Hard Conversation Sets Up Royals Coach for 2022

A heart-to-heart discussion between Jeremy Barnard and the club’s powerbrokers could provide the spark for a Royals revival this season. 

Barnard’s role as coach of East Perth was in jeopardy last year, but some honest conversations cleared the air for an assault on finals in 2022. 

“East Perth is just not a club that accepts sustained failure, and there was a pretty strong review throughout the whole club, from Board level down, and that’s going to be our motivation. 

Good organisations always have strong professional relationships, and that doesn’t mean you shy away from hard decisions and hard conversations, and you’ve got to be, dare I say it, man enough to accept the feedback which comes your way,” Barnard said. 

Following the Review, Barnard was given a one-year contract extension and four-time WAFL Premiership coach Tony Micale returned to the club as a mentor to Barnard and his support staff. 

“Tony has come on board and been able to give us feedback and work really strongly with me and the other coaches in developing effective training plans. 

He’s a guy whose been there and done that, so he’ll be invaluable as Director of Coaching,” Barnard said. 

The Royals won just six games last year, finishing eighth in a season they’d rather forget. 

“Obviously we were disappointed where we finished last year, so the group made a commitment to do a bit more pre-season work than the teams which finished in the top five, and rightly so because they made it into the finals. 

The way the playing group has embraced the hard work so far means we’ve put a good foundation in place,” Barnard said. 

On the injury front, Captain Jackson Ramsay is planning to play in Round 1 after undergoing surgery during the off-season, while the addition of Hamish Brayshaw gives East Perth’s midfield added depth. 

“I was Hamish’s coach back in Melbourne and he was my Premiership Captain at the Sandringham Dragons in 2016 so we’ve always had a great relationship. 

I just know the character of the man and how hard he works away from footy and that’s what East Perth needs now, a really strong role model who says this is how I’m going to do it, this is how you get success,” Barnard said.   

East Perth opens its season on Good Friday against Swan Districts at Leederville Oval. 

Originally published https://www.wafootball.com.au/news/21781/hard-conversation-sets-up-royals-coach-for-2022?a