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Dean Bailey (18 January 1967 – 11 March 2014) was an Australian rules football player and coach. He played for the Essendon Football Club and was the senior coach of the Melbourne Football Club, as well as an assistant coach at Essendon and Port Adelaide and the Strategy & Innovation Coach at the Adelaide Football Club (Adelaide Crows).[1] Bailey died of lung cancer on 11 March 2014.[2]

Key Information

Playing career

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Bailey played 53 games for Essendon, mainly as a centreman. He wore guernsey numbers 42 and 31, and preceded Dustin Fletcher in wearing the latter number.[3][4][5][6]

Coaching career

[edit]

Bailey became senior coach of Mount Gravatt Football Club in Queensland at the end of the 1997 season. In 1998, In his first season as senior coach, he guided Mt Gravatt to fourth place. In 1999, he coached Mt Gravatt to third position in his second and final year.[7]

Essendon Football Club assistant coach

[edit]

At the end of the 1999 season, Bailey became an assistant coach in the position of development coach at the Essendon Football Club under senior coach Kevin Sheedy and helped the club to their 2000 premiership.[8] In his second year back with the Dons, they again made the 2001 Grand Final, except this time they lost to the Brisbane Lions by 26 points.[9] Bailey left the Essendon Football Club at the end of the 2001 season.[10][11]

Port Adelaide Football Club assistant coach

[edit]

Bailey joined the Port Adelaide Football Club in 2002 as an assistant coach under senior coach Mark Williams, a position he held in guiding the club to the 2004 premiership, its first one in the AFL.[12] After Port Adelaide lost the 2007 Grand Final, Bailey left the Port Adelaide Football Club at the end of the 2007 season.[13]

Melbourne Football Club senior coach

[edit]

At the end of the 2007 season, he was appointed as the senior coach of the Melbourne Football Club for the 2008 season. Bailey replaced Melbourne Football Club caretaker senior coach Mark Riley, who replaced Neale Daniher, after Daniher resigned in the middle of the 2007 season.[14][15]

The 2008 season started badly for Bailey, with the Demons losing their first six games by lopsided margins before winning its first match of the season against Fremantle in round seven. Things did not get better, as the Demons under Bailey lost the next six games; however, they won their second game in Round 14 against Brisbane. Then they lost the next five games and won their third game in Round 20 against West Coast. Melbourne under Bailey finished 16th in the last position on the ladder at the end of the 2008 season, claiming the wooden spoon with three wins and 19 losses.[16]

The 2009 season started with three losses for the Demons under Bailey, before an inspiring and unexpected win by eight points against Richmond in their round four clash at the MCG. At the mid-way point of the 2009 season, the Demons under Bailey sat last on the ladder with one win and eleven losses, but Bailey retained his commitment to youth and gave many youngsters on Melbourne's list valuable experience over the first half of the year. The club under Bailey, finished the 2009 season with four wins and 18 losses and finished last on the ladder for the wooden spoon again in the second consecutive year running.[17]

The 2010 season for the Demons under Bailey began with a first round-loss to Hawthorn by 56 points in which the playing group and Bailey were criticised in the media for their on-field performance. But the Demons bounced back in their second game of the season, losing to eventual premier Collingwood by just one point. Round three saw the Demons chalk up their first victory of the season, a 16-point victory over the Adelaide Crows. This was followed by big victories over Richmond and the Brisbane Lions, the latter considered to be a major upset at that point of 2010, as the Lions were undefeated at the time, and fielded big-name players including Brown and Fevola. Despite elevated expectations the Demons then went on to lose their next three games. A narrow victory over Port Adelaide in round 9 however gave fans something to celebrate. Again the club suffered several more losses following the win, as well as a nail-biting draw to Collingwood, in the annual Queen's Birthday match. The club found some form again in the following weeks, beating Essendon in round 15, narrowly losing to Fremantle in round 16 (after a huge comeback) and winning again in round 17, thrashing 2005 premiers Sydney by 73 points. A 10-point win over struggling Brisbane at the Gabba and then Richmond at the MCG followed. Ultimately, the Demons under Bailey finished 12th on the ladder at season's end, a somewhat huge improvement from the past two seasons.[18]

The 2011 season saw the Demons, under Bailey, experience great fluctuations in form. Starting the season with a draw against Sydney, the team was well beaten by Hawthorn in the second round despite leading at half time. Consecutive victories followed, with a narrow win over the Brisbane Lions, and league newcomers Gold Coast by 90 points. Following a bye, the club suffered a 54-point defeat at the hands of West Coast before bouncing back the following week, thrashing Adelaide by 96 points, recording their biggest-ever victory against them. It was also their biggest win under Dean Bailey to date. Three losses followed, followed by a surprise victory over Essendon. The traditional Queen's Birthday clash, which had been drawn the previous year, turned into a blow-out with Collingwood winning by 88 points, the biggest margin in a Queen's Birthday clash to date. The Demons then went on to record another massive turnaround, recording their biggest-ever victory over Fremantle, by 89 points, the following week. This was followed up with a victory over Richmond. The next week saw Melbourne face the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium. It was a disappointing week for the Demons, as they lost by 64 points. Melbourne had the bye the following week, followed by yet another turnaround followed in a win over Port Adelaide in Darwin, before losing to Hawthorn by 54 points the following round.[19]

In Round 19, 2011, Melbourne under Bailey suffered a humiliating 186-point defeat against Geelong at Skilled Stadium, the defeat marking the second-greatest losing margin in VFL/AFL history. The day after the match, the Melbourne Football Club held a board meeting, where it was announced by the club president, Jim Stynes, that Bailey was sacked as Melbourne Football Club senior coach.[20][21][22][23] He left the club with only 22 wins from 83 matches, a winning percentage of just over 25%. Bailey was replaced by assistant coach Todd Viney as caretaker senior coach for the remainder of the 2011 season.[24][25][26]

Bailey then made statements, interpreted by some as an admission of tanking, at the press conference which followed his sacking as Melbourne Football Club senior coach in August 2011.[27][28][29][30][31] Bailey was quoted as saying:

"I had no hesitation at all in the first two years of ensuring this club was well placed for draft picks. I think what we've done is the right thing by the club, and if it cost me my job, so be it. But the club is always bigger than the individual. I was asked to do the best thing by the Melbourne Football Club and I did it. I did the right thing by the Melbourne Football Club. I put players in different positions to enable them [to develop] … I think the whole football club agreed we wanted to develop our players so we did".


Eighteen months after his sacking as Melbourne Football Club senior coach, a Melbourne Football Club tanking scandal investigation into the Melbourne Football club's 2009 season found Bailey and then football manager Chris Connolly guilty of "acting in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the competition". This related most specifically to a meeting in July 2009, which became known colloquially as "the vault", in which Connolly allegedly openly discussed the potential benefits to the club of tanking.[32] Bailey, then an assistant coach at the Adelaide Crows, was banned from coaching for the first sixteen rounds of the 2013 season, meaning he could not engage with any players during his suspension.

Adelaide Football Club assistant coach

[edit]

On 4 October 2011, Bailey was appointed to the Adelaide Football Club as an assistant coach in a new role as a strategy and innovation coach.[1][33][34][35][36]

In a statement released by Adelaide on 27 November 2013, it was revealed that Bailey was suffering from cancer and was on indefinite leave.[37] He never returned to work, though he did visit the club in late 2013 and early 2014 during pre-season training before his untimely death in March.[38]

Personal life

[edit]

Bailey was married to Caron and had two sons.[2]

Death and legacy

[edit]

Bailey died on 11 March 2014, following a battle with lung cancer.[2][39][40][41][42][43]

Melbourne captain Max Gawn paid tribute to Bailey (under whom he made his AFL debut in 2011), among other deceased club identities, in a post-match interview upon the club winning the 2021 AFL Grand Final.[44]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Dean Bailey

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Dean Bailey (18 January 1967 – 11 March 2014) was an Australian rules footballer and coach who played 53 Australian Football League (AFL) games for the Essendon Football Club between 1986 and 1992.[1][2] After his playing career, which included time at South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club Glenelg where he won the best-and-fairest award in 1995, Bailey transitioned to coaching.[3] Bailey served as senior coach of the Melbourne Football Club from 2008 to mid-2011, overseeing 83 matches with a record of 22 wins, 59 losses, and 2 draws.[1][4] His tenure saw initial struggles with only seven wins in his first two seasons, followed by signs of improvement in 2010, including a 96-point victory over Adelaide.[5] However, Melbourne sacked him in July 2011 after a poor start to the season. Subsequently, he joined the Adelaide Football Club as an assistant coach in September 2011.[6][4] Bailey's coaching career at Melbourne was overshadowed by an AFL investigation into the club's 2009 season, where conduct issues related to prioritizing draft picks over competitive outcomes led to the club being fined $500,000; Bailey received a two-season suspension from any coaching role, while the league cleared the club of systematic tanking.[7] Diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer in late 2013, Bailey died on 11 March 2014 at age 47.[8]

Early Life and Playing Career

Early Life

Dean Bailey was born on 18 January 1967.[5] He grew up in North Ringwood, an outer eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria.[5] [6] Bailey began playing junior football for the Park Orchards club at Domeney Reserve before progressing to North Ringwood, where he developed his skills in the local zone that fed into Essendon's recruitment area.[5] As a schoolboy, he represented Victoria on a tour to Ireland, gaining early exposure to competitive football beyond local levels.[9] These formative experiences in Melbourne's suburban football scene laid the groundwork for his entry into professional ranks.

Essendon Football Club Player

Dean Bailey played 53 senior games for the Essendon Football Club from 1986 to 1992, primarily as a centreman.[10][1] He wore guernsey numbers 42 and 31 during his tenure at the club.[5] Recruited from North Ringwood in Essendon's zone, Bailey featured under coach Kevin Sheedy throughout his VFL/AFL career.[6] In those 53 matches, Bailey recorded 445 kicks, 295 handballs for a total of 740 disposals, 98 marks, 19 goals, and 12 behinds.[10] He also amassed 72 tackles, with a notable unofficial performance of nine tackles in a 1987 match against Fitzroy—prior to official tackle recording in 1994.[11] Essendon experienced competitive seasons during Bailey's era but did not win a premiership until 2000, following his departure.[5] Bailey concluded his VFL/AFL playing career at the end of the 1992 season before transitioning to the SANFL with Glenelg.[1] His role as a midfielder contributed to Essendon's midfield depth during a period of team rebuilding and development under Sheedy's long-term leadership.[6]

Coaching Career

Assistant Coach at Essendon Football Club

Bailey returned to Essendon in late 1999 as the club's development coach for the 2000 season, marking his entry into AFL-level coaching after three years leading Queensland club Mt Gravatt.[12][13] In this role, he focused on player development, particularly mentoring and improving skills among younger roster members under senior coach Kevin Sheedy.[9] His contributions supported Essendon's strong performance during this period, including the club's 2000 AFL premiership victory, in which Bailey played a part as part of the coaching staff emphasizing talent nurturing.[9] The Bombers finished the season with 17 wins and 5 losses, culminating in a 19-point grand final win over Melbourne.[1] Bailey remained in the position through the 2001 season before departing at its conclusion to join Port Adelaide as an assistant coach in 2002.[14]

Assistant Coach at Port Adelaide Football Club

Bailey was appointed as an assistant coach at Port Adelaide Football Club in 2002, transitioning from his development coaching position at Essendon.[14] He worked under senior coach Mark Williams, focusing on defensive strategies and opposition analysis.[15] During his tenure from 2002 to 2007, Bailey contributed to Port Adelaide's competitive performance, including their first AFL premiership in 2004, where he served as defensive coach.[15][5] The team's success that year featured a grand final win over Brisbane Lions by 40 points on September 25, 2004, with Bailey's input credited for strengthening backline structures amid a season record of 17 wins from 25 games.[1] Players including Kane Cornes and Dom Cassisi later highlighted Bailey's tactical clarity and personal rapport as factors in their development and team cohesion.[15] Bailey's role extended to contingency planning, as in 2007 when he was designated standby senior coach during Williams' absences for health reasons.[5] His departure followed Port Adelaide's 2007 preliminary final loss, paving the way for his senior coaching appointment at Melbourne in late 2007.[1]

Senior Coach at Melbourne Football Club

Dean Bailey was appointed senior coach of the Melbourne Football Club in late 2007 for the 2008 season, succeeding Neale Daniher.[16] He oversaw a period focused on list rebuilding through high draft selections and youth development, prioritizing long-term foundations over immediate competitiveness.[17] During his tenure from 2008 to 2011, Bailey coached Melbourne in 83 matches, achieving 22 wins, 2 draws, and 59 losses, for a win percentage of approximately 27%.[18] The team consistently finished near the bottom of the ladder, with no finals appearances, as Bailey emphasized integrating young talents such as ruckman Max Gawn, who debuted in 2010 and played limited games under his guidance amid the rebuilding phase.[19] [20] This approach involved a youth policy that cleared veteran players to provide opportunities for draftees, aiming to cultivate a competitive core over multiple seasons.[21] Bailey's dismissal came on 31 July 2011, following a 186-point loss to Geelong in Round 19 on 30 July 2011, which highlighted the team's struggles and prompted the club's leadership to seek a change despite the ongoing rebuild.[22] [23] His leadership was marked by tactical shifts toward modern game plans but ultimately defined by poor on-field results that stalled progress.[5]

Assistant Coach at Adelaide Football Club

Bailey joined the Adelaide Football Club on 3 October 2011 as Strategy and Innovation Coach, shortly after his sacking from Melbourne.[24] In this senior assistant role, he emphasized strategic planning, tactical innovation, and mentorship of emerging players, drawing on his prior experience at Essendon and Port Adelaide.[25] [6] His contributions supported the club's coaching structure during a period of competitive stability, including Adelaide's finals appearance in 2012 under head coach Brenton Sanderson.[1] Bailey's tenure provided a lower-pressure environment compared to head coaching, allowing focus on long-term development and analytical coaching approaches.[24] He maintained active involvement in match preparation and player guidance through the 2013 season, despite a 16-week AFL suspension earlier that year related to prior Melbourne activities, which led to a redefined non-matchday workload.[26] On 26 November 2013, following hospitalization for fluid in his lung, Bailey was diagnosed with cancer and granted indefinite leave from Adelaide to undergo treatment.[27] [28] This marked the abrupt conclusion of his professional coaching duties at the club.[29]

Controversies

Melbourne Tanking Allegations

During the 2009 AFL season, the Melbourne Football Club, coached by Dean Bailey, achieved only 2 wins and 20 losses, the poorest performance in the league that year.[30] This result granted Melbourne priority access to the top two draft picks, with which the club selected midfielders Tom Scully at No. 1 and Jack Trengove at No. 2 in the November 2009 National Draft.[31] Allegations of deliberate underperformance emerged publicly in 2011 from former player Brock McLean, who claimed club officials prioritized draft picks over competitive play, prompting an AFL investigation launched in August 2012 that involved interviews with 58 individuals.[32] Bailey testified to investigators that he endured explicit pressure from football operations manager Chris Connolly to limit wins, including directives to exclude fit players from lineups and threats of dismissal if victories occurred, stating, "If I win games I would get sacked... I was threatened."[33] [34] McLean recounted players confronting Bailey mid-season about perceived non-competitive efforts, to which Bailey urged compliance with club directives.[35] Club president Jim Stynes, battling cancer at the time, was not implicated, with AFL deputy CEO Gillon McLachlan confirming no evidence of board or CEO Cameron Schwab awareness of such conduct.[7] [36] The AFL Commission concluded in February 2013 that Melbourne lacked systemic intent to tank games, clearing the club of tanking charges and preserving its draft picks, but identified governance lapses in football department operations warranting penalties: a $500,000 fine for the club, an 11-month ban for Connolly, and a suspension for Bailey barring him from coaching the first 16 rounds of the 2013 season.[37] [32] Bailey framed himself as a victim coerced by executive bullying, while Connolly later defended the actions as stemming from desperation amid rebuild rather than malice.[38] Critics, including some media and rival clubs, contended the penalties were lenient, arguing the pattern of player management and internal meetings evidenced deliberate strategy over mere incompetence, and advocated for draft pick forfeiture to deter future incentives.[39] The saga highlighted tensions between competitive integrity and draft lottery reforms, with the AFL emphasizing process failures without proving club-wide conspiracy.[7]

Personal Life and Death

Family and Relationships

Bailey was married to Caron Bailey, with whom he had two sons, Darcy and Mitchell.[13][8][16] Public tributes from AFL clubs and colleagues consistently portrayed Bailey as a devoted husband and father who prioritized family alongside his professional life in football.[16][40] Adelaide chief executive Andrew Trigg described him as a "hardworking, fiercely loyal and caring man who was devoted to his family."[41] Melbourne Football Club noted his commitment as a family man to Caron, Mitch, and Darcy, emphasizing how he maintained strong personal bonds amid career demands across multiple clubs.[16]

Illness and Death

In late November 2013, Dean Bailey was hospitalized following an acute illness characterized by fluid accumulation in his left lung, which prompted diagnostic tests revealing an underlying malignancy in the chest area classified as lung cancer.[42][43] The condition was described as an aggressive form, limiting effective treatment options and leading to his placement on indefinite leave from his role as senior assistant coach at the Adelaide Football Club.[8] Bailey's health deteriorated rapidly over the ensuing months, with medical interventions proving insufficient against the cancer's progression.[13] He passed away on 11 March 2014 at the age of 47, shortly after the diagnosis, marking a brief overall battle with the disease.[29][8]

Legacy and Reception

Achievements and Contributions

Bailey's tenure as development coach at Essendon from 1999 contributed to the club's 2000 premiership success by fostering the growth of key young talents integral to the Bombers' dominant campaign, which saw them win 24 of 25 home-and-away games.[5] As assistant coach at Port Adelaide starting in 2002, he helped orchestrate the Power's historic 2004 AFL premiership—their first in the national competition—through strategic input on game plans and player preparation during a season that included a 15-win regular season and grand final victory over Brisbane by 40 points.[11] At Melbourne, where Bailey served as senior coach from 2008 to 2011, his primary focus was on building a foundation through youth development amid a roster averaging under 23 years old; this approach yielded tangible progress, including a nine-win improvement from 2009 to 2010 and the maturation of players like Colin Garland, who credited Bailey's guidance for enhancing defensive structures and individual skills.[44] [45] Bailey's emphasis on positional flexibility and player monitoring laid groundwork for subsequent team rebuilds, prioritizing long-term capability over immediate results.[46] In his role at Adelaide from late 2013, Bailey advanced development initiatives aimed at bridging SANFL and AFL levels, exemplified by the posthumous Dean Bailey Award established in 2014 to recognize the club's top non-contracted developing player, reflecting his commitment to grassroots talent pipelines.[47] Across clubs, Bailey's relational coaching style—described by peers as connecting deeply with athletes to instill resilience and tactical acumen—elevated player welfare standards, influencing a shift toward holistic preparation in AFL assistant roles.[1]

Criticisms and Challenges

Bailey's tenure as senior coach of the Melbourne Football Club from 2008 to 2011 was characterized by persistently poor on-field results, with the team failing to reach the finals series in any season and rarely contending for top-eight finishes. Over 83 matches, he achieved 22 wins, 59 losses, and 2 draws, yielding a winning percentage of 27%. Notable defeats underscored these struggles, including a 100-point loss in his debut game against Hawthorn in 2008 and an 78-point defeat to Port Adelaide later that year, which Bailey himself described as among the season's worst performances.[5][4][48][49] External critiques focused on the team's perceived lack of physical intensity and resilience, with opponents accusing Melbourne of employing a "bruise-free" style that avoided contested situations. Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse and Carlton's Brett Ratten publicly highlighted this softness, prompting Bailey to counter that such comments insulted the club's players and development efforts. Internally, player unrest emerged as a challenge, with reports of a revolt among the squad preceding the 2011 season's nadir—a 186-point loss to Geelong on July 30—exposing breakdowns in team cohesion and preparation.[50][51][52] The decision to sack Bailey on July 31, 2011, stemmed from management's assessment that he had not instilled sufficient competitiveness during the club's rebuilding phase, particularly as expectations evolved beyond early draft-focused strategies toward tangible improvement. While some observers criticized Bailey for inadequate accountability and failure to harden the playing group against rebuilding pressures, others contended that systemic issues, including a talent-deficient list and administrative instability, limited his scope for success, rendering the dismissal a reactive scapegoating after the Geelong humiliation.[22][53][54][55]

References

  1. Humorous, caring Bailey leaves a big legacy - AFL
  2. Meet the coach – part IV - Melbourne Football Club
  3. Dean Bailey's life celebrated - AFL
  4. Dean Bailey sacked as Melbourne coach
  5. Dean Bailey timeline - Melbourne Football Club
  6. Dean Bailey: 1967-2014 - Adelaide Football Club
  7. Melbourne fined $500K, Dean Bailey and Chris Connolly banned
  8. Former Melbourne coach Dean Bailey dies at 47 - AFL
  9. Tribute to Dean Bailey - Melbourne Football Club
  10. Dean Bailey - Stats - Statistics - AFL Tables
  11. Footy loses one of the good guys after death of Dean Bailey
  12. ESSENDON APPOINTS DEVELOPMENT COACH
  13. AFL mourns death of Dean Bailey after battle with lung cancer
  14. BAILEY ACCEPTS ASSISTANTS' JOB AT PORT ADELAIDE
  15. Port Adelaide pays tribute to Dean Bailey
  16. Vale Dean Bailey - Melbourne Football Club
  17. Time for Demons to fire up - WAtoday
  18. Coach Win/Loss Records - AFL Tables
  19. Earn your places, says Bailey - AFL
  20. Days Gawn by: How star Dee went from crossroads to game's elite
  21. Melbourne Demons will take long road to rebuilding - The Roar
  22. Demons axe Bailey after Cats mauling - ABC News
  23. It's official: Bailey sacked - AFL
  24. Bailey joins Crows in new role - Adelaide Football Club
  25. Banned Bailey back on job at Crows | SBS News
  26. It's business as usual for Dean Bailey | news.com.au
  27. Dean Bailey diagnosed with cancer - AFL
  28. Bailey staying positive after diagnosis - Adelaide Football Club
  29. AFL coach Dean Bailey dies at 47 - The Guardian
  30. Melbourne All Games - By Season - AFL Tables
  31. Demons take Scully and Trengove - Melbourne Football Club
  32. Demons fined, Bailey and Connolly banned - ABC News
  33. Former Melbourne Demons coach said he was bullied into 'tanking ...
  34. Bailey told us to toe line in AFL: McLean - ESPN
  35. Bailey told us to toe line in AFL: McLean | SBS News
  36. A defiant Andrew Demetriou declares tanking has never taken place ...
  37. AFL full statement: Melbourne tanking penalties
  38. AFL: Melbourne tanking scandal, penalties, report, interviews, Dean ...
  39. Meeting has Demons in the frame for tanking - The Age
  40. Former Melbourne coach Dean Bailey dies at 47 having touched ...
  41. AFL greats pay tribute to Bailey | news.com.au
  42. Crows strategy coach Dean Bailey diagnosed with cancer - ABC News
  43. Dean Bailey's cancer battle - News | InDaily, Inside South Australia
  44. Bailing out with dignity - AFL
  45. Garland lauds Bailey - Melbourne Football Club
  46. Spotlight did not burn Dees: Bailey - AFL
  47. Crows honour Bailey with trophy - The Advertiser
  48. Dean Bailey | Demonwiki
  49. Gutted Bailey ranks latest loss among season's worst - AFL
  50. Melbourne Demons coach Dean Bailey fires back at criticism from ...
  51. Comments are an insult: Bailey - Melbourne Football Club
  52. Player revolt preceded humiliation - The Age
  53. Bailey replaced as coach - Melbourne Football Club
  54. Dean Bailey sacking reflects poorly on Melbourne - The Roar
  55. Bailey: poor coach or unfortunate victim of circumstances? - The Roar
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