The DOC Football Academy is very proud to have a coaching staff of sheer quality that combines years of both playing and coaching experience. Good players don't always make good coaches and likewise, many good coaches have not been good players.
However, when you can combine the two together then you have a very experienced person who can use his experience and playing talent together with his great coaching skills, resulting in a top class coach.
The DOC Academy has put together a coaching staff that is top class and our Academy children will reap the benefits from them.

All our coaches are fully qualified and have Working with Children cards.

COACH PROFILES

David O'Connor ( Director )

David is the first of our full time coaches and has over 35years experience in professional football both as a player and a coach. David started his professional career with Barnsley F.C. in England before coming to Australia in the early seventies to play for Sydney giants Pan – Hellenic. In a distinguished playing career down under he also played with top clubs such as Canberra City, Brisbane Lions, and Morwell Falcons. Whilst playing he was under the guidance of such renowned coaches as Rale Rasic, Les Shienflug and the late Johnny Warren.

He has had great success in his coaching career since guiding Richmond to promotion in his first ever coaching appointment as Player/coach and has coached such clubs as Morwell Falcons, St Albans , Doncaster and North Geelong in the Victorian Premier league plus a six year stint in Singapore’s professional league with Gombak United and Woodlands.

David has a wealth of experience and is a fully qualified “A” Licence coach.

Birthday: 5th November
Favorite Team: Sheffield Wednesday
Most Disliked Team: Don't really have one
Favorite Past Players: George Best, Peter Eustace, John Ritchie
Favorite Current Players: Thierry Henry, Francesc Fabregas, Robbie Keane
Biggest Game Seen: 1966 World Cup final - England 4 Vs West Germany 2
Biggest Desire: To see the DOC Football Academy grow and prosper and for a number of our Academy players to go on to realise their dream and become Professional Footballers.

Neil Pearson  ( Head Coach )

Neil, like David, hails from Yorkshire in the north of England. He only arrived in Australia twelve months ago and was quickly snapped up by the DOC Academy. It speaks volumes for their friendship that they work so well together as David is a big Sheffield Wednesday fan while Neil follows the other team in the steel city , Sheffield United. 

Neil started his professional career with Sheffield United and went on to have stints with Alfreton Town, Worksop Town, and Buxton.

He has a lot of  coaching experience behind him and has an F.A. Preliminary badge plus his U.E.F.A. “ B “ licence. He is a current member of  the F.A. coaches association .He worked at Mylnhurst private school in Sheffield for 16 years coaching football to students of all ages plus coaching at Sheffield University in the evenings for male and female teams 18 years and over from 1991-2004.

Birthday: 6th April
Favorite Team: Sheffield United
Most Disliked Team: Leeds United
Favorite Past Players: Peter Beardsley, Glenn Hoddle, Maradona
Favorite Current Players: Diago, Kaka, Messi
Biggest Game Seen: 1960 European Cup Final Real Madrid 7 V 3 Eintracht Frankfurt
Biggest Desire:

Kevin Boyes

Joined the Academy in 2007 and brings a wealth of knowledge to our coaching staff.
Kevin hails from Leeds and as most English kids started playing football almost as soon as he could walk. He played in the Leeds Central league before coming to Australia in 1976 to play for Sunbury United in the State league 1st division.
Kevin spent 10 years with Sunbury serving them with distinction and on retiring took the obvious road into coaching to keep involved with the game he loves.
Over the past 25 years he coached Sunbury juniors from U/10 to U/16s.

He then coached the Sunbury Youth team before being appointed Head coach for Melton F.C.
Kevin is currently coaching the juniors at Premier league club Melbourne Knights as well as his role with the DOC Football Academy.

Birthday: 14th July
Favorite Team: Leeds United
Most Disliked Team: Manchester United
Favorite Past Players: Norman Hunter, Johnny Giles
Favorite Present Players: Francesc Fabregas
Biggest Game Ever Seen: 1972 F A Cup Final Leeds United 1 V 0 Arsenal
Biggest Desire: To help a player become a successful Professional Footballer

John Linn

John is from Edinburgh in Scotland and is very passionate about the game. He is a big Hibs fan and in his own words lives and breaths football.

He arrived in Australia in 1996 and has been playing soccer for 30years. He played in the Victorian state league and has just gained his junior coaching licence. John is a security consultant  after previously serving with the British Army for twelve years. Apart from coaching the kids John will be running our Veterans team. He also has a first Aid level two certificate. We are very pleased to have him on board because apart from being a really nice person we look on him as a valued member of the Academy.

Patrick O'Connor

Patrick played at the Sheffield United Youth Academy but was not offered an apprenticeship so when the offer to join Victorian state league first division club, Frankston City he jumped at it.
He arrived in Australia in April 1982 and apart from Frankston City, he also played with Moreland City, Holland Park, Richmond (Melbourne) and Logan City (Queensland).
Patrick joined the Academy in 2006 and is the younger brother of the Academy Director David.

Birthday: 13th May
Favorite Team: Sheffield United
Most Disliked Team: Sheffield Wednesday
Favorite Past Players: Tony Currie, George Best, Pele
Favorite Current Players: Dimitar Berbatov, Francesc Fabregas, Wayne Rooney
Biggest Game Ever Seen: England V Holland at Wembley (Early Seventies)
Biggest Desire: Sheffield United to Play in FA Cup Final

Bill McArthur

Bill joined the Academy in 2006 and has been coaching at the top level for the past 25years.
Bill represented Scotland Schoolboy's 5 times and joined Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers from School. He also played with Clydebank before coming to Australia in the late sixties to play with Sydney club Apia and Melbourne Croatia.
After retiring from playing Bill moved into coaching and was Head Coach at Melbourne Croatia, Croydon City and Albion Rovers.
Bill joined the Academy in 2006 and also coaches with the Football Federation of Victoria.

Birthday: 28th October
Favorite Club: Glasgow Rangers
Most Disliked Club: Don't have one
Favorite Past Players: Pele, Maradona, George Best
Favorite Current Players: Ronaldinho, Ryan Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov
Biggest Game Ever Seen: 1960 European Cup Final Real Madrid 7 V 3 Eintracht Frankfurt
Biggest Desire: To coach local kids to make an Australian team.

Jason Fun

Jason is from Singapore where football is the number one sport so its no surprise that Jason loves his football.
He played football from an early age playing for a local community club.
He came to Australia in January 2006 and quickly found the DOC Academy as he wanted somewhere for his children to play.
He gained his junior and youth coaching licence with the Football Federation of Australia and joined the DOC Academy coaching staff in 2007. He is also a qualified referee with the Football Federation of Victoria. He has a Sports First Aid certification from the Sports Medicine Australia.
Apart from playing football Jason is a keen runner and takes part in the Melbourne Marathon and many charity runs each year.


Birthday: 13th July
Favorite Team: Chelsea
Most Disliked Team: Don't have one
Favorite Past Players: Gerd Muller, Bobby Charlton, Pele
Favorite Current Players: Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Michael Owen.
Biggest Game Ever Seen: Chelsea 13 V 0 Jeunesse Hautcharage 1971
Biggest Desire: To see young players develop from beginners to professional level.

Wesley Coles

Wes is our Specialist Goalkeeping coach and we are very pleased to have his expert coaching in an area most clubs forget about.
He took up goalkeeping at a young age, but believes he could be a good striker also, however his ability caught the eye of scouts while he helped his school team win the English Schools FA Cup and he joined Blackpool FC.
He came to Australia in early 2000 combines football with his Primary School teaching career.
He is currently playing in the Premier league with Fawkner having previously played for Brunswick City and Sunshine George Cross.


Birthday: 8th September
Favorite Team: Everton
Most Disliked Team: Liverpool / Manchester United
Favorite Past Players: Neville Southall, Duncan Ferguson, Joe Royle.
Favorite Current Players: Mikel Arteta, Thomas Gravesen, Peter Cech
Biggest Game Seen: 1997 F A Cup Final Chelsea V Middlesbrough
Biggest Desire: To coach Everton and to play outfield when I am 45 years old.

Theodore Giannes

Theo Started playing football at 10 years of age for Brunswick City juniors.
He started in midfield but soon realized that goalkeeping was his real love.
By the age of 15 he had made the senior reserve team and then broke into the 1st team as a 177 year old.
He signed for West Preston and helped them win promotion in his first season with them. Theo is currently trialing with a couple of clubs and is in his final year of his Youth Work Degree at Victoria University.
He also holds a caring for kids first aid and level 2 first aid certificate.

Birthday: 24th February
Favorite Team: Manchester United
Most Disliked Team: Chelsea
Favorite Past Players: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Roy Keane, Peter Schmeichel
Favorite Current Players: Paul Scholes, Nemanja Vidic, Edwin Van Dar Sar.
Biggest Game Ever Seen: 1999 Champions league 2nd leg semi-Final Juventus 2 V 3 Manchester United
Biggest Desire: To play for Manchester United and represent Australia.

Ben Ainsworth

Ben was introduced to the game by a meeting at his Primary School with Paul Wade, the Australian Socceroos captain at the time. He started playing at Bundoora United in the under 12’s.
He moved to Eltham and then onto Bulleen where he played in the under 16’s and was influenced by the Under 16 coach, Jim Gilson and played in the all conquering Bulleen under 18’s championship winning team.
As a junior he had the honour of taking part at the Victorian regional trials when aged 16, being coached by the very experienced coach, Ian Greener.
In his senior career as a player, he has played at Banyule City which were in State League 3, Templestowe Eagles which were in State League 3 and Watsonia Heights which are in Provisional 3.
He started coaching at Watsonia Heights and his first team was the under 16 girls, whom he took from bottom of the League to 3rd place in the following season in his first season as coach. This year (2008) he has coached the under 14 boys at Watsonia Heights.

Birthday: 9th June
Favorite Team: Manchester United
Most Disliked Team: Chelsea
Favorite Past Players: Mattew Le Tissier, Marco Van Bastin, Peter Schmeichel, Eric Cantona
Favorite Current Players: Robin Van Persie, Dimitar Berbatov, Ryan Giggs:, Didier Drogba , Messi
Biggest Game Seen: Newcastle United VS Liverpool 4-3. Stan Collymoore four goals.
Biggest Desire: To become a first class coach and to develop young players into elite footballers and one day going on a professional career in Europe.

Duncan Ryan

Duncan, another Scot who played in England for 15 years and has played the game in total for over thirty years and wants to put a bit back into the game he loves.
Duncan has played up to semi-pro level in London with teams like Northwood FC and Edgware Town to name but two both in the Ryman’s league just below the football league.
He has coached at a variety of teams and levels, inclusive of Watford premier league academy and Barnet youth where he coached the U16s to a league cup win and a league runners up spot.
He has achieved passes in his FA Prelim and Intermediate coaching badges and holds certificates in the management and treatment of injury with the Middlesex county FA.

Duncan is also a qualified referee and has refereed at a very high standard in England and Europe including International level at beach soccer. Since he arrived in Melbourne with his wife Caroline and then one but now three kids Travis, Brodie and Lachlan, Duncan has coached at Collingwood City [reserves], Epping City and Watsonia Heights [senior teams] and now looks forward to his continued learning and sharing of his knowledge in what he feels is the best environment for learning or teaching football he has found since he moved to Australia at DOCs academy.

Birthday: same as Theo 8th Sept, just a bit older.
Favorite team: Celtic and anyone playing England
Most disliked team: England and maybe Rangers
Past favorite players: Jimmy Johnstone {Jinky}, Maradona
Present favorites:, Kaka, Henrik Larson, John Terry, Buffon
Biggest game seen: Celtic 4 rangers 2 league decider I think in 1979 and few cup finals in Scotland and England but probably the opening game of 2008 world cup Scotland v Brazil