Taking the scenic route
New offensive development coach Mitch Hahn’s recent experiences mean he is better placed than most to instruct his young charges.
Collingwood's new offensive development coach Mitch Hahn was on the Western Bulldogs list for 12 seasons but played the last of his 181 matches in the 2010 Preliminary Final. At the age of 29, he was shifted to the Bulldogs’ rookie list and saw out his days as a league footballer with Williamstown in the VFL.
Hahn made the best of his unique situation and became the Seagulls’ playing-forwards coach. He kicked 40 goals in only 17 matches, only for his side to be scuttled by the undefeated Port Melbourne in the Grand Final.
Unbeknownst to Hahn, his positive attitude and enthusiasm for the game had left him well placed when he announced his retirement at the end of 2011.
The former Western Bulldog forward recently joined Nathan Buckley’s 11-man coaching panel as a development coach as a result of a phone call from Buckley himself.
“I was looking at playing and coaching in the country, and was also looking coaching in the under-18s at TAC Cup level and had a couple of opportunities there,” Hahn told collingwoodfc.com.au.
“I got the call from Nathan Buckley. He actually left a voice mail and I thought it was a joke. I thought someone at the Bulldogs had pranked me. I called him back and he said to come in for an interview and it happened very quickly from there. I’m really excited about being here.”
Hahn might have been surprised to receive a call from the new Collingwood coach, but Buckley says that Hahn’s attitude and approach to the game had never gone unnoticed.
“I think people should never be surprised that when they go about their business, other people are watching. I’ve always respected the way that Mitch has gone about his football. He’s fairly tough and uncompromising,” Buckley said.
“Through the interview, the thing that stood out was his passion for the game. He’s up and about all the time, he loves the game and that clearly was evident and rubbed off on myself and Geoff Walsh.
“He’s been able to bring that passion and enthusiasm into the development coaching panel and it’s been a real bonus for our program.”
Enthusiastic and well spoken, Hahn’s easy-going nature belies his appetite for hard work. In his role as the offensive development coach, Hahn is looking after five specific players as well as working in tandem with offensive coach Matthew Lappin.
“On the list we’ve got close to 50 players, and in the development side of it there are probably 30 guys that are getting looked after between the five development guys. I’m looking after five young guys - it doesn’t mean that I’m just looking after them; you still have a great interest in trying to help the list improve, but trying to help a Dane Swan improve…he still has improvement to do but he is a terrific player and doesn’t need the sort of development as what a young kid does. Those sort of guys are left on their own devices or left to a Robert Harvey to develop them.”
“We’re basically looking after the first to third year players, so I’m looking after Paul Cribbin, Daniel Farmer, Trent Stubbs and Peter Yagmoor so it’s been really exciting to be able to work with them. It was great to be able to go on the camp to Arizona and just see how everyone gels and works together.”
Hahn is adamant that the atmosphere generated by the football department is first class. Although he is one of six coaches to have either joined the club or changed their portfolio since October, Hahn said that the coaching staff has knitted together well and continue to drive each other.
“It’s just a great environment. Footy clubs are similar but it’s just great to be here. We’re really excited about going forward and getting into the games and seeing how these young kids do progress.
“Each coach has their own way of thinking and Matthew Lappin has been terrific in helping me at the start in coming in and getting me up to speed with the structures and terminology used. I think every club has a different terminology and a different way that they set up. He’s helped me get up to speed with that and I think I’m going to learn a lot from him throughout the year, especially once the games start which is now, so it’s an exciting time. He’s been really good, as have all the coaches.
“Guys like ‘Harves’ (Robert Harvey), ‘Harty’ (Ben Hart) and obviously ‘Bucks’ have all been terrific. Then there’s ‘Rocket’ (Rodney Eade), who I’ve worked with before and to oversee it all he’s good as well. At the moment we’ve got a really good team and everyone’s pushing each other to be the best that they can. I think that you need an environment this.”
Somewhat unexpectedly, Hahn has ended up working at the Westpac Centre alongside Rodney Eade, his coach for seven years at the Whitten Oval. Having worked underneath names such as Terry Wallace, Peter German and Steven Kretiuk, Hahn has a strong background of knowledge to dip into while building his coaching philosophy but says he will ideally seek to generate conditions where players are able to get the best out of themselves as footballers and as people.
“I’ve tried to take bits and pieces from all of those guys but at the end of the day I’ve tried to come up with my own philosophy in terms of coaching and I think being a player certainly helps you understand what gets the best out of certain players,” Hahn explained.
“I’m trying to create an environment here for players that’s fun and they want to come to and they want to get better. Also in life outside of football, making sure that they’re good people as well. As much as it is about football, it’s also about a balanced life.”
He will continue his role as a playing coach in 2012, donning the black and white of Collingwood’s VFL team. He emphasises the benefits of maintaining consistent communication from all five development coaches, meaning he will be able to reinforce feedback from the coach’s box to youngsters on the field.
“(Learning what style works for each player) will hopefully come a lot quicker by being out on the field with them and understanding the way that they receive feedback, and how they give feedback. That’s going to be valuable for me being out there to show them the right way to go about it and to see how they react to a bit of aggression or a bit of sympathy.”
Buckley agrees that an on field presence from a player such as Hahn will be a positive for the younger players on the list.
“He wants to throw himself into that (coaching) as much as he possibly can but in the interim, if he’s fit and up and about then we feel like he can be an on field coach at times. We’ll give him that opportunity.”
So far, all has gone to plan. The club’s younger players have set about attaining the standards set by their premiership teammates, according to Hahn, and their attitude to hard work and preparation has exceeded his expectations.
But the challenge still remains for those looking to crack the big time in the near future.
“I think the challenge for them is exceptional. If you want to be the best, you have to play with the best and compete against the best. That’s what Collingwood provide for the young players coming in. It’s the challenge to be the best player that they can,” stressed Hahn.
“It’s what you want from every player coming in. If you don’t challenge, you might not ever make it.
“The challenge for us as coaches is to give them that message that, for you to play senior footy, you’re going to have to be at your best and you’re going to have to improve and to put in more hours than the next guy to get in front of him.
“That’s only going to help these young kids become the best players that they can.”
If attitudes are contagious, the young Magpies should be looking to spend as much time as they possibly can working alongside Mitch Hahn. His is worth catching.