A COUNTRY boy from Tasmania, by admission Brendon Bolton loves the “simple things” in life.
Away from football he’s a family man with a wife, Louisa, and two young children, Rosie (six months) and Ned (three).
Like most people, he enjoys nothing more than getting away from the grind and spending time with his family, whether it be back with his parents in Tasmania or his young family in Melbourne.
It is something that he says, allows him to be a better coach when he returns to the club on a day-to-day basis with a fresh outlook.
“I’m a country boy from Tassie who just enjoys helping people,” Bolton told hawthornfc.com.au
“There’s not too much complex around me, I like the simple things in life.
“I have some passions around my family – I love going home and being able to not think about footy for a couple of hours with them.”
“When I get back to Tassie, I love getting to my mum and dad’s little hobby farm and going out on the boat to do a bit of fishing.”
Bolton began his coaching career with North Hobart in 2003 after a distinguished playing career in the VFL and State football in Tasmania.
In his first year as head coach at North Hobart, he took the team to a premiership in the Southern Football League.
From there, he spent a few months with Tasmanian Devils in the VFL in 2006 before moving back to Tasmania where he took over as head coach of Clarence in 2008.
There, he helped develop them into one of the best sides in the state.
At the end of 2008 he returned to Melbourne where he was appointed senior coach of Box Hill Hawks, Hawthorn’s VFL affiliate and began his close working relationship with Alastair Clarkson.
He coached Box Hill to consecutive finals appearances in 2009 and 2010.
“The really big challenge was coming to Box Hill,” Bolton said.
“There were AFL players fighting to come back and play in the AFL but they needed to have the most professional environment they can and they need to know the intention is to get them into the AFL.
“We tried to make it a place that people really wanted to be and they knew the intention was right and it was where they belonged and where they felt like they were wanted.
“The real challenge there was make that sense of connectedness and we did that.”
Brendon Bolton at the Ricoh Centre on Wednesday.
After two years as coach of Box Hill, Bolton was appointed as an assistant to Clarkson at Hawthorn in 2011, where he has spent time as the midfield and forward line coach.
In his six years with the Hawks, Bolton has spent his time trying to learn from those who have spent a long period in the game, like Clarkson, Chris Fagan (General Manager – Football Operations and former Head of Coaching and Development) and David Rath (Head of Coaching Services).
“I’ve tried to come in and be really receptive to learn and listen from others,” Bolton said.
“We’ve got Chris Fagan and Al Clarkson who are both the old, wise owls, particularly Fages in that manner and Clarko is the real innovator.
“David Rath analyses the game really well, so I’ve had a lot of opportunity to work with those three in particular.
“I’ve tried to learn and listen a lot and then apply a lot of my learning philosophies to the way in which we teach here.
“That’s what I want to continue to do here in the coming years, to make sure we have a really elite learning environment because that’s where my passion is.”
Aside from his senior positions with North Hobart, Tasmanian Devils, Clarence and Box Hill, Bolton has also acted as Hawthorn’s senior coach during matches in the NAB Cup and NAB Challenge series.
