The Football Coaching Life Podcast

Steve Corica is Head Coach of the A-League Men at Sydney FC.

He played his junior football in Innisfail in North Queensland, before heading to the Australian Institute of Sport. 

He played just under 500 professional games in Australia, England and Japan.

Steve’s preparation for coaching began while he was playing, and he started to gain his coaching licences before taking on an assistant role with the Sydney FC Youth Team.

He served a seven-year apprenticeship at Sydney with the Youth Team and then as an assistant to Vitezslav Lavicka, Frank Farina and Graham Arnold, before taking on the Head Coach role in 2018.

He learned from each of these coaches, and shares that his greatest lesson upon graduating to Head Coach was that "he didn’t know, what he didn’t know."

Steve believes that team and club culture are key to success. He understands that while he is the driver of the culture, that buy in from all of the players is integral to behaviours being demanded from the playing group of one another.

Enjoy this walk through Steve Corica’s Football Coaching Life.

Ash Wilson is the Head Coach of the Newcastle Jets A-League Women’s team. Ash also works in the Jets Academy program and in addition is a full-time teacher at Hunter Sports High.

Ash played her early football in Lismore on the far north coast of New South Wales. Her dad was integral in helping Ash into the game, being her role model as well as helping her to fall in love with the game.

She began coaching early in her career, working first in the Macquarie Academy while she was playing and then continuing as she moved to Adamstown Rosebuds after moving to Newcastle to play.

This is another wonderful conversation with a coach who has experience beyond her years working with players at school, community and elite level.

Ash is a teacher at heart and wants to teach/coach her players to improve. She is also a strong advocate of ‘lifetime learning’ and is always looking to continue her own football education.

Ash speaks to Gary Cole about the importance of resilience for players and coaches, and how she uses her roles as a secondary teacher and coach to teach young people how to become more resilient.

This is Ash Wilson’s Football Coaching Life.

Phil Moss is currently the Head of Coaching & Distinctive Leadership at the National Australia Bank and President of Football Coaches Australia. He is also an analyst with Big Sports Breakfast in Sydney.

‘Mossy’ played his junior football in Manly Warringah and progressed as a senior player on the Central Coast and Eastern Suburbs before getting a professional contract with Northern Spirit in the National Soccer League, where he played with Graham Arnold, Robbie Slater and Ian Crook.

His coaching career began at Dee Why with a Championship win. He worked as an assistant with Graham Arnold at Central Coast Mariners, the Olyroos and Sydney FC before enjoying two seasons as Head Coach at the Mariners. Phil has been a part of the successes at all of these clubs and helped the Olyroos qualify for the Olympic Games.

President of FCA since its inception, he describes the importance of FCA in ‘wrapping a collective arm around coaches’ in what can be a very lonely experience. He discusses the importance of ‘collaboration’ with Member Federations and Football Australia in achieving successful outcomes for football in Australia.

Phil also explains why he is proud of what FCA has achieved through a tough couple of years during Covid lockdowns and what the focus is for the organisation in both the short and long term.

Mossy provides wonderful insight into moving from sports coaching into the corporate world. He also delves into the differences between coaching and leadership and developing resilience. This is a conversation filled with wisdom.

This is Phil Moss’s Football Coaching Life.

Jeff Hopkins is currently the W-League Championship winning Head Coach of Melbourne Victory.

Jeff was born in Wales and played over four hundred games for both club and country. He started in Fulham’s Academy before playing over two hundred games in the first team before heading to Crystal Palace and Reading. Jeff also played for Wales at U21 and Senior level.

His coaching career began working with young players in the UK, where he started his coaching licences before heading to Gippsland Falcons as a player and then a year as Head Coach.

As a former professional player, Jeff, like so many of us, thought he had a good grasp of football until he began his coaching journey and learned he didn’t know what he didn’t know!

With over 20 years of experience as a coach at youth, assistant and head coach level, Jeff is very aware of the changes he has made to his coaching over the journey. He has a number of premierships and championships to his name with Queensland and Brisbane Roar Women and both a Premiership and Championship with Melbourne Victory, which he is very proud of, but he also finds a great deal of satisfaction in seeing his players and teams grow and develop.

Jeff was honest and open discussing his journey and believes that finding a mentor in the beginning would have helped him make fewer mistakes on his journey. In fact, in answering the ‘one piece of wisdom’ question he had two pieces of gold for developing coaches! You'll have to listen to find out what they are!

Please join Gary Cole in exploring Jeff Hopkin’s Football Coaching Life.

Dr Craig Duncan is one of Australia’s top ‘Human Performance Scientists’. 

Craig played for New South Wales as a junior before realising his best bet in the world of athletic performance was via a university degree.

In this episode, he tells Gary Cole that his role today is to take a holistic approach with footballers to ensure they are as best prepared as they can be to enable the Coaches to do their magic with them on the pitch.

He has worked with Vitezslav Lavicka at Sydney FC and won a championship; worked with Tony Popovic at West Sydney Wanderers and won an Asian Champions League; and worked with Ange Postecoglou with the Socceroos, winning the Asian Cup as well as qualifying for a World Cup.

Craig has also worked for Carlos Queiroz with Iran at the Asia Cup.

He tells Gary how he learned from all of these very experienced coaches.

They also discuss the importance of finding a ‘mentor’, and how both mental health and being present can only improve coaching and player performance.

Dr Craig is leaving a legacy by sharing his wisdom as both an author and content creator. 

Join Gary Cole in this exploration of Dr Craig Duncan’s Football Coaching Life.

Gary Cole has had an immense impact on Australian football during a playing, coaching, mentoring & administrative career that has seen him occupy roles at all levels of the game (amateur, semi-professional & professional).

His passion for the game & driving it forward with a pure agenda of what is in the best interests of the game is second to none. He has a 100% inclusive mindset & an ability to adapt to any level, situation or person he is dealing with. His relationships with every person & stakeholder in the game & his reputation is testament to that.

Gary played four seasons in the Victorian State League with Ringwood City Wilhelmina & Fitzroy United Alexander before playing in the inaugural season of the National Soccer League, then a decade long career at the highest level with Heidelberg United and Preston Makedonia, amassing 247 appearances (109 goals)

He made 40 appearances (21 goals) for the Socceroos, 19 of which were A internationals, with 17 goals including a world record for goals scored, at the time, in a World Cup qualifying match when he nabbed 7 against Fiji in 1981.  

His coaching career involved time in charge of Altona Magic (Championship 1995), Bulleen Zebras & Bentleigh Greens, coaching 193 matches in Victoria’s top flight, with 89 wins, 49 draws and 55 losses. He also coached the Victorian State team whilst under the tutelage of Ron Smith at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Gary enjoyed great success as a football administrator at the top level of professional football in Australia, occupying the role of Director of Football for both Melbourne Victory FC & Sydney FC – the A-League’s two biggest clubs and at Football Victoria as Manager Strategy and Special Projects and then as Executive Manager Facilities & Advocacy.

Gary joined the Football Coaches Australia Executive Committee in 2019 and his tenure has been highlighted by his  hosting of the successful FCA “The Football Coaching Life’ podcasts.

In a rare moment where the host becomes the guest, Heather Garriock asks Gary Cole about his Football Coaching Life.

Catherine Cannuli has recently been appointed as Head Coach of the W-League team at Western Sydney Wanderers, after spending a number of years as Assistant Coach following her playing career at the Club.

Cath had a terrific playing career as a junior and a 15-year-old senior at Marconi. She also played with Sydney FC, Brisbane Roar and Western Sydney Wanders in the W-League.

Her coaching career began at Southern Districts with the Raiders before quickly adding the U14’s and eventually the Technical Director role. Catherine is open in discussing how great the Association has been in helping her grow and develop as a coach, and allowing her to juggle her coaching role at Western Sydney Wanderers to create a very large and full-on full-time role in football.

We discuss the impact that Alen Stajcic has had on her career as both a player and a coach, as well as how he helped her ‘fall back in love with the game’ after she walked away from the game and the national junior teams.

In her role as Technical Director with Southern Districts she is focussed on helping players love the game first as well as trying to fit in more games and training sessions to provide learning opportunities for players and coaches.

It becomes very evident that Catherine wants to leave a legacy for the W-League program at Wanderers, where all players, coaches and staff are full-time.

Enjoy this journey into Catherine Cannuli’s Football Coaching Life.

John Aloisi is one of Australia’s ‘Golden Generation’. He played more than 500 games for both club and country. He's also a very recognisable as part of the Optus Sport team that covers EPL, UEFA Champions League and currently the UEFA European Championships.

His senior playing career began at Adelaide City under Zoran Matic, before he headed to Europe to ply his trade in Belgium with Standard Liege and Antwerp, Italy with Cremonese, England with Portsmouth and Coventry, Spain with Osasuna and Alaves, before heading home to Australia to play in the Hyundai A-League with Central Coast Mariners, Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart.

In this episode, John speaks with Gary Cole about his early learnings as a player at the AIS under Ron Smith and Steve O’Connor, where he learned the principles of the game and positional behaviours that could apply in any system within any team. He says these principles have helped him throughout his career.

They also discuss his work as a pundit or ‘armchair coach’ and how this helps him as a coach.

John’s coaching career began at Melbourne Heart with the youth team and then Head Coach of the A-League team. A brief period with the youth team at Melbourne Victory before heading up to Brisbane to work with his brother Ross at Brisbane Roar, where they enjoyed finals football each year.

Enjoy this journey into John Aloisi’s Football Coaching Life.

Zeljko Kalac, perhaps better known as ‘Spider’ in Australian Football circles, played over 400 games for club and country, with 54 caps for the Socceroos over fourteen years.

Spider’s amazing career saw him play as a youngster with Sydney United before heading overseas to play in Holland with Roda and in Italy with AC Milan, winning a European Champions League.

Zeljko’s coaching journey commenced at Sydney FC as Goalkeeping Coach with Vitezslav Lavicka, then Frank Farina and Graham Arnold, before moving to West Sydney Wanderers to work alongside his good friend Tony Popovic.

Spider is our first goalkeeping coach on the podcast and discusses his journey and how it is to work as an assistant with some of Australia’s best coaches. He also speaks honestly about the goalkeeping coaches that helped him on his journey as a player and now as coaching mentors.

He also speaks to Gary Cole about his short stint as Head Coach of Sydney United 58, who went on to win an NPL Championship, as well as the culture of this great club that has helped to develop so many Socceroos and coaches.

Spider’s ‘One piece of wisdom’ for coaches: “Be open minded and willing to adapt because football is played in all sorts of ways. There is not a right or a wrong way to play.”

This is our first PG rated podcast as Spider is ruthlessly frank. As a wise man once said, ‘If you don’t want to hear the answer, don’t ask the question!’

Please enjoy this candid discussion about Zeljko Kalac’s Football Coaching Life.

Vicki Linton is one of Australia’s most experienced coaches. She is currently Head Coach of Canberra United in the Westfield W-League, where in the 2020-21 season they played finals football for the first time in four years; and where Vicki set up the first all-female technical department within a W-League team. Vicki is also responsible for player development within the Canberra United Academy.

Vicki has worked as a FIFA Women’s Football Instructor, running courses in Asia and Oceania. She also worked with the USA Soccer Federation in an Academy Development role, mentoring Academy Directors.

She was the inaugural W-League Coach at Melbourne Victory, making the finals in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012; and she assisted Alen Stajcic with the Matildas at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada in 2015.

Vicki is open and honest, discussing the importance of resilience and mentoring for coaches as well as the high value of creating safe environments for players, particularly young players, such as those in her Canberra United squad this past season.

In this chat with Gary Cole, Vicki frankly shares her coaching journey and experiences.

Please enjoy this journey into Vicki Linton’s Football Coaching Life.