AFL
Jason Akermanis makes pitch for Essendon development coach job
November 18, 2015 7:09pm
PAUL MALONEThe Courier-Mail
DRIVING back from his job interview at Essendon on a career path that he hopes may one day bring him back to Queensland, Jason Akermanis reckoned he had made his case.
The Lions triple-premiership player drove from Albury to Melbourne and back with coaching more experience than his ex-clubmates Michael Voss and Justin Leppitsch brought to their AFL head coach roles.
And James Hird and Nathan Buckley, for that matter.
Akermanis thought he did well in the interview with Essendon for their development coach role. He thinks he can succeed in bringing through the Bombers’ first, second and third-year players to have AFL careers if the Bombers appoint him.
Confidence, as AFL watchers know, has been part of the Akermanis make-up for a long time.
Three years as coach of North Albury and his grade-three coaching certificate make the maverick Brownlow medallist believe he can make it as a coach in the big league
“I’ve had a lot of help in the industry and hopefully I’m the best candidate,’’ Akermanis said.
“I know my skills are very much improved and I have done my apprenticeship at North Albury.
“I’m happy for Leppa to learn and if the Lions want to be patient, so be it.
“The Lions have to consider why they keep employing rookie coaches who have never run their own teams. That’s the issue, as much as they (Leppitsch and Voss) are ex Brisbane players.
“It’s not about Leppa. I love those guys and Leppa knows that. Leppa is learning all the time and it does take time.
“My point to the supporters is you don’t fluke bottom four. I know they are trying to reload the list.
“The most important thing to say if you either have the patience or you ask the question to the board just why they continue to hire people who are coaching their own team for the first time. Is it the best way forward? The fans have to make the decision.’’
Akermanis hopes to find out as early as Friday if he has the Bombers job.
Part of him wants to come back to Queensland to coach one day.
“Brisbane or the Gold Coast, now they have a team — it will always be a place where I could coach there at some stage and knowing that area and the issues there so well,’’ he said.
“That part of me is always there because of my family there. Depending on the timing and what’s going, I always thought I’d be back in Queensland at some stage.’’
Akermanis has coached the North Albury club to the finals in the first and third seasons of his three in the position.
“I’ve put a lot of young players in because the club needed to rebuild,’’ he said.
“Phil Jauncey (a Brisbane sports psychologist) said to me, ‘If you want to see if you can coach, go with a club at the bottom and find out’.
“The skills I’ve had to acquire gives me an idea of running a team — I had to be everyone, the coach, the mentor, the recruiter … the bloke who blows the balls up.
“The players don’t have the same talent as the ones I’d be working with (at Essendon), but they are the same in that they are pretty immature and have a lot of work to do.’’
