Alan McConnell

Alan John McConnell (born 30 March 1957) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the early 1980s and later coached Fitzroy. McConnell is currently serving as director of coaching at the Greater Western Sydney Giants.[1]

Alan McConnell
McConnell coaching the Greater Western Sydney AFLW side in February 2018
Personal information
Full name Alan John McConnell
Date of birth (1957-03-30) 30 March 1957
Place of birth Terang
Original team(s) Kolora
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 73 kg (161 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1980–1982 Footscray 37 (5)
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1995; 1996 Fitzroy 11 (0–11–0)
2018–2022 (S6) Greater Western Sydney (W) 40 (17–1–22)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1996.
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2022 (S6).
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Playing career

Originally from Kolora in the Mount Noorat Football League, Alan played with Terang in the Hampden Football League, under age football with Fitzroy and Victorian Football Association (VFA) football with Preston,

Footscray

McConnell was a fierce defender at Footscray Football Club in the VFL league and spent three seasons with the club from 1980 until 1982, playing a total of 37 games and kicked 5 goals.[2]

Coaching career

Fitzroy Football Club caretaker senior coach (1995), (1996)

In 1995, he was appointed as the caretaker senior coach of Fitzroy when Bernie Quinlan was sacked during the season.[3][4] He again became the caretaker senior coach of Fitzroy, in the following year in the 1996 season for the last eight games when senior coach Michael Nunan stood aside, but he failed to register a win in either season. McConnell then became the last official senior coach of Fitzroy Football Club in the AFL.[3][4] McConnell left Fitzroy after the 1996 season, when Fitzroy's AFL operations were taken over by the Brisbane Bears to form the Brisbane Lions.[5][6]

Geelong Football Club

McConnell then joined Geelong as an assistant coach.[7][4]

Australian Institute of Sport

After leaving Geelong, he became the head AFL coach for the Australian Institute of Sport.[7]

GWS Giants

McConnell later became the first appointment to the Greater Western Sydney Giants as an assistant coach working with the forward line in 2013, McConnell then later became the GWS Director of Coaching under GWS senior coach Leon Cameron.[7] McConnell was appointed the senior coach of the Giants' AFL Women's side in July 2017.[8][1][9] Thus becoming the first person to coach both an AFL and AFLW side.[10] In the round three, 2018 match against Collingwood, McConnell registered his first win in his entire coaching career, having endured eleven losses from as many matches during his two stints as Fitzroy's caretaker senior coach in 1995 and 1996.[11] On 26 March 2022, it was announced that McConnell would step down from his role as senior coach of the Giants' AFL Women's side at the end of the 2022 season and move into another role within the club.[12][13][14] However, on 12 April 2022, McConnell reversed this decision and stepped down early from his role as senior coach GWS AFL Women's side effective immediately and was replaced by Cameron Bernasconi.[15]

References
  1. "McConnell Takes the Reins". gwsgiants.com.au. Greater Western Sydney Giants. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  2. "ALAN MCCONNELL". Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  3. "Death throes at Fitzroy but only signs of life at Giants". 2 August 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  4. "Alan McConnell gives reflections on Fitzroy's demise 24 years ago". Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  5. "The Merger: Where Are They Now?". 5 July 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  6. "The Day That Changed Everything". 1 September 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  7. "Alan McConnell - AFLW Head Coach & Director of Coaching". Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  8. "Ex-Lions coach takes over Giants' AFLW job". AFL Media. Telstra Media. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  9. "Greater Western Sydney Giants appoint Alan McConnell to coach AFLW side". 20 July 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  10. Curley, Adam (19 December 2017). "AFLW: Giant challenge for a football veteran". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  11. Black, Sarah (18 February 2018). "GIANTS Break Through For Big Win Over Magpies". AFL Media. GWS Giants. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  12. "GWS Giants to seek new AFLW coach". 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  13. "'Mutual agreement': Giants coach McConnell steps aside". 25 March 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  14. "GIANTS to Appoint New AFLW Head Coach". 24 March 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  15. "AFLW: Cameron Bernasconi to succeed Alan McConnell as GWS Giants' new AFLW coach". 12 April 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
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