Tributes to a footy legend

Tom Harley – AFL NSW/ACT General Manager and former Geelong Cats Captain

The AFL will forever be indebted to Kevin Sheedy for his role in the growth of the game in NSW and the ACT. Kevin’s unique ability to relate to everyone, whether they are involved in the game or not, is unparalleled; and the experience he has been able to pass on to the young GIANTS will no doubt set the foundation for long and fruitful careers.

I was an Essendon fan as a kid and I felt privileged to work closely with Sheeds in the early stages of Team GWS (which later morphed into the GWS GIANTS). If you are fortunate enough to eventually work with someone you admired as a youngster, it’s a massive thrill. Occasionally you hear stories of people who are disappointed by the experience but this wasn’t the case for me; Sheeds was exactly how I thought he would be – engaging, entertaining and unbelievably insightful, you could listen to him talk for hours.

On behalf of everyone at AFL NSW/ACT I would like to thank Kevin for his dedication and effort to growing the game on all levels, the contribution he has made to AFL in our region has been invaluable.

Craig Bolton – AFL NSW/ACT Deputy General Manager and former Sydney Swans Co-Captain

Sheeds is one of the most well known characters in AFL, even when he first moved up here people instantly knew him. I would put him alongside Paul Roos in that regard; they’re both respected and known outside the AFL world here in Sydney.

He’s been great for the game here in NSW and the ACT in a marketing sense, he’s a big presence and his personality really lends itself to getting out and meeting people which is exactly what you need to do up here. Even though he’s just one man, Sheeds is so much more than that when it comes to growing the game.

I think his best quality is that he cares so much about the game; he’s constantly looking for ways to do things differently, not just for the sake of it, but to improve it. He’s reinvented so many aspects of the game over the years, and we’ve all been better off for it.

He coached Essendon for the twelve years I played against them and he always had such an amazing tactical ability. One of the great positives of him being at GWS with such a young playing group is that he takes a holistic approach to coaching and imparts a greater understanding of the game and how it should be played. He really takes an interest in the players and how they should develop not just as footy players but as people.

Mark McVeigh – AFL NSW/ACT Talent and Coaching Program Manager: Sydney Harbour North and former Essendon player

He coached me for nine years at Essendon and one of my best memories of that time was the night before the 2001 AFL Grand Final he called me and told me to meet him at the MCG. I thought it was a joke but I turned up at the ground and told the security guard I was there to meet Kevin Sheedy and they said ‘Yeah, he’s in the Southern Stand.’ I went and sat with him for about half an hour in the empty stadium with the lights blazing and we just chatted. He told me that he wanted me to realise the enormity of what we were about to do in the Grand Final, I was about eighteen or nineteen at the time so it was pretty cool to have that time with him.

One of his best qualities is that he’s a really positive person in any sort of situation, you can get beaten by ten goals or win by two and he can take the negatives out of it and give everyone a positive spin about what was good about it – the game, your career, your development. He’s probably the most positive person I’ve ever met – he can turn a negative around and then you can’t help but start thinking that way too.

Darren Denneman – AFL NSW/ACT State Talent and Coaching Manager

I think the great thing about Kevin is his broad appeal, I don’t think the game has ever been more well-known in NSW and the ACT than it is now and a large part of that is to do with the GIANTS entering the competition and Kevin driving that as their head coach.

He’s survived as a coach because he is unique to the market, he has an affinity with everyone and he’s not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. In my opinion, good coaches are good people managers and I think his record proves that he is one of the best.

Tadhg Kennelly – AFL International Talent Coordinator and former Sydney Swans player

Kevin has been enormous for football in Sydney, we all know how challenging it is to grow and promote the game in Western Sydney, in particular, but he has helped create a great awareness of the game of AFL in specifically that area. He’s definitely made our job easier, when we’re talking to kids about the game.

He’s been able to change and adapt to the coaching environment so successfully over his entire career with Essendon but I think his biggest legacy will be the GIANTS, he has been instrumental in setting up the club; and the passion he shows for the club when he talks about them is phenomenal. I think getting him involved in the club was a fantastic move by the AFL.

John Longmire – Sydney Swans Coach and former North Melbourne Kangaroos player

John, one of New South Wales’ most successful footballing products spoke with sydneyswans.com.au about Kevin Sheedy:

“Kevin is a great of the game and his influence is seen across all aspects of football,” Longmire said.

“To have a career in coaching that spans over three decades is an amazing achievement.

“The establishment of a second AFL team in Sydney was always going to be a significant challenge, but Sheeds has done a fantastic job guiding and promoting the club in its early years.

“His career at Essendon, winning four premierships, was simply outstanding and he has certainly laid the foundation at the Giants, where he has established a really hard-nosed, competitive young team.

“It would be really fitting for all football lovers in Sydney to get to the game on the weekend and show their appreciation for all the great work Kevin has done in helping GWS gain a foothold here in Sydney.”  

 Kevin Sheedy Career Record

• Played 251 games and kicked 91 goals for Richmond (1967-1979) 
• Coached 679 games for Essendon and GIANTS (1981-2007; 2012-13)
• Richmond Premiership Coach 1969, 1973, 1974
• Essendon premiership coach 1984, 1985, 1993, 2000
• Coached six pre-season premierships for Essendon
• First coach of the Greater Western Sydney GIANTS
• Jack Dyer Medal, Richmond Best and Fairest 1976
• Richmond Captain 1978, Richmond Hall of Fame 2002
• Australian Football Hall of Fame 2008
• Richmond Team of the Century (back pocket)
• Essendon Team of the Century (coach)
• Total games played and coached at the conclusion of the 2013 season – 1030 including international, state and pre-season games

Kevin Sheedy’s final match in Sydney as Head Coach of the GIANTS against Richmond, 3.20pm, Sunday August 25 at Skoda Stadium, Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney Olympic Park. The match will be broadcast live on Channel 7 and 7Mate in NSW.

Tickets available here: www.ticketmaster.com.au/giants