However, it is also important to acknowledge the successes of Senior Coach.
Rodney Eade, Western Bulldogs Senior Coach not only has a successful history as a professional footballer but also as a coach. He has brought to the Western Bulldogs a wealth of knowledge and experience not to mention the drive to turn a consecutive bottom 3 team into the skilled powerhouse we now see up with the best.
Round 5 saw Eade become only the 7th person in history to reach the grand milestone of both playing and coaching 250 games of football. He joins an illustrious club, of iconic sportsman in Jock McHale (261 games played and 714 games coached), Dick Reynolds (320 games played and 415 games coached), Ron Barassi (254 games played and 514 games coached), Kevin Sheedy (251 games played and 635 games coached), Robert Walls (259 games played and 347 games coached) and Leigh Matthews (332 games played and 461 games coached).
To commemorate this occasion President David Smorgon made a presentation to Rodney in front of the Western Bulldogs football and administration staff, players and Chief Executive of the AFL Andrew Demetriou. To honour the occasion, Rodney was presented with a 1996 bottle of Grange, to commemorate his first year as a senior coach. A drop we’re sure he’ll enjoy at the end of the season.
