Brendan McCartney (born 23 October 1960)[2] is the former senior coach of the Western Bulldogs football club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He coached 66 games in 3 seasons before he resigned from the job.[3] He has served as the development and strategy coach of the Melbourne Football Club since 2015.[4]
| Brendan McCartney | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 McCartney in April 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Brendan McCartney | ||
| Date of birth | 23 October 1960 | ||
| Place of birth | Nyah, Victoria[1] | ||
| Original team(s) | Newtown & Chilwell Football Club (GFL) | ||
| Coaching career3 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
| 2012–2014 | Western Bulldogs | 66 (20–46–0) | |
| 2025– | Port Melbourne | ||
|
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2014. | |||
Playing career
editIn his playing days, Brendan McCartney played in the Geelong Football League for the Newtown & Chilwell Football Club. He is one of the few AFL coaches who never played at the highest level.[5] His father, Graeme McCartney, played one senior game with Richmond in 1957.[1]
Coaching career
editAfter persistent injury curtailed his local playing career and premature retirement at 27, he first began coaching Newtown & Chilwell's reserves. Soon after, McCartney was appointed the head coach of the Ocean Grove Football Club. He guided the football club to four consecutive Bellarine Football League premierships from 1994 until 1997.[6]
Richmond Football Club assistant coach
editIn 1998, he took a role with AFL club Richmond as assistant and development coach.[6]
Geelong Football Club assistant coach
editFrom 2000 to 2010, McCartney was an assistant coach with Geelong Football Club.[3] In 2010, McCartney was voted the AFL's assistant coach of the year by the AFL Coaches Association awards.[7][8]
Essendon Football Club assistant coach
editMcCartney moved to be the assistant coach in the position of forward line coach at Essendon in 2011.[3]
Western Bulldogs senior coach
editShortly after the conclusion of the 2011 AFL season, McCartney was appointed as the senior coach of the Western Bulldogs under a three-year contract, replacing the outgoing caretaker senior coach Paul Williams, who replaced Rodney Eade, after Eade stepped down during the 2011 season with three games left to go in the season after Eade was told he would not receive a contract extension for the Bulldogs.[9][10] When McCartney was appointed as the Bulldogs senior coach, he edged out favourite and former Bulldog Leon Cameron who was well regarded as a "high quality field".[11] He took the Western Bulldogs for their training session for the first time on 7 November 2011.[12]
In McCartney's first season as Bulldogs senior coach in the 2012 season, McCartney guided the Bulldogs to finish fifteenth on the ladder with five wins and seventeen losses. McCartney came under heavy criticism after the Bulldogs lost to expansion team Gold Coast Suns in Round 8 during the 2013 season, but the team had a better second half to the season, which included promising performances against top 8 teams Essendon, Hawthorn and Sydney, as well as wins against Carlton, West Coast and Adelaide. McCartney guided Bulldogs to finish fifteenth on the ladder again for the second straight year in a row at the end of the 2013 season, this time with eight wins and fourteen losses. As a result of the encouraging performances in the second half, McCartney received a two-year contract extension on 26 November 2013 and he was to be contracted to the end of the 2016 season.[13]
In the 2014 season, McCartney guided Bulldogs to finish fourteenth on the ladder with seven wins and fifteen losses. Following speculation after the 2014 AFL season, which concluded with the Bulldogs losing to Greater Western Sydney in the final match of the regular season in Round 23, 2014, McCartney resigned as senior coach of the Western Bulldogs on 10 October 2014, at the conclusion of the 2014 season.[14][15][16][17] When captain Ryan Griffen announced he wanted to leave the club the day before McCartney's resignation, it was reported that McCartney's relationship with Griffen caused him to want to leave the club.[18][19][20][21] McCartney coached Western Bulldogs Football Club to a total of 66 games with 20 wins and 46 losses to a winning percentage of 30 percent.[22] McCartney was then replaced by Luke Beveridge as the Western Bulldogs senior coach.[23]
Melbourne Football Club assistant coach
editMcCartney joined the Melbourne Football Club coaching staff in an assistant coaching role as a development and strategy coach under senior coach Paul Roos from the 2015 season.[24] McCartney left the Melbourne Football Club at the end of the 2019 season.[25][26][27]
In October 2019, McCartney stated that he left the Melbourne Football Club after he "started losing the drive and motivation that came with preparing the team both during the weekend and on game day" and "I just felt myself losing a love of the element to the week, I stepped forward and said to the coaches in a bit of mid-season review that it was time to step back".[28]
Port Melbourne Football Club senior coach (VFL)
editOn 19 August 2024, the Port Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League announced the hiring of Brendan McCartney as senior coach, beginning in 2025. McCartney was signed on a three-year deal.[29]
Coaching statistics
edit| Legend | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | Wins | L | Losses | D | Draws | W% | Winning percentage | LP | Ladder position | LT | League teams | ||
| Season | Team | Games | W | L | D | W % | LP | LT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Western Bulldogs | 22 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 22.7% | 15 | 18 |
| 2013 | Western Bulldogs | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 36.4% | 15 | 18 |
| 2014 | Western Bulldogs | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 31.8% | 14 | 18 |
| Career totals | 66 | 20 | 46 | 0 | 30.3% | |||
References
edit- ^ a b Flanagan, Martin (21 February 2014). "The making of Brendan McCartney". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ AFL Coaching statistics
- ^ a b c Paton, Al (19 September 2011). "Brendan McCartney named new coach of Western Bulldogs". Herald Sun. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
- ^ "Brendan McCartney joins Melbourne coaching panel as former Bulldogs coach quickly finds new job". Herald Sun. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ McFarlane, Glenn (1 April 2012). "Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney toughening up his team". Sunday Herald Sun.
- ^ a b Spits, Scott (19 September 2011). "Bulldogs unveil new coach McCartney". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
- ^ Edmund, Sam (13 October 2010). "Cats assistant coach Brendan McCartney moves to Essendon". Herald Sun. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
- ^ "Brendan McCartney opens up about the Ryan Griffen trade request, his relationship with Mark Thompson and more". 13 April 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ "Bulldogs unveil new coach McCartney". 19 September 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Bulldogs hire McCartney as coach". 19 September 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Western Bulldogs announce long-time assistant coach Brendan McCartney to replace Rodney Eade". 8 November 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
- ^ Windley, Matt (8 November 2011). "Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney takes training for the first time". Herald Sun. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- ^ Gullan, Scott (26 November 2013). "Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney tied away until end of 2016 under new deal". Herald Sun. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
- ^ "Brendan McCartney quits as Western Bulldogs coach as players threaten to walk out". 10 October 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Bulldogs announce Brendan McCartney's departure". 10 October 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Brendan McCartney resigns from Western Bulldogs in wake of Ryan Griffen trade request". 10 October 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Brendan McCartney quits as coach of Western Bulldogs as crisis deepens". 10 October 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Brendan McCartney finished as Western Bulldogs coach after crisis talks". Australia: Fox Sports. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "Brendan McCartney says fractured relationship with Bulldogs could have been repaired". 11 October 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Brendan McCartney says his relationship with Western Bulldogs players was not beyond repair". 11 October 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Brendan McCartney opens up about the Ryan Griffen trade request, his relationship with Mark Thompson and more". 13 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Departing Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney says he leaves 'a sad man'". 10 October 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Western Bulldogs unveil Luke Beveridge as AFL coach replacing Brendan McCartney". 14 November 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ Ryan, Peter. "Former Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney finds new home at Demons". AFL Media. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- ^ "McCartney set to depart at season's end". 5 August 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Assistant coach Brendan McCartney to depart Melbourne". 5 August 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "AFL 2019: Brendan McCartney to part ways 'on good terms' with Melbourne at season's end". 5 August 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "McCartney Opens Up on Melbourne Exit". 12 October 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Major Club Announcement". 19 August 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ Brendan McCartney's coaching profile at AFL Tables
External links
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