David Teague may appear a new-age coach, but his coaching journey began in a very old-fashioned way. Unable to break into the Carlton lineup in 2007 – only three years after being named the Blues best and fairest – Teague was delisted, but remained affiliated with the club. At just 27, he was given the role of playing coach with the Blues VFL alignment partner Northern Bullants. The playing coach has gone the way of the dodo in professional football, so in one respect Teague was the last of the Mohicans.
David Teague
He only spent a year as a playing coach before graduating to an exclusively coaching position for 2009. He led the Bullants into back-to-back grand finals in 2009 and 2010. Teague left Victoria at the end of 2010, taking up a position on West Coasts coaching staff underneath John Worsfold and alongside Phil Walsh. Teague spent a year at St Kilda in 2014 before reuniting with Walsh at Adelaide in 2015, the year Walsh was tragically killed. Teague remained at the Crows until the end of 2017 before returning to the Blues to oversee the clubs ball movement in 2018.
Thursdays media conference allowed Teague a few moments to reflect.
"I still remember the drills that I did when I started coaching,” he said.
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“If I did those drills now, the boys would walk off the track. They would be bored. But you grow. I was very lucky. Those three years where I got to coach the Bullants, I learnt more in that three years than any other period. I got to make so many mistakes and I got to learn from them. I tried things, I saw what works and what didn't work. It's not under the microscope of the AFL intensity. I was very lucky for Carlton to give me that opportunity, I loved it."
Walshs role in Teagues path to the Blues senior gig should not be understated.
"Originally when Adelaide asked me I said no, and my wife was the one that said Why wouldnt you go and work under Phil – hes been as big an influence on you as anyone," Teague said.
"And she was willing to pick up the kids and move over there. You travel every second wRead More – Source
