Winning Edge Presentations Coach of the Month (Rounds 13-16) – Rick Mensink (Richmond)

What a turnaround it has been for Richmond SC in the last few months.

Having parted ways with former coach Grant Brebner, Rick Mensink was installed by Richmond as an interim coach and the new man has turned the fortunes of the club around.

Wins over Dandenong City and Springvale White Eagles were catalysts for Richmond's rise up the table in the past month, but it was a 5-2 win over FC Bulleen Lions over the weekend that really had heads turning.

FFV's Julian Trantino spoke to Mensink about receiving the award, as well as what he has done to inspire the turnaround in fortunes at the club.

Congratulations, Rick. How does it feel to be named the coach of the month?

I’m absolutely delighted. There are many coaches in both leagues [NPL and NPL 1] that are highly respected, so to be considered in the same league as some of those guys is quite humbling.

You took over from Grant Brebner when the club was at its lowest point of the season, and you’ve turned it around to have Richmond in a prime position for promotion. What have been the reasons for the climb up the table?

It’s been a five-part program. Firstly, we worked on strategy, which is the way we want to play, our patterns of play and how we set up.

Under that, we really worked on leadership and developing certain players into leadership roles on the park. We talked about teamwork and commitment. I think when everyone understands what their roles and responsibilities are, you get that teamwork and commitment, which them becomes confidence.

All the little things add up to great things, so we’re focused on achieving those to get good outcomes.

Was the 5-2 win over Bulleen last Friday the best of the season so far?

I thought the St Albans win [Round 10] was a better win. It was a 2-0 win and we were just starting to get some confidence. Before I had taken over, the team had really been leaking goals, so to keep a clean sheet for the second or third week in a row was great.

The game had a lot of pace around it and St Albans were pressing pretty high up the park. I thought that win was the real turning point for us.

Has the goal this season always been to gain promotion into the NPL?

I think privately the goal for me was to always finish as high as possible. I think the benefit of being an interim coach is that you’re really focused on week to week rather than an overall objective. You don’t know if the club wants to keep you in the role or not, and I certainly didn’t know if I wanted to pursue this kind of role but I think the club likes what I’m doing and I’ve fell in love with what I’m doing.

I’m really enjoying it and relishing it, so when that’s the case the benefits come. I know it’s an old adage, but I haven’t even looked at the end of the year yet. I’m just looking at developing the squad and bringing in these youngsters.

For those who haven’t seen Richmond play, how would you describe your game style?

It’s a very fast-passing game where we use our wide players to great effect. We play a high attacking line, we press quickly and move the ball as quickly as possible through the lines and zones.

Hamlet Armenian and Tom Cahill have been in scintillating form lately after a slow start to the season. What do you put their form down to?

I think in terms of Hamlet [Armenian], I’ve really given him that confidence and said to him that I’ll keep playing him so he finds his good form. He has been given that freedom to really take on players and run at them, and he has been absolutely superb.

In Tom’s [Cahill] case, it’s really been about helping him develop his leadership capacity as well as his role on the park. I think he’s grown immensely. He was one of those experienced campaigners who was quite bruised after the first four to five rounds given how the results had turned out. Now he’s really prepared to do the hard work and has that belief and confidence.

Those two guys have got talent to burn. To get them to be in that confident state of mind was not that difficult.

What’s been your coaching journey so far?

I’ve been a junior coach and a youth coach. I’m 52 years old and I never really had ambitions to coach seniors.

I’ve really enjoyed my time in youth football. I was at Box Hill for 15 years and literally had some of the best junior sides in the country. We travelled right around Australia with some of those Super League sides and had great success there.

I then moved to Essendon Royals as their U21 coach and was fortunate enough to have a very young Matthew Leckie. I took a group of 15-year-olds in the U21s and finished in second spot in the old Victorian Premier League with that team.

In more recent times, Richmond approached me to take over their U21s last year. They were sitting in second bottom, and I took them from second bottom to second top in 13 weeks with 11 wins and two defeats in that time. 

I have done a bit of senior coaching in caretaker roles at Essendon Royals and Bulleen, but nothing like this.

Do you have any aspirations to coach at the elite level?

If something came along you would always look at it, but at 52 that’s complete change in direction in my career. Given the enjoyment of what I’m doing at the moment, you would never say never. 

I think 10 years ago I may have had those aspirations to move into the real elite youth development, but I think I’ve really surprised myself with how much I’m enjoying this gig. I really am thoroughly enjoying it.

I enjoy the Richmond culture and the Richmond environment. I’ve got an absolutely fine bunch of young men to work with who are very committed and really care about what they do.

It [Richmond senior coaching role] really has kindled an enthusiasm to go on to something bigger.

Thanks for your time Rick and best of luck for the rest of the season.

Thank you, and just before I go I’d like to thank a couple of guys who have really been helping me. There’s Micky Peterson who everyone knows, and Oscar – a young Spanish boy who’s on the staff but I’m not quite sure how to pronounce his surname. Those two guys have just been wonderful sources of wisdom and knowledge.

The Coach of the Month is awarded across NPL and NPL 1 and is decided by FFV.