Darren Harris (Australian footballer)
Encyclopedia
Darren Harris is an Australian rules football
coach and former player, currently at the Carlton Football Club
in the Australian Football League
.
in the Ovens & Murray Football League
, winning a premiership there in 1987.
Harris moved to Bendigo in 1988 to complete a degree in primary school teaching. During his three years in Bendigo, Harris played for Golden Square
in the Bendigo Football League
, winning premierships there in 1988 and 1989. He returned to Wodonga in 1991 and played one more season with the Bulldogs.
In 1992, Harris moved to Western Australia
, and secured a contract to play with West Perth
in the WAFL
. Harris quickly became a star player at West Perth. In 1995, his best season for West Perth, Harris was club captain, won the Breckler Medal as best and fairest, captained the team to its first premiership since 1975, and won the Simpson Medal
as best on ground in the team's 56-point Grand Final win over Subiaco
. He captained the WAFL representative team in 1996, and was ultimately named in the West Perth Team of the Decade for 1994-2003. Harris played five seasons for West Perth before leaving at the end of 1996.
in the Ovens & Murray Football League, the cross-town rivals to his former team. He coached at the Raiders for three seasons, winning the club's first Ovens & Murray Football League premiership in 1998. In 2000, Harris left the Raiders and took an assistant and development coaching role with the NSW/ACT Rams
in the TAC Cup
.
After the Rams left the TAC Cup at the end of 2001, Harris returned to West Perth and took on the senior coaching role. As coach, he took the Falcons to back-to-back Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003, winning the premiership in 2003 with a 23-point win against Subiaco. Harris coached four seasons at West Perth in total.
In 2006, Harris was recruited for the first time to the Australian Football League
, taking an assistant coaching role at the West Coast Eagles
. He held this role from 2006 until 2008, and was at the club for its 2006 premiership. Harris and the Eagles parted company mutually at the end of 2008 as Harris sought to return to Victoria.
In 2009, Harris became development manager at the Carlton Football Club
, spending two years in this role, before becoming development coach at the club in 2011. He also served as senior coach of Carlton's club, the Northern Bullants
, in 2011, but he gave up this role at the end of the season to focus on the development role.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
coach and former player, currently at the Carlton Football Club
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
Playing career
Harris never played football at a national level, and his career at state level was short, but memorable. He played primarily as a rover/midfielder. From country Victoria, he played his early senior football for the Wodonga BulldogsWodonga Football Club
The Wodonga Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Ovens & Murray Football League.The club is based in Wodonga, Victoria.Wodonga made four consecutive grand finals from 1967 to 1970, winning two premierships....
in the Ovens & Murray Football League
Ovens & Murray Football League
The Ovens and Murray Football League, often referred to locally as the O&M, is a semi-professional Australian rules football league based around ten clubs in north-eastern Victoria and the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, and affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League...
, winning a premiership there in 1987.
Harris moved to Bendigo in 1988 to complete a degree in primary school teaching. During his three years in Bendigo, Harris played for Golden Square
Golden Square Football Club
The Golden Square Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Bendigo Football League.They are based in the Bendigo suburb Golden Square and have participated in the Bendigo Football League since 1935.-Notable players:...
in the Bendigo Football League
Bendigo Football League
The Bendigo Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Bendigo region of Victoria, Australia.Formed in 1880, it is one of the oldest football leagues in Australia, and among its members are some of the oldest football clubs in Australia, including the Castlemaine...
, winning premierships there in 1988 and 1989. He returned to Wodonga in 1991 and played one more season with the Bulldogs.
In 1992, Harris moved to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, and secured a contract to play with West Perth
West Perth Football Club
The West Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is an Australian rules football club located in Joondalup, Western Australia, competing in the West Australian Football League . It is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia. It competes in the West Australian...
in the WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
. Harris quickly became a star player at West Perth. In 1995, his best season for West Perth, Harris was club captain, won the Breckler Medal as best and fairest, captained the team to its first premiership since 1975, and won the Simpson Medal
Simpson Medal
The Simpson Medal, a prize for Australian rules football, has been donated by Dr. Fred Simpson and family since 1945. It is awarded to the best player in a WAFL Grand Final and the best player in an interstate game involving Western Australia....
as best on ground in the team's 56-point Grand Final win over Subiaco
Subiaco Football Club
The Subiaco Football Club, nicknamed the Lions, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . It was founded in 1896, and admitted to the WAFL in 1901, along with North Fremantle...
. He captained the WAFL representative team in 1996, and was ultimately named in the West Perth Team of the Decade for 1994-2003. Harris played five seasons for West Perth before leaving at the end of 1996.
Coaching career
Following his departure from West Perth, Harris returned to Wodonga, where he signed up as playing-coach for the Wodonga RaidersWodonga Raiders Football Club
The Wodonga Raiders FC, originally played in the Tallangatta & District Football League as the Kergunyah Football Club. This club once played in the Yackandandah DFA....
in the Ovens & Murray Football League, the cross-town rivals to his former team. He coached at the Raiders for three seasons, winning the club's first Ovens & Murray Football League premiership in 1998. In 2000, Harris left the Raiders and took an assistant and development coaching role with the NSW/ACT Rams
NSW/ACT Rams
The NSW/ACT Rams were an under 18 Australian rules football representative club in the TAC Cup.The team, under the guidance of AFL NSW/ACT represented New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and had the moniker of the Ram, partly derived as an acronym from Riverina, ACT, Murrumbidgee...
in the TAC Cup
TAC Cup
The TAC Cup is an under 18 Australian rules football representative competition held in Victoria, Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne with each team representing 12 Victorian regions....
.
After the Rams left the TAC Cup at the end of 2001, Harris returned to West Perth and took on the senior coaching role. As coach, he took the Falcons to back-to-back Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003, winning the premiership in 2003 with a 23-point win against Subiaco. Harris coached four seasons at West Perth in total.
In 2006, Harris was recruited for the first time to the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, taking an assistant coaching role at the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
. He held this role from 2006 until 2008, and was at the club for its 2006 premiership. Harris and the Eagles parted company mutually at the end of 2008 as Harris sought to return to Victoria.
In 2009, Harris became development manager at the Carlton Football Club
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
, spending two years in this role, before becoming development coach at the club in 2011. He also served as senior coach of Carlton's club, the Northern Bullants
Northern Bullants
Northern Blues Football Club is a long-established Australian rules football club based in Preston and currently playing in the Victorian Football League representing the central and outer areas of Melbourne...
, in 2011, but he gave up this role at the end of the season to focus on the development role.