After the resignation of previous incumbent Josh Burt (our thanks to Josh for 2 years of very dedicated service), the Club is very happy to announce the appointment of Phil Merriman to the senior men’s coaching role.
Phil is a young man with a wealth of hockey experience, and his movement to the Footscray Hockey Club is felt to be a great ‘capture’ for FHC. Whilst young (and therefore not too distant from the age of the player group), Phil has extensive coaching experience thanks to a dodgy hip!
Phil is a product of the magnificent Camberwell Hockey Club junior program, rising through the ranks to become a CHC Premier League player whilst still a teenager. He played 7 seasons before a hip injury forced an early retirement (at age 26 years), including a season playing in Ireland in 2005/05.
Phil replaced the playing satisfaction by getting straight into hockey coaching, coaching a couple of Vic U18 teams, and then being snapped up by TEM as their VL1 coach in 2008. Over seven seasons (which towards the end included the movement of his player group to Power House / St Kilda HC), this group not only won it’s way out of Vic League 1, but progressively climbed to finish as minor premiers in the PL in 2014.
Phil is a qualified physiologist, with a Masters degree in strength, conditioning and exercise science. So good is he at his profession that for the past six years he has been a key cog in the off-field excellence provided to the players at the Hawthorn Football Club. He describes his coaching style as attacking, and recognises the vital importance of team culture (shared beliefs, commitment).
Phil’s wife Sarah is an ex Aussie hockey star, and together they have produced five month old Harry. There’s a lad with good sporting genes! Welcome Phil (Sarah and Harry) to the Footscray Hockey Club.
