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Malaxos to guide Fremantle attack
By Craig O'Donoghue
NEW Fremantle assistant coach Steve Malaxos will have the responsibility of turning star teenager Graham Polak into a key forward.
Malaxos was announced yesterday as the latest addition to the Dockers' coaching panel after five years as Sydney's midfield coach.
He replaced Steven Icke, who will channel his energies into being the club's football manager.
Fremantle has also restructured its match committee. Chris Waterman takes over from Icke as defensive coach, Malaxos will guide the forwards and Kelly O'Donnell the midfield.
With Trent Croad moving back to Hawthorn, the Dockers need to find another key forward and Polak will get the chance after a successful 2003 in the back line.
Formerly a forward at East Fremantle, the 19-year-old took 113 marks this year to be ranked fourth at the club. But it was his ability to take contested marks which indicated he could be a gun forward.
Polak took 45 contested marks for the season, ranking him 10th in the league and only one behind All-Australian Collingwood forward Chris Tarrant and three behind Coleman medallist Matthew Lloyd.
Polak played in attack in Fremantle's end-of-season match against Collingwood in London and kicked two goals in what was a sign of things to come.
Malaxos said: "Polak's seemingly a terrific young player. He could play in the forward line. Justin Longmuir is another tall target - the ruckmen might change down there.
"We've obviously got good small forwards and good flankers. There's a lot to work with. It's just getting the structure right.
"Fremantle has some tremendously exciting forwards. There's some really good proven players there and some young guys coming through, so I'm looking forward to working with them and getting them to work as a unit and a team."
Malaxos signed a two-year deal, making Fremantle the fourth AFL club with which he has been associated.
He played for Hawthorn in 1985 after winning the Sandover Medal while playing for Claremont the previous year. He moved back to WA and joined the Eagles in 1987, winning the best and fairest that season and being appointed captain in 1990. His coaching career then took him to Sydney where he worked under Rodney Eade and later Paul Roos.
Dockers coach Chris Connolly said Malaxos was the ideal person to take over as an assistant. "He's had five years experience at Sydney," he said.
"We do see similarities in the two clubs. He's been at the coalface and performed. That was the key component. We wanted the best person to coach our young players. Seventy-five per cent of our list is very much developing rapidly.
"But very much a bonus is to have him as a West Australian, with only Chris Waterman knowing the State's environment exceptionally well."
By Craig O'Donoghue
NEW Fremantle assistant coach Steve Malaxos will have the responsibility of turning star teenager Graham Polak into a key forward.
Malaxos was announced yesterday as the latest addition to the Dockers' coaching panel after five years as Sydney's midfield coach.
He replaced Steven Icke, who will channel his energies into being the club's football manager.
Fremantle has also restructured its match committee. Chris Waterman takes over from Icke as defensive coach, Malaxos will guide the forwards and Kelly O'Donnell the midfield.
With Trent Croad moving back to Hawthorn, the Dockers need to find another key forward and Polak will get the chance after a successful 2003 in the back line.
Formerly a forward at East Fremantle, the 19-year-old took 113 marks this year to be ranked fourth at the club. But it was his ability to take contested marks which indicated he could be a gun forward.
Polak took 45 contested marks for the season, ranking him 10th in the league and only one behind All-Australian Collingwood forward Chris Tarrant and three behind Coleman medallist Matthew Lloyd.
Polak played in attack in Fremantle's end-of-season match against Collingwood in London and kicked two goals in what was a sign of things to come.
Malaxos said: "Polak's seemingly a terrific young player. He could play in the forward line. Justin Longmuir is another tall target - the ruckmen might change down there.
"We've obviously got good small forwards and good flankers. There's a lot to work with. It's just getting the structure right.
"Fremantle has some tremendously exciting forwards. There's some really good proven players there and some young guys coming through, so I'm looking forward to working with them and getting them to work as a unit and a team."
Malaxos signed a two-year deal, making Fremantle the fourth AFL club with which he has been associated.
He played for Hawthorn in 1985 after winning the Sandover Medal while playing for Claremont the previous year. He moved back to WA and joined the Eagles in 1987, winning the best and fairest that season and being appointed captain in 1990. His coaching career then took him to Sydney where he worked under Rodney Eade and later Paul Roos.
Dockers coach Chris Connolly said Malaxos was the ideal person to take over as an assistant. "He's had five years experience at Sydney," he said.
"We do see similarities in the two clubs. He's been at the coalface and performed. That was the key component. We wanted the best person to coach our young players. Seventy-five per cent of our list is very much developing rapidly.
"But very much a bonus is to have him as a West Australian, with only Chris Waterman knowing the State's environment exceptionally well."
