Peter Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 (edited) Heart boosts coaching depth Michael Lynch Published: July 26, 2012 - 3:00AM IT IS doubtful if any team in any league has gone into a new season with as inexperienced a coaching line-up as that with which Melbourne Heart is preparing for the A-League campaign. John Aloisi is making his debut as a first-team coach after a solitary season running the club's youth team, while ex-Socceroo defender Hayden Foxe is in his first year transitioning from player to coach. So when the chance came to hire a man who has worked at local, club and international level, a coach who spent a decade developing Australia's best young players at the Australian Institute of Sport during a lifetime in the game, and helped coach national teams at Olympic Games, Heart knew Ron Smith could be an invaluable asset for its rookie coaching group. Smith is a familiar face with the Socceroos, for whom he works on a part-time basis as a technical analyst and forward scout, and he will do a similar job with Heart after agreeing to a part-time role with the Latrobe University-based club. He will remain at his Canberra home base, but will analyse videos of Heart games, liaise with the tyro coaching staff - both of whom he coached as youngsters at the AIS - and provide tactical analyses of future opponents. For Aloisi, Smith is the perfect assistant: someone who is vastly experienced but not interested in taking his job. For Smith, who had a short, unsuccessful spell as head coach of Perth Glory in the early days of the A-League, the position is perfect as it allows him to continue his involvement in coach education and with players while he also works for Football Federation Australia. ''The club spoke to me in January and asked if I was in the market for a full-time job. I wasn't, but because I have done nearly every job there is to do in football, I could get short-term contracts and this is a good fit for me and the club,'' said Smith. ''I don't need to be on the park with players every day, but I love a fix every now and then. I do miss coaching players, but I don't need to do it 24/7. Part of my role is to educate the staff so they can do the work I do in the future. We will have Skype conferences, I will be available on the phone, I will come to Melbourne sometimes but mainly be a back-up resource, someone to bounce things off. ''They want someone to come in, be a really good support service without being a threat to the coach to take his job.'' The Heart role fits into the program of coach education the 63-year-old sees himself fulfilling in the next few years. ''I have developed an iPhone app for coaches. That took a lot of time and effort. I had to learn a lot of computing skills, understand software, it took quite an investment in time and money,'' he said. ''I have been involved in coach education for over 30 years and I would find it very hard not to be involved in that. ''I am also close to launching a website for coaches. I want to be a resource for people in the game.'' - The visa for Melbourne Victory's new marquee man, Marcos Flores, has come through and the Argentinian is expected to arrive in Australia today. The midfielder, who won the Johnny Warren Medal during his season with Adelaide United, will spend the next few days recovering from the journey before linking up with his new teammates. This story was found at: http://www.theage.co...0725-22qxq.html Edited July 25, 2012 by Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 So when did we sign Foxe? I must of missed that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natalie182 Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 And is that the only assistant coach, or will there still be someone else besides Foxe and Smith? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sash Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 I'm pretty sure there's more to come. It looks like when they make an announcement, it will be to announce the whole coaching team rather than announcing each person individually. And just because people haven't been announced yet doesn't mean they haven't been there working already. I'm sure I saw Ron Smith at training a few weeks ago, and we know Joey Didulica has been taking training as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw1739 Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 So when did we sign Foxe? I must of missed that. And is that the only assistant coach, or will there still be someone else besides Foxe and Smith? Assuming that we really do have Foxe and Smith on board...it really p*sses me off to read about it in the electronic/print media before I see it announced by the club. Membership ought to mean more than just a seat at AAMI Park. Rant over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 Membership ought to mean more than just a seat at AAMI Park. Don't you appreciate your sticker and fridge magnet? Some people. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw1739 Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 Don't you appreciate your sticker and fridge magnet? Some people. I could probably find the fridge magnet, if I looked for the magnifying glass that I needed to read it. BTW, Ron Smith himself has tweeted that he is on board with the Heart for next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundam Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 Melbourne Heart FC The Club is delighted to confirm former Socceroo and English Premier League defender Hayden Foxe, esteemed ex-AIS Head Coach Ron Smith and erstwhile Croatian international Joey Didulica will join John Aloisi and Peter Zois on our coaching panel for the upcoming Hyundai A-League season! http://bit.ly/MKnaF6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 It kinda feels like out inaugural season again. We've essentially started fresh completely in terms of coaches and players. A lot of unpredictability surrounds the new season. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biancorosso7 Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 I like the idea of having an enthusiastic and young experienced coaching panel, backed by an experienced "behind the scenes" guy. It certainly has me excited about the new possibilities of combinations, styles and set piece we might see in the upcoming season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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