Brad Fox, already an illustrious name in Gisborne football history, will be senior coach of the Bulldogs next season.
He takes over the reins from 2022 premiership coach Rob Waters, who did not seek re-appointment after three seasons at the helm ,but will be one of the assistant coaches next season along with Dallas Normington and Shaun Cassidy.
“It’s an absolute honour to be given this opportunity to lead our extraordinary group of young men,” Fox commented after being appointed late last week.
Club president John Wood and many others have already wished Fox well, confident he can continue on the path to making Gisborne one of the powerhouse clubs in the Bendigo League.
Wood expressed a huge thank-you to Waters on a brilliant job, done magnificently well.
“The effort and diligence applied in shaping and guiding our young group was top shelf, and the 2002 premiership is a just reward for your efforts,” he told Waters.
Joining the Bulldogs in 2019, Waters was integral in guiding the young playing group through the interruptions caused by the COVID pandemic.
Wide involvement
Fox began his football career in Perth, then came to Victoria and played 21 games with Essendon and Richmond.
Across the AFL, he has been involved in 16 grand finals across the AFL, Riddell and Essendon District Leagues, and Bendigo League, with a total of 13 premierships.
Fox joined Gisborne as a playing coach at the age of 24, and in three seasons the ‘Dogs reached two preliminary finals.
He blooded a generation of local footballers who went on to enjoy great success.
Work commitments meant he was assistant playing coach at Gisborne as the club dominated in the Riddell League to collect three premierships in succession. He was best afield in the 1999 grand final, the last time the Bulldogs played in the league before transferring to the major Bendigo League.
In 2000, he wax premiership playing assistant coach with Keilor, then spent four years with the powerhouse Brisbane Lions, two as an analyst of opposition sides, and two as the Lions’ Melbourne Manager. Three flags came in that period.
Fox coached Rupertswood’s U15A side to a flag in 2019, then returned to Gisborne.
He was assistant coach of the Gisborne U18s, who took out the 2022 flag by two points against favourites Sandhurst.
