Development and draftability the focus for Bendigo Pioneers

The Pioneers won their first three games and were sitting on top of the ladder.

O'Bree thought his phone would run hot with AFL recruiters wanting information about his players.

"We were winning by 10 goals, I thought some of our kids were flying and that I'd have heaps of conversations about our kids playing Vic Country,'' O'Bree said.

"When it came to the Vic Country squad we only had one player selected and we were battling to have conversations with AFL recruiters about our kids.

"We thought our kids were flying, but the AFL recruiters were telling us otherwise. They weren't seeing what we were seeing. It was frustrating, but we had to do something to change it."

The change O'Bree and his coaching staff made revolved around individual development and draftability.

While the club still played to win, the result held less weight.

Utmost importance was giving individuals the best opportunity to showcase their talent even if that meant the team was, potentially, worse off on the scoreboard.

"There was one year when the Geelong Falcons won the (Talent League) flag they had two or three players drafted when they thought they'd get 10,'' O'Bree said.

"The next year they finished near the bottom of the ladder and they had closer to 10 players drafted.

"They changed their philosophy on the back of that.

"They went to work on player development rather than the tactics and strategy to win a game."

Highlighting an individual's "weapons" and improving their deficiencies became more important to the coaching staff than devising team tactics that would help win games on a weekend.

Last year, Bendigo Pioneers skipper Harvey Gallagher was moved to half-back.

In all his junior footy, and his limited exposure to senior footy, Gallagher had been a highly-skilled goalkicking half-forward/midfielder.

The previous season he'd been overlooked in the draft, so O'Bree and his coaching staff decided they needed to make a change to improve Gallagher's draftability even if that meant taking arguably their best player out of the midfield rotation where he would have a big impact on games.

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"I still claim we could have won six more games last year if we had taken a win only approach to the way we coached,'' O'Bree said.

"We left kids in one position or we moved them to another position to showcase something else.

"We talk to our kids a lot about that, we want to do everything we can to showcase their weapons.

"I'd rather lose a game by five points than win by 82 points if it means I get to have a conversation (with AFL recruiters) about our kids."

Gallagher's exposure to a new role started plenty of conversations with AFL clubs and Victoria Country selectors. He was added to the Vic Country squad late in the national championships and was eventually drafted by the Western Bulldogs.

Not every move the Pioneers' coaching makes will generate a Harvey Gallagher-style ending, but O'Bree was adamant the change of mindset was a benefit to every player that comes through the program.

"There's a player this year who was playing local footy as a midfielder/forward, but we had him in our defensive group because in terms of draftability the defensive end is where we think his weapons will shine,'' O'Bree said.

"That's just one of many examples in our group. When it comes to our coaching it's less about Xs and Os and more about developing football craft. Communication with our players and their parents is so important."

After two decades involved in coaching at different levels, O'Bree has never enjoyed coaching more.

The Danny O'Bree that started his coaching career as someone who would ride the emotional rollercoaster of winning and losing has moved the goalposts.

"I enjoy this coaching style because I can concentrate on player development whether that's with their strengths or weaknesses,'' O'Bree said.

"There's always parts on gameday where you think 'if I make that move or if I do that' then potentially it will make a difference to the result of the game, but I don't get a kick out of that.

"Watching kids succeed and showcase their talents is what gives me a bigger kick.

"That's across the board in our coaching group. We're all passionate about helping these kids get better."

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