Guy McKenna Coach of Claremont 2003
Guy McKenna commenced his senior football career with Claremont where stint included the winning Grand Final of 1987 against Subiaco.
Recruited by West Coast he made his AFL debut in 1988 and immediately stamped himself as a player of rare poise, assurance and class. Calm and unruffled in everything he did, McKenna finished second in the Eagles’ best and fairest voting in his debut season, and won the award in his second. Further accolades followed with AFL All Australian selection on a half back flank in 1991, 1993 and 1994, membership of the 1992 and 1994 premiership-winning teams, and a second best and fairest award in 1999.
Throughout the 1990s few footballers could match McKenna for authority, conviction and sheer panache. He was the first Eagles footballer to notch 200 games with the club, and finally retired in 2000 with a then record (since surpassed by Glen Jakovich) 267 games to his credit.
Guy McKenna spent the 2003 season as coach of Claremont, steering his side as far as the First Semi Final, before joining Collingwood as an assistant to Mick Malthouse. McKenna became the inaugural coach of the Gold Coast Suns in 2009, but after ably steering the club through its first four seasons in the AFL he was surprisingly sacked after the 2014 season.
Author – John Devaney
