Aug 4, 2026 · 43 min · 14 segments
In this one on one interview, Poletti sits down with Northern Tigers NPL Women's Head Coach Fin Geraghty, who became one of the youngest coaches in NPL Women's NSW history when he was appointed in…
Finn GeraghtyGuestPolettiHostso you're one of the youngest coaches uh you know in the history of the npl women's new south wales but you also started as a coach quite young yourself um i believe it was you coached your sister's under 14s team yeah that's great sibling rivalries uh you know at the best of times how did you how did you manage that dynamic you know in one of your first coaching gigs
So yeah, it was just trying my best and my sister was trying her best as well on the field and we got on really well.
And yeah, I thought it was really nice thing that she asked me to come in and coach her team.
Well, I guess just on that, you know, was coaching something you ever had an interest in when you were playing as a kid or was it just sort of, did it just come along and you fell in love with it as you just said?
I remember in the 2010 World Cup, drawing up lineups and tactics and, you know, filling up notepads with different things and always playing FIFA, always gravitated towards playing career mode and and that kind of thing so yeah i've always been interested in coaching and i've always taken a lot of interest in um as a player as well the the coaches that i've had i've been very lucky to have some really inspiring and top um enthusiastic and knowledgeable coaches so i've hung on their every word and i've always looked up to them to coaches so yeah it was a great thing i think definitely for me i had coaches who changed my life who empowered me and made me feel 10 feet tall and i always wanted to do the same thing for other people and that's how i i got into it at the start so yeah special
what what made you you know want to transition full-time into coaching and stop playing i guess because you know we see a lot of people uh a lot of coaches come through and it's sort of like they tend to take it you know later on in their careers or they do it you know alongside playing i remember once um you know talking to someone you're quite familiar with in hannah mcnulty who was you know coaching juniors while she was still playing and still is i think And she said she had to step away from coaching in order to, you know, grow as a player.
You know, how did you balance that decision?
yeah i mean for hannah it's different because she's a much better player than than i ever was so it's true right so um you know there's a an option to to prioritize something and i think the the challenge with playing and coaching is that often it does clash i think you've got to be very fortunate to be able to be in an environment where you can coach and play at a high level um you just got to pick one and for me very early on um you know i made a decision to to play football with my mates and it was something that, you know, I've always liked to compete, but I've really gravitated towards coaching.
And, you know, I felt that, yeah, this is something that I can do, you know? So yeah, those who, who can't play coach, right.
Yes, I guess that is what they say.
Doing some research for this, I was reading an article where you had an opportunity to go to the Northern Tigers and under-15s, that you made the decision to see out a year playing with your mates, and you talked about the away days and everything like that.
What... you know what what did those experiences help like like how did those experiences help you as a coach you know getting that you know the camaraderie the team building because you know you you get to you get the points in the season right you you know you lose two three and two three four on the bounce and it's kind of like well you know you got to build the team back up sometimes right
Yeah, there's things to draw on definitely as a player, especially as a youth player.
so you're one of the youngest coaches uh you know in the history of the npl women's new south wales but you also started as a coach quite young yourself um i believe it was you coached your sister's under 14s team yeah that's great sibling rivalries uh you know at the best of times how did you how did you manage that dynamic you know in one of your first coaching gigs
So yeah, it was just trying my best and my sister was trying her best as well on the field and we got on really well.
And yeah, I thought it was really nice thing that she asked me to come in and coach her team.
Well, I guess just on that, you know, was coaching something you ever had an interest in when you were playing as a kid or was it just sort of, did it just come along and you fell in love with it as you just said?
I remember in the 2010 World Cup, drawing up lineups and tactics and, you know, filling up notepads with different things and always playing FIFA, always gravitated towards playing career mode and and that kind of thing so yeah i've always been interested in coaching and i've always taken a lot of interest in um as a player as well the the coaches that i've had i've been very lucky to have some really inspiring and top um enthusiastic and knowledgeable coaches so i've hung on their every word and i've always looked up to them to coaches so yeah it was a great thing i think definitely for me i had coaches who changed my life who empowered me and made me feel 10 feet tall and i always wanted to do the same thing for other people and that's how i i got into it at the start so yeah special
what what made you you know want to transition full-time into coaching and stop playing i guess because you know we see a lot of people uh a lot of coaches come through and it's sort of like they tend to take it you know later on in their careers or they do it you know alongside playing i remember once um you know talking to someone you're quite familiar with in hannah mcnulty who was you know coaching juniors while she was still playing and still is i think And she said she had to step away from coaching in order to, you know, grow as a player.
You know, how did you balance that decision?
yeah i mean for hannah it's different because she's a much better player than than i ever was so it's true right so um you know there's a an option to to prioritize something and i think the the challenge with playing and coaching is that often it does clash i think you've got to be very fortunate to be able to be in an environment where you can coach and play at a high level um you just got to pick one and for me very early on um you know i made a decision to to play football with my mates and it was something that, you know, I've always liked to compete, but I've really gravitated towards coaching.
And, you know, I felt that, yeah, this is something that I can do, you know? So yeah, those who, who can't play coach, right.
Yes, I guess that is what they say.
Doing some research for this, I was reading an article where you had an opportunity to go to the Northern Tigers and under-15s, that you made the decision to see out a year playing with your mates, and you talked about the away days and everything like that.
What... you know what what did those experiences help like like how did those experiences help you as a coach you know getting that you know the camaraderie the team building because you know you you get to you get the points in the season right you you know you lose two three and two three four on the bounce and it's kind of like well you know you got to build the team back up sometimes right
Yeah, there's things to draw on definitely as a player, especially as a youth player.
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