A grueling pre-season under the leadership of new Senior Coach Phil Walsh will bring a “hard edge” to the Crows, says CEO Andrew Fagan.
Walsh, one of the most experienced and respected figures in all of football, was announced as the seventh Senior Coach of the Crows on Tuesday afternoon.
Heading into his 21st year among the AFL coaching ranks, Walsh delivered an impressive opening address describing his plans for a future of sustained success at West Lakes.
Walsh said hard work, desire and team-oriented play were at the centre of his football philosophies.
But CEO Fagan said a steely toughness would continue to be the hallmark of Walsh’s coaching tenure.
“He’s got a really hard edge, and that’s something that I like,” Fagan said on SEN on Wednesday.
“He’s such a brilliant strategist, he’s got such a great football mind, and overall his footy acumen is almost second to none.
“He doesn’t want to talk the talk, he wants to get out there and just demonstrate it.”
Fagan put no limits on what the 54-year-old could achieve in his first season at the helm. But he said Walsh would place huge demands on the playing group over summer to chase success in 2015.
“I think he’ll send players into some dark places in pre-season,” Fagan said.
“He’s going to be very straightforward with his feedback with them. He certainly doesn’t leave anyone guessing. He’s not going to waste words…but he does it with knowledge and obviously he’s an astute guy.
“I think that the players will really respond to that sort of approach.”
Walsh, who worked as Port Adelaide’s Midfield Manager last season, said it was time for him to chase his dream of becoming a senior coach before it was too late.
Fagan said Walsh’s desire to make the most of his opportunity with the Crows would see the Club achieve success sooner rather than later.
“I think he expects he should be able to do something with the group,” Fagan said.
“I don’t think that he’d move across if he didn’t think that he could achieve success.”
