Head Coach Views
The Season Ahead
For me, and for all associated with Aberdeen Grammar Rugby, season 2009/2010 has an air of expectation about it!
Personally, I am delighted to take up the challenge of Head Coach and to lead a team of dedicated coaches in pursuit of the ultimate performance! Coaching is all about improvement and we will be setting new targets for ourselves, for our players and for our performances this season.
We need to be aspirational in all that we do!
"If you do what you always did then you will get what you always got". This saying sums up for me that change is required and we will strive to develop an improvement culture where excellence must be our mandate in everything we tackle.
To deliver these aspirations we have brought together a team of coaches to take the Club forward this season. I am joined by Mark Borowski, as first team coach, who will continue to raise the bar in his own "trademark" style. We are also delighted to be joined by Alan Hardie who returns to the Club after a spell at Gordonians to offer his vast experience and expertise in the "hidden arts" of front row play. We also welcome Mike Avis as second team coach. Mike has a background in professional football and has experienced rugby at a high level in England. Mike takes over from Alan Mekie who steps down as second team coach and who now takes on a role as Director of Rugby (Playing), complemented by Brian Clark as Director of Rugby (Admin).
Added to this we have Rob Currie working behind the scenes as strength and conditioning coach where he is developing individual programmes for the elite players.
Also behind the scenes there are two very important ladies in Julie Campbell our physiotherapist and Llouise McCulloch our doctor. Their commitment to the squad in assessing, treating and overseeing re-hab is immense.
I'm very pleased that both Colin Philips and Billy Russell have accepted to continue in their roles as Club Captain and Team Captain respectively. Both these players have tremendous respect within the Club and within the rugby community in Aberdeen and beyond. For both of these Club stalwarts this is their big season and for different reasons they both want to be part of a success story this season.
We have already witnessed the ability of the Club's supporters to rally to the cause by helping to realise the lights funds that has been a key deficiency in recent years. There is no doubt that the new changing rooms combined with the planned new lighting will be great help in realising our Club's ambitions this season. On behalf of the players, who will now enjoy being able to see the ball at training and enjoy a shower after training - many thanks to you all!
Alex Duncan (Head Coach)
