Gareth Hose - My Redan Story
May 2016
Where did you grow up and what were some of the highlights of your junior footy career?
I grew up in Beulah which is a small farming community in the Mallee. Not too many team highlights growing up with my junior footy, we were often on the end of a fair few beltings. Playing my first senior game when I was 15 was a big highlight when I was younger.
You played senior football at Beulah before joining Redan including a premiership in 2000 following three GF losses. How much of a thrill was it to be part of that win?
Was a huge thrill to win the flag in 2000, especially after the disappointment of three losing ones prior to that. Very much a relief also as we were undefeated and down by 21 points at 3/4 time, so to come back from that deficit was a big very enjoyable!
How did you find your way to Redan and what was your first impression of the club?
During 2001 Brett and the club were good enough to let me train with them as I had a number of mates who played with the Lions whilst I still travelled home to play. It was a no brainer the following year and an easy transition into playing at the club. My first impressions of the club was that is was a very friendly and enjoyable place to be, purely due to all the people involved at the club.
You missed the 2002 Grand Final through injury. How much did missing out on that flag drive you the following season to make sure you were there on Grand Final day if Redan made it?
It was shattering to miss out on that drought breaking flag after playing all year. The boys made me feel a part of the success as much as possible but it's just not the same as playing and being part of the day. I guess it drove me a bit the next year, but as a player winning a flag was a driver most years I played.
I was very fortunate in 2003 that Brett really looked after me leading into that finals series as I was returning from injury, he held me back a few extra weeks just to make sure I didn't have a repeat of 2002, which I was extremely grateful for.
Who were some of the players who impressed you most and what was it like playing under Brett Quinlan?
It's very hard to individualise players from those years as we had a very good all round team. Sammy Ellis always made you walk taller and was one of the most physical players I have played with, Captain Dru Quinlan on his day could do almost anything and Mark Kennedy is the best big game player I have played with.
Brett was a very professional coach, I really enjoyed the style of footy he had us playing, he was a good communicator who knew how to get the best out of individual players and he managed the list well always timing our run into finals to perfection.
Who was your toughest opponent and how did the BFL standard compare with other leagues you have played in?
Any opponent that had leg speed. I wasn't the quickest in our backline, but I often got a smaller forward so the quicker players were always more challenging. Col Laurie from Sunbury was probably one that I can remember.
I played one season in the Geelong Football League which I found a little step up from the BFL. The cairns league was a step under the BFL and likewise the Mallee FL.
You were named on the wing to face Sunbury in the 2003 Grand Final. What do you remember of the game and the celebrations thereafter?
It was a fairly eventful game for me. I didn't perform as well as I would have liked. At the beginning of the game Ash Barker kicked a goal within the first 30 seconds and his peek a boo celebration started an all in brawl, out of all the fists that were being thrown (not by me!) me and my opponent got sent off for wrestling.
When I returned to the game Dean Lupson thought he would try and put his elbow through my jaw, he got reported and sent off but this also left me a bit dazed. I remember how undisciplined they were with Mark Power getting red carded standing on Kenno's face.
Sunbury actually had our measure early in the game even with 17 on the ground, but that actually took a toll on them and we overran them. The last quarter was a huge thrill and when we were up by over 30 points the last 5-10 minutes it was great to soak it all up. The celebrations as usual went for a fair while and were in true Redanie style!!
Aside from the premiership, what are some your other best memories of your time with the club?
What a great club it was to play with. How tight we were as a playing group and the friends I have made.
You’ve moved around quite a bit since leaving Redan playing with Geelong West/St Peters, Beulah and Cairns. What have been some of the highlights along the way?
Senior Premierships with Beulah 2005, Cairns Saints in 2008 and 2009. Making new friends at all those clubs. Playing 200 club games for my home club at Beulah.
Matthew Walsh recently commented on the strong Redan influence at the Cairns Saints. Describe your time at Cairns and what makes it such an enjoyable place to play footy?
Cairns was a great place to play footy due to the weather and the club environment. The Cairns Saints as a club had a lot of similarities to Redan being very strong on the field and also off the field, it was very much like a family away from home. There was always something entertaining or touristy to do in Cairns when not playing footy.
Tell us about your time coaching the young indigenous side in Cairns you mentioned some years ago on the Redan website. Did any of these players make it to AFL?
There was a lot of raw talent and a number of kids who had a lot of potential. The challenge was nurturing that talent and trying to teach them the commitment that was required to make it. We had one student who was representing the Australian indigenous U'15 team and should have made it. He went home to his family one holidays and never returned!
At the Cairns Saints in 2007 we had a lad named Charlie Dixon who was our second string ruckman as a 16 year old, he now plays with Port Adelaide.
Who are some of the other great coaches who most influenced you as a player and coach?
I've had a number of good coaches over the years. The most influential on my playing would be Nigel Allen, Brett Quinlan, Shane Snibson and Kenno. As a coach I have also used a number of things that I learnt from them, which I believe made us successful.
Where are you living these days and are you still teaching?
Living in Horsham and teaching at St Brigid's College.
Are you still having a kick and coaching?
I am currently a bench coach for the Southern Mallee Giants (Previously Beulah and Hopetoun footy clubs). I am still having a kick predominantly in the twos.
Quite a few of the interviews for this site are featuring coaches with a teaching background. What do you make of former teacher Brendon Bolton’s rise to AFL Senior Coach without having played AFL? Is the AFL missing out on something due to most coaches being past players (and full time professionals) with no time for a second career such as teaching?
Its not a big surprise to see former teachers coaching. Obviously as a teacher you need to be able to communicate to a variety of personalities which can be an advantage in coaching and a skill that not all ex players would have. Also with the professionalism of the AFL now, teaching of game plan's etc become very important.
I am seeing an increase in the number of ex teachers working at clubs. One of my Uni lecturer's Ray Breed currently works at North Melbourne and another I know Chris Maple is involved at the Bulldogs.
Describe the some of the biggest challenges of being a playing coach?
Not being able to see everything that is happening, you need to have some good bench coaches which you have a lot of trust in. You are also unable to fully focus on your own performance.
What is the best piece of advice you were given as a junior?
You get out of it what you put in, have fun and enjoy it!
