Tara Murray
Brad Fox never imagined he would get the opportunity to coach Gisborne Football Club again.
Having coached the side when he came out of the AFL, Fox then went on and coached elsewhere, including being involved with the Brisbane Lions three-peat in the AFL.
Fox returned to Gisborne coaching his son through the ranks of the Gisborne Rookies and then being an assistant coach in Gisborne’s under-18 premiership this year.
When senior coach Rob Waters decided to stand down, Fox was quickly appointed as the new coach of the side which won this year’s premiership.
“It is amazing to be given the opportunity again 29 years after the time,” he said.
“It’s nothing that I expected. I was 24 and captain-coach and I never thought after I left I would be here again.”
Fox has spent most of his life coaching in some format, including in his job where he coaches businesses.
He said it was something that he enjoyed.
Fox said it was Waters, who suggested that he would be the perfect person to take over from him. The two go a long way back.
“Robbie did an amazing job with that group and holding them all together through the COVID years,” he said.
“They’ve come through that period as a really tight knit and well prepared group. Robbie’s employment changed and he was stepping down.
“Robbie won the best and fairest in my first year of coaching. He said I should put my hand up for the role and it went from there.”
Having coached his son throughout his football career as either head coach or assistant coach, he will possibly have that opportunity again next year with his son stepping into seniors.
Fox said the line coaches would take over a lot of that responsibility.
With the side coming off a premiership, Fox said most people say you can only go down after that.
Fox is quick to disagree.
“In my time as a Gisborne player we won three premierships in a row,” he said. “At the Brisbane Lions we won three in a row.
“There’s a long way up after winning a premiership.”
Fox said like every side they were expecting to lose a couple of players, with work commitments and others planning holidays already in the works.
One player set to be on the move is Ethan Minns, with Woodend-Hesket announcing he had signed with them.
Fox though is confident in the group that he has to continue the success they’ve had with all three teams making the grand final this year.
“The average age of our grand final since was 21,” he said. “We have another five or six players from the 18s, whilst the others are one year older.
“ We’re still a very young side with a lot of talent. Those young boys are going to push the others.”
