John Cahill
Encyclopedia
John Cahill is a former Australian rules football
player and coach. During his illustrious career he played football for the Port Adelaide Football Club
, then coached Port Adelaide
, West Adelaide
, South Adelaide
in the SANFL and Collingwood Magpies
in the VFL.
The Port Adelaide Football Club honoured Cahill by naming the award for the club's best and fairest
player the John Cahill Medal
.
, he would lead the club to 10 premierships in the SANFL.
Cahill spent two seasons at the Collingwood Football Club
in the VFL
, where he led them to third position. He also had a brief stint at West Adelaide
in the SANFL, but it was Port Adelaide
where his heart lay and in 1997 he become their inaugural AFL coach.
After two successful seasons in the AFL, Cahill left the club and, it seemed, football forever. However, in 2005, he was appointed coach of the Port Adelaide Magpies
for one season to revitalise the struggling club. He took them to their first finals series in three seasons and they finished a respectable third. At the end of the season he announced that he was retiring from coaching.
However, in 2008, he signed a two-year coaching deal with the South Adelaide Football Club
in an attempt to pull them out of their current slump. He resigned eight matches into the season, apparently citing "outside influences".
(born 1965), a former professional tennis player from Australia and tennis coach.
His brother is Darrell Cahill who also played for the Port Adelaide Magpies, playing 265 games.
His daughter married Scott Hodges
who played for Port Adelaide
, Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power. They have since divorced. An uncle, Laurie
, was also a coach in the SANFL.
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...
player and coach. During his illustrious career he played football for the Port Adelaide Football Club
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
, then coached Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
, West Adelaide
West Adelaide Football Club
West Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League . Commonly known as The Bloods and Westies, the clubs home base is City Mazda Stadium located in Richmond, an inner-western suburb of Adelaide.-Early Years :West Adelaide was formed in...
, South Adelaide
South Adelaide Football Club
South Adelaide Football Club competes in the South Australian National Football League . Known as the Panthers, their home ground is Hickinbotham Oval , located in Noarlunga Downs in the southern suburbs of Adelaide....
in the SANFL and Collingwood Magpies
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the VFL.
The Port Adelaide Football Club honoured Cahill by naming the award for the club's best and fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
player the John Cahill Medal
John Cahill Medal
The John Cahill Medal, named after Port Adelaide Power's inaugural AFL coach John Cahill, is awarded to the Best and Fairest player every season for the Port Adelaide Football Club.-Recipients:-Multiple Recipients:...
.
Port Adelaide career
Cahill played 264 matches for the Port Adelaide Football Club and 29 state matches for South Australia from 1958 to 1973. He captained Port Adelaide from 1967 to 1973 and skippered South Australia for three consecutive years.Coaching career
After retiring, Cahill took up coaching. Starting with Port AdelaidePort Adelaide Magpies
The Port Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the South Australian National Football League...
, he would lead the club to 10 premierships in the SANFL.
Cahill spent two seasons at the Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, where he led them to third position. He also had a brief stint at West Adelaide
West Adelaide Football Club
West Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League . Commonly known as The Bloods and Westies, the clubs home base is City Mazda Stadium located in Richmond, an inner-western suburb of Adelaide.-Early Years :West Adelaide was formed in...
in the SANFL, but it was Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
where his heart lay and in 1997 he become their inaugural AFL coach.
After two successful seasons in the AFL, Cahill left the club and, it seemed, football forever. However, in 2005, he was appointed coach of the Port Adelaide Magpies
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
for one season to revitalise the struggling club. He took them to their first finals series in three seasons and they finished a respectable third. At the end of the season he announced that he was retiring from coaching.
However, in 2008, he signed a two-year coaching deal with the South Adelaide Football Club
South Adelaide Football Club
South Adelaide Football Club competes in the South Australian National Football League . Known as the Panthers, their home ground is Hickinbotham Oval , located in Noarlunga Downs in the southern suburbs of Adelaide....
in an attempt to pull them out of their current slump. He resigned eight matches into the season, apparently citing "outside influences".
Personal life
His son is Darren CahillDarren Cahill
Darren Cahill is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Australia.Nicknamed "Killer", Cahill turned professional in 1984...
(born 1965), a former professional tennis player from Australia and tennis coach.
His brother is Darrell Cahill who also played for the Port Adelaide Magpies, playing 265 games.
His daughter married Scott Hodges
Scott Hodges
Scott Lyall Hodges is a former Australian rules footballer and champion goal kicker who holds the SANFL record for most goals kicked in a league season when he kicked 153 goals in 1990...
who played for Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Magpies
The Port Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the South Australian National Football League...
, Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power. They have since divorced. An uncle, Laurie
Laurie Cahill
Laurie Cahill was an Australian rules footballer who played for South Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League and Richmond in the Victorian Football League ....
, was also a coach in the SANFL.