Newly appointed assistant coach Adam Kingsley says his first few weeks at Richmond as midfield/stoppage coach have been “a breath of fresh air”.
Kingsley brings a wealth of experience to Tigerland, having coached at St Kilda for eight years, and Port Adelaide before that for four.
A highly acclaimed coach, he was named the AFL Coaches Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2015.
Kingsley is thrilled to have entered his 13th coaching season with a change of scenery, and looks forward to adding value to Richmond’s coaching ranks in 2019.
“It’s been fantastic…really exciting personally and challenging also in terms of trying to learn the new people around the club, the players, the game plan and the terminology…I’ve really enjoyed it so far,” he said.
“I’ve seen a lot of different things over my time in footy, not only as a coach but as a player before that.
“Being able to add to the place and build the relationships and the education aspect of coaching, I feel like I’ve got a good set of experiences…so I’ll be working hard to add value to the club but to also continue on their path.”
Kingsley played 170 games for Port Adelaide, which included a best and fairest win in 1998, calling time on his playing career in 2006.
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Not ready to say goodbye to the game just yet, he transitioned straight into a coaching role, remaining as an assistant coach at Port Adelaide until the end of 2010.
“Staying in footy and being able to help players that come after you is something that excites me,” Kingsley said.
“The challenge of being able to get the best out of people has been something that I’ve always enjoyed trying to do and I’m looking forward to having an impact here.”
Kingsley’s new role reunites him with a former premiership teammate, senior coach Damien Hardwick.
“I’ve known Dimma for a long time, I was at Essendon with him even before [Port Adelaide] as a rookie list player, so our relationship goes back probably 25 years,” Kingsley said.
“We’ve been good friends over the course of that time, so it’s great to be able to work for him and I’ll do my best to make sure he’s a premiership coach again.”
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Another familiar face for Kingsley at Tigerland is former St Kilda midfielder Mav Weller, who was recruited in November through the AFL’s new Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period.
“He’s an aggressive player, he goes hard at the ball. His pressure and his tackle stand out, so I think [Richmond’s recruiters] were pretty keen to see that in Tigers colours,” he said.
As for the rest of the Tiger midfielders, Kingsley remarked that the group is tracking particularly well for this time of year.
“They’re looking good, we’ve got pretty much everyone out there training, Dion Prestia from day one, Dusty Martin from day one, Trent’s out there,” he said.
“The core group of players through the midfield are all training, which I understand is a bit foreign this time of year. Dion hasn’t had a pre-season in the last couple of years so it’s great to see him out there.
“They’re certainly attacking each drill and helping the younger guys, particularly the ones we drafted, through each of the drills.
“As well as educating me and bringing me up to speed on the game plan too which is certainly really helpful.”
