Harper Sercombe
A Melbourne legend is set to lead Bacchus Marsh into the 2024 Ballarat Football League women’s season.
Alan Johnson has been named as the Cobras’ senior women’s coach, and comes to the club with an extensive resume.
Johnson played 140 games for Perth in the Western Australian Football League, before moving to Melbourne where he played 135 games, won two best and fairests and sits in the club’s hall of fame. He is also in the WAFL hall of fame.
In his coaching career, Johnson has led Old Trinity to two Victorian Amateur Football Association premierships and won an Essendon District Football League flag with Keilor Park.
Now, Johnson said he is keen to embark into his first foray into women’s football.
“The more I think about it, because I haven’t coached in a while, but I’m actually really excited to support the club with the development of women’s football,” he said.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s going to be really, really exciting.
“I have my thoughts on how women’s football can improve, it’s not hard thoughts, they’re pretty simple thoughts.
“But if I can get women to enjoy their football by improving their skills, and have a simple game plan in place which they can enjoy, that’d be the best outcome.
“If I can help some juniors, through the under-19s and they can develop and get a better chance with their careers , that would be great.”
Johnson said the aspects of the game that he will seek to improve are simple ones and ones that have worked across his time in football.
“I think there’s areas of even in the AFL women’s football that can be improved, certainly with areas within their skills and abilities that can certainly be developed,” he said.
“There are four or five areas within the skills that I would like to concentrate on, and also getting them to understand some game plans, which are pretty simple.”
Across his decades of experience in football Johnson said he has developed a method of communication that he uses to get the most out of his players.
“From what I’ve learnt from coaching and playing is simple ways and different ways that you can make players develop quicker, and that’s what I’d like to bring to the club,” he said.
“I think you’ve got to be patient, constructive and positive in supporting the women.
“You can still be strong and pointed but it’s going to be constructive and positive.
“When I was coached under Ron Barassi we had a psychologist called Rudi Webster, he said to us and to the coaches ‘players can only think of three things when they’re out on the ground, if you give them more gameplan they won’t do it.’ When you think about it, it’s true.”
Pre-season for the Cobras’ women’s side will commence on Tuesday, November 21 from 5.30pm at Maddingley Park Eastern Sports Oval (Siberia). Training will be Tuesdays and Thursdays until December 14 in the lead up to the Christmas break up on December 20.
Anyone interested in playing can contact team manager Leanne Basset on 0418 356 036.
