Rourke named Coach of the Year
AFL NSW/ACT is pleased to announce Ainslie’s Chris Rourke has been named the 2011 AFL NSW/ACT Coach of the Year.
The award was presented to Rourke at Wednesday night’s Mulrooney Medal presentation where he was also named AFL Canberra’s coach of the year.
With over 100 nominations across 28 regions throughout NSW and the ACT, it is a fantastic achievement for the coaching stalwart.
Rourke took over the reins of Ainslie in 2007 when the club was undergoing a significant change in culture and personnel – including the loss of several players and volunteers over the off-season.
He approached the top job head on and developed a new culture and new values which would ultimately lead the club to premiership glory in 2010 – the club’s first premiership since 1997.
Rourke’s positive and inspiring approach to coaching has been infectious and he’s had a positive impact on the club from juniors through to Youth Girls, juniors and seniors.
“I’m really lucky, I’ve got a well resourced club and I came in at a time when they were in a bit of trouble and they’ve given me the freedom to put the list together,” Rourke said.
“It’s a great place to work, it gives me an opportunity to work fulltime in football and I’ve got a burning passion to be involved in footy so it really is a great place to be.
“I love coming here every day, I still love kicking the footy and I love the footy environment.”
When not coaching the premier division Tri-colours, conducting one-one-one sessions with his players or attending junior training nights, Rourke is regularly seen out in the community at schools.
So dedicated to the development of AFL in the nation’s capital is Rourke that he runs school clinics or skills sessions for students of all ages whenever he can.
The club’s new values of respect, fun and participation follow him anywhere he goes and the benefits are widespread.
“As a result of Chris’s focus on the right values across the whole club, player retention is at an all-time high,” Ainslie President Ian Muir said.
“In 2010, we only had a turnover of five senior players which is a testament to the environment and culture Chris developed.
“We had a good year and finished minor premiers and went on to win the Grand Final. Our seconds, under-18s and women’s teams also competed in the finals in 2010.”
In 2011, only one of the 22 premiership players didn’t stay on at the club due to work reasons, which is a reflection of Rourke’s leadership, character and culture he’s instilled at Ainslie.
Rourke has led the club from the front again all season with the Tri-colours playing Eastlake in the preliminary final on Saturday in the new NEAFL Eastern Conference.
The winner will play the Sydney Swans reserves in the Grand Final and vie to progress through to the inaugural NEAFL Championship where they’ll take on the best team from the Northern Conference.
Rourke said the North East Australian Football League is helping to develop the game further in the nation’s capital.
“The great thing about the NEAFL is that the standard is lifting but it also gives kids in Canberra an opportunity to stay here because the competition is exciting,” he said.
“This year we were in the Foxtel Cup, we travelled to Queensland, we travelled to Newcastle, we’re playing against new sides and it adds great interest to [the competition].
“NEAFL’s getting a good name and it attracts good players and people want to stay involved so that’s what I love about it.”
Rourke has recently signed a new two-year deal which will see him at the club until the end of the 2013 season.
The AFL NSW/ACT State Coach of the Year award aims to recognise coaches who have provided quality service to the development of the game.
In its third year, the award is given to the coach who displays strength of character in the role of coaching, fosters enthusiasm for participation in football, upholds the goals and values of the football club and league and someone who promotes healthy mental and physical development of players.
