beyond the playing ranks and start delivering talented coaches to the A-League, according to Moreton Bay United Jets Head Coach Terry Kirkham.

As the guiding force behind the high-flying Jets this season, Kirkham believes the education systems are in place for a new generation of coaches in the NPL to make the transition to fully professional football in the future.

“You have to look at the past 10 years of football in Australia and the changes that have been made with coach education, the introduction of the A-League, the media growth and so on,” Kirkham said.

“Coaches like myself that have been in the pathway system developing as semi-professional coaches, whilst also working in the business world and now working into the new NPL system, have a lot of skills to offer in the big business of professional football,” he further explained.

All senior NPL Queensland coaches are currently required to hold a ‘B’ coaching licence, ensuring they have the right combination of theoretical and practical skills to develop the next generation of playing talent to the highest possible level.

However, many NPL Queensland coaches, Kirkham included, have an ‘A’ licence – a prerequisite set by Football Federation Australia for coaching A-League, W-League and National Youth League teams.

Kirkhams stressed though that ultimately practical experience is the best way to earn your stripes as a coach.

“On the A Licence course recently in Canberra at the Institute of Sport, the attending coaches were told at the very start, it will take you 15 years to learn and become a fully qualified coach as there is so much to take in at this practical job.”

Kirkham started his coaching career in 1993 in the cutthroat Victorian league system, and has since amassed seven major senior trophies as well as a litany of reserve and youth division titles as he progressed through the ranks.

The 43-year-old has also shown a keen eye for young talent, including signing current Turkey international and Besiktas defender Ersan Gulum and current Wellington Phoenix defender Josh South to their first senior contracts – with the pair previously overlooked for youth representative teams.

Now guiding both the senior and youth men’s sides at Moreton Bay, Kirkham said the experience in NPL coaching ranks should not be overlooked by A-League clubs and cited current Brisbane Roar manager Mike Mulvey as an example of the capabilities of local coaching talent.

“Mike Mulvey had served a long development apprenticeship in Australia and has come through the coaching pathway as a long term development coach and he has not let the Brisbane Roar or the A-League down.”

“Whilst I have never met Mike, he is a manager that I highly respect for his dedication and achievement proving many people wrong.”

Kirkham added, “If the pathway system is good enough in Australia, and coaches are well credentialed, then the NPL system should be a breeding ground for at least identifying coaches with or without high level professional playing back grounds.

“They should be marketed and developed into professional football if they are good enough.”

With his senior Jets sitting in first place on the NPL Queensland table after six rounds, and the youth side in the top three of their division, Kirkham explained his approach to overseeing the success of both squads.

“It is most important at this level your senior team is not relying on 14 or 15 players, you must rely on 35 players if you want long term success.”

“Having coaches behind me who want to do things their way and not answer to me doesn’t fit into my philosophy; so I only like to work with coaches who I can trust, who want to learn from me and work to my plan, so its mirror image from the top to bottom.”

“At the moment I have two developing coaches who have a long way to go in this game as coaches, so I have taken the head coaching role to make sure the entire squad is going in one direction.”

“I know that my assistant coaches will develop greatly from my experience and the players are because our top two teams are playing the same way.”

Kirkham admitted that the journey from newly formed club to league leaders in less than two years had been a “roller coaster” but that he remains proud of his achievements at Jets.

“At senior level, I had to start from scratch with no foundations at all,” he explained.

“We had to compete with so many factors such as established clubs from the NPL, local Brisbane Premier League clubs and Division One teams right on our door step who were all well established.”

“Building a close foundation of assistant coaches, players and putting it all together so quickly was a challenge but I’m lucky that many people answered my calls and joined in.”

“Things have settled down this season and we have attracted some really good people to our environment recently.”

Forthright in his opinions on the sidelines, as well as off the field, Kirkham made no apologies for his no-nonsense approach to developing the next generation into the best footballers possible.

“I have learnt over the past 20 years of coaching, and also developing and running my own businesses, dealing with corporate insolvency around Australia at very high levels, that there is only one way at the top.”

“In my world, in my change room, we are all going one way and that's my way. From coaching kids at a technical level to being a senior coach, the players and club need a leader with direction and authority as a head coach.”

In addition to endorsing NPL Queensland’s coaching and player development ethos, Kirkham also said his club's results on the pitch were being backed up by support in the stands.

“In my experience of turning clubs around from bottom to the top, football supporters want to support their club.”

“Supporters will eventually come in large numbers when they come and support a team that provides entertainment and a winning culture at any level.”

“I sign players who bring determination of wanting to win every week, which rubs off to the spectators and I like to create intensity on and off the park during a game.

“My players must play for the club shirt, our members and our employers before themselves and that’s evident because the crowds are growing and our supporters have been brilliant.”