Hockey Club Melbourne has announced the appointment of Andrew Smith as the Men’s Head Coach for Season 3 of Hockey One. Following an extensive recruitment process, the highly experienced coach and former Kookaburra, Olympian and Australian Hockey League (AHL) player will lead the team until the end of the 2024 season.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Smith stated, “I’m thrilled to take on the challenge of being the Head Coach and working with an exceptional group of coaches and talented athletes. Our ultimate goal is to win the Hockey One League.”
Smith brings a wealth of experience to the role, having served as an assistant to Jay Stacy during the Victorian Vikings AHL campaign for three years. Under his tenure, the team secured the coveted title on two occasions. In addition, Smith has made significant contributions to Hockey Australia programs, serving as an Assistant Coach/Team Manager at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires and as Team Manager/Assistant Coach on a Burras tour to Spain in 2019. He also served as the Men’s Head Coach of the Premier League team MCC Hockey Club for three years.
Andrew Skillern, CEO of Hockey Victoria, expressed his excitement about Smith’s appointment, “I was really impressed with Andrew’s plans to foster a positive team culture across the Men’s Program and equally delighted to see Andrew’s strong passion for Victorian athletes come through as part of the recruitment process.”
When asked about his coaching approach, Smith emphasised the importance of engaging with players and establishing strong relationships with them. This philosophy has been a consistent factor in his coaching career, regardless of the team he has worked with. Andrew added “I spoke to the team last year during their campaign, with a key message being that each player has a sphere of influence that they can use to make others better. I’m excited about seeing the players get out of their comfort zones to challenge themselves and their teammates to be better players and better teammates.”
Fans can expect announcements regarding the 2023 Season Fixtures, ticketing and membership information in the coming month.