By Jonty Ralphsmith
At three-quarter-time of Dingley’s clash with top-of-the-table Cranbourne, player-coach Danny Ades brought his players in for a clear, concise message.
The Dingoes led by three goals, but the home side was kicking with what Ades would later describe as a 10-goal gust.
Kicks against the wind were rarely hitting targets, hardly travelling more than 20 to 25 metres.
Ades knew his side had a fight on its hands in his 100th game for the club.
He asked for 22 Rory Goldsmiths.
The small forward had brought pressure and intent to that point of the game and had three goals to his name.
“It’s no coincidence he has got those goals,” Ades said, between a few expletives to fire his team up.
It was a simple message that galvanised Dingley which held on for a 13-point win in a statement to the rest of the competition.
It allowed the humble Ades to smile as he was chaired off by teammates in his milestone game.
Communication has defined his time as coach, according to people at Souter Oval.
“The impressive thing for me is the way he speaks, and his ability to interact and get the best out of the group,” said assistant coach Tony Lavars.
The ability to pick up on in-game trends and either articulate them to his players at the breaks, or use them as a source for improvement, is as clear to second gamer Lochie Benton as it is to president Clint Brooks.
“He lives and breathes football, he is what you traditionally call a football head, he loves the game,” Brooks said.
Ades has an esteemed reputation for his meticulous preparation ahead of games. Everyone sees him at the club, spending time, developing the culture, trying to maintain the success that has become the Dingoes’ story in recent years.
Others highlight the time he spends studying opposition sides, trying to pick them apart and exploit their weaknesses, or watching game-tape to give players individualised feedback.
The plumber’s rap sheet as a player is just as substantial as the team success he has contributed towards: 2018 Vic Metro representative, two-time SFNL interleague representative and captain, three-time SFNL team of the year, team of the year coach, three SFNL Best and Fairest top-five finishes.
“It was no coincidence that when Danny came over in 2015, we went to the next level and won the first of our four flags in his first year,” Lavars said.
“It was on the back of the aggressive game style and physical presence that he and Jake Mullen brought, which we hadn’t played with before that has led to the success.”
Winning four premierships in 100 club games is no mean feat.
That was after playing in excess of 100 games for Bonbeach.
The trust Ades has in his assistant coaches, Lavars and Glenn Goldsmith – father of Rory – ensures he continues to contribute as a player.
The common denominator is ‘tough’, so it was perhaps fitting that was the attribute needed to get over the line in the low-scoring scrap in his 100th match.
He’s the quintessential local footballer that every team has – one that goes hard at the ball and stands up for his teammates.
“If I was playing against him, I’d find him very intimidating,” Lavars said.
“He’s not dirty, but not afraid to throw his weight around.
“And when there’s a scuffle, he’s always the first getting his shirt ripped so the players love him from that point of view.
“He doesn’t ask for something he won’t do himself, so there’s a very, very good presence about him on the field.”
The half a dozen or so acknowledgments from proud teammates, congratulating him after the game during the interview in the Cranbourne clubroom, speaks louder than Ades’ words.
He is reluctant to speak about himself too greatly; the team had just recorded a rousing upset victory.
“I really enjoy the space I’m in right now, I enjoy coaching and when I hang them up, I’ll stay involved and continue in that role,” Ades said.
“Hopefully I play and coach in a way where it’s obvious I love the club.”
That he does, according to Lavars.
“He puts so much work into the 2020 preseason, he built a side that was capable of winning a premiership and then it was wiped,” Lavars said.
In 2021, Dingley won the minor premiership when a grand final was not played due to the pandemic.
Having beaten Cranbourne, and with the bottom three sides to come, there is reason to believe 2022 could be another deep run for Ades and his men.
