Finals series | week 4

Tasmanian Coaching Coups
Tasmanian football clubs have pulled off some
stunning recruitment coups over the course of a
century of football.
Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes
The diminutive Checker Hughes was a classy
player for Richmond in the period 1914 to 1923,
including the Tigers first premierships in 1921-
22. He started his senior coaching career at
Ulverstone and with the NWFU from 1924-26. His
success with the Robins saw him quickly snapped
back up by Richmond. His initial years as a
VFL coach saw him come up against a rampant
Collingwood combination for grand final losses
in 1928, 29 and 30. Another loss to Geelong
followed in 1931 before the breakthrough came
in 1932 with a premiership over Carlton. In 1933
Checker Hughes moved to Melbourne and scored
4 premierships in 1939, 40, 41 and 1948.
Cazaly, Collier and Warne-Smith
Arguably the three best players to ever come to
Tasmania to coach football were Australian Hall of
Fame members Roy Cazaly, Albert Collier and Ivor
Warne – Smith. Cazaly has been duly recognised
in Victoria and Tasmania for his contribution to
football. The Team of the Century coach took
first City (1928, 1930), North Hobart (1932)
and then New Town (1935, 1948, 1949 and
1951) to regional premierships. Collier won the
Brownlow in 1929 and played in a 4th successive
premiership with Collingwood in 1930. In 1931
Cananore secured his services and he promptly
won the league best and fairest award and took
the Canaries to the TFL and State Premiership.
Ivor Warne – Smith had a massive impact on
North-west Coast football for 4 years leading both
Latrobe and the NWFU to some of their finest
moments. Upon his return to Melbourne Warne
– Smith became the first dual Brownlow Medal
winner in 1926 and 1928.
Geelong’s 1963 Premiership Team
Tasmania became a favoured destination for
Geelong’s 1963 premiership team who were
seeking to take up coaching careers. No
less than 5 of their champions and an expat
Tasmanian who was at Geelong in 1963
embarked on successful coaching careers in the
Apple Isle. John Devine: led North Hobart to the
1967, 69 and 74 TFL premierships. Paul Vinar:
took over Longford for 5 seasons. Captain Fred
Wooller: set the township of Penguin alight but
couldn’t deliver the ultimate prize from 1965
to 1968. John Watts: took over the reins at
Hobart from 1966 to 1968. Brownlow Medallist
centreman Alistair Lord: sort a clearance to
Burnie in 1965 but was knocked back by the Cats
and eventually was dissuaded from the move.
Also, ex-pat Tasmanian Brian Lowe, who missed
the Geelong premiership through injury, returned
to Tasmania in 1964 to continue a stunning run
of premiership success with first Cooee and then
East Launceston through until 1971.
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