Dean Bailey Biography

About 800 people pay their final respects to Dean Bailey at a memorial service at Adelaide Oval.

Former Melbourne coach and Adelaide assistant coach Dean Bailey loses battle with cancer, dying at just 47 years of age.

"His passing has shocked all in football, coming so soon after he was first diagnosed with illness, and devastated everyone who knew him well in the football community," AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said.

"Our thoughts and deepest condolences are extended to Dean's family and friends at this very difficult time - as well as the Essendon, Adelaide Crows, Melbourne and Port Adelaide football clubs where he had so many friends, both for his dry humour and deep knowledge and great love of our game.

"[His wife] Caron and the boys will be strengthened by the regard in which Dean was held by all who knew him and we hope they can find comfort in their many good memories together."

Dean Bailey has returned home in good spirits after chemotherapy treatment in his battle against cancer but the Crows remain uncertain when Bailey can resume his role with the club.

"Dean is at home currently, he has been through some treatment over the last several weeks," Crows list manager David Noble said.

"He's in really good spirits. It is great that he's able to be at home at the moment with his family.

"All our support is with him at the moment and we really look forward to the time that he can get back to work."

Adelaide midfielder Richard Douglas says news of assistant coach Dean Bailey being diagnosed with cancer hit the playing group hard.

"I only had dinner with him two or three days before we found out that he had cancer and when 'Sando' (coach Brenton Sanderson) told the boys we were gutted - you could have heard a pin drop in the room," Douglas said.

"We stress about footy from time to time but when something like that comes up it hits you.

"The boys just love him, they gravitate to him and he's just such a good character to have around the place.

"It wasn't long before he shared a joke with the group. It's a sad and tough time for him, but all the boys are there for him and we just need to support him."

Crows assistant Dean Bailey has been granted indefinite leave by Adelaide after being diagnosed with chest cancer.

"It's a real challenge for Dean and for his family and our priority as a club is, first and foremost, to support Dean through it and to support his family," Crows CEO Stephen Trigg said.

"I don't expect to see too much of him before Christmas as he puts the absolute priority on himself and getting himself right."

In addition to his role as Adelaide's match-day and strategy coach, Dean Bailey will now also oversee the club's development program for each player on the Crows' list.

"He's got a great eye for detail about what's required and the real core fundamentals and basics of guys at various levels of their footy career," Adelaide list manager David Noble said about Bailey.

"From the guy walking in on day one, to the Benny Rutten in that veteran status who's been around and been an All Australian … Dean's got an eye for detail on what's required at the top level and to be a successful finals team."

Dean Bailey will resume his role as Adelaide's strategy coach after serving a 16-game suspension.

"We have a fair bit to do with him as a playing group and to miss him for 16 weeks, we've noticed all 16 weeks – seems like an eternity," Crows midfielder Bernie Vince said.

"He did a lot of opposition analysis stuff and set plays for us as well … he did a lot of that behind the scenes work that other people didn't have to worry about.

"He's going to come back and do all that stuff again and get us up to scratch there again."

Crows chairman Rob Chapman says assistant coach Dean Bailey will still be a significant asset to the club despite a 16-match ban from match-day and training duties.

"He is still going to have a fair influence on this football club," Chapman said.

"He is not keeping his job out of our loyalty to him. Dean will earn his keep and he will contribute to the success of this football club."

Former Melbourne football operations manager Chris Connolly has been banned from football for 11 months and former senior coach Dean Bailey suspended from coaching for 16 rounds as a result of the AFL's investigation into the club's on-field performance during the 2009 season.

The AFL ruled that both Connollly and Bailey "had acted in a manner which was prejudicial to the interests of the AFL".

Bailey will be allowed to continue his role as assistant coach of the Crows during his suspension but will not be allowed to perform any match-day role or work with players.

"Dean is a very admirable man, and through the whole situation, and from the date of his termination up until the present he has acted admirably," Bailey's lawyer Chris Pollard said.

"I emphasise that there is no evidence from the investigation that he was not coaching to his utmost and coaching to his merits. The fact is he has not been found guilty of not coaching to his merits."

Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson says he is certain Crows assistant coach Dean Bailey will be cleared of any wrongdoing from the AFL's investigation into allegations of tanking by Melbourne.

"Dean's under investigation at the moment, but in the 12 months he's been working with us he's been outstanding and I'm really thankful for the support he's given me," Sanderson said.

"I know the investigation's close to coming to an end, I'm really confident that Dean's name's going to be cleared, so at this stage no, there's no plan B."

Crows chairman Rob Chapman is confident the AFL's tanking probe won't lead to any individual charges against assistant coach Dean Bailey during his time as head coach of the Demons.

"I know and understand Dean's version of events and I don't think he has a case as an individual to answer to, but that's up to the AFL to decide," Chapman said.

"All we're focusing on at the moment is making sure Dean has the right advice and the right support around him which I'm confident he does have and let's get his response back into the AFL and then the ball is back in their court for the next move.''

Former Melbourne coach, and now Adelaide assistant coach, Dean Bailey hires the services of lawyer Chris Pollard to defend claims he brought the game into disrepute by deliberately failing to coach the Demons with the intention of winning during his second season in charge.

Bailey has been interviewed three times by the AFL's investigations department, which has served him, Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab and ex-football manager Chris Connolly with a 1000-page dossier containing the findings of the league's five-month tanking probe.

A Demons player breaks his silence to reveal coach Dean Bailey called a player meeting to signal a change in tactics midway through the 2009 season.

"It was at the Junction Oval. All the players got spoken to as a group," the player said.

"He (Bailey) took us in and said this is what we're going to do going forward for the rest of the year. This is the position we are at.

"He said: 'Look, you blokes are going to get played out of position. We want to see what roles you guys can play because now in today's game you need to play a number of roles and we are building a list to go forward'.

"'We need you guys to be able to do this, so don't be shocked or ask questions why - because I'm telling you why right now'."

Former Melbourne coach Dean Bailey has joined Adelaide as its strategy and innovation coach.

"The club is thrilled to add Dean's senior experience to our mix of coaches. His role will have a heavy emphasis on strategy, both our own and opposition analysis," Crows chief executive Steven Trigg said.

"He will also provide support to Brenton across all areas and he heads up, in a coaching perspective, our innovation program.

"With Dean and Mark Bickley as the two key reports to the senior coach, this will allow Brenton optimal time to work with the players."

AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson says he does not believe that Melbourne was tanking despite frank admissions by recently sacked coach Dean Bailey that he coached the club so that they would be "well placed for draft picks".

"I asked Dean yesterday exactly what he meant by his comments, and what he said he meant was that he did play players out of their position as part of their development, guys like Mark Jamar playing forward and Neville Jetta on the ball," Anderson said on 3AW

"He also said he meant that they allowed senior players to leave the club and get draft picks in return and pursue those draft picks. He also said at all times he believed the players were playing to the utmost of their ability."

Dean Bailey is sacked as head coach of Melbourne following the Demons' humiliating 186-point loss to Geelong.

Following his sacking, Dean Bailey admits he played for draft picks in his first two years as coach of the Demons.

"I had no hesitation in the first two years putting the club in a position for draft picks," he said.

"I believe what we've done is right for the club and if it cost me my job, so be it."

Former Demon great Todd Viney will coach Melbourne for the rest of the season after Dean Bailey was sacked on Monday.

Dean Bailey says he underwent a searching review with the Melbourne board that lasted over three hours to earn his one-year contract extension.

"I put forward my view of the club - the list, the future," he said.

"It was about where we've come from, where we are now and where we should be. We went through the fitness, where our players should be at the end of this year.

"They really want to see where I see the club going. They took their time, and for me they came out with the result."

The contract of Melbourne coach Dean Bailey has been extended by one year, meaning he will be in charge of the club until at least 2011.

"It's a great challenge," Bailey said.

"There is still a lot of work to do but I believe we have the list in place to take us there. I will be doing my utmost and look forward to the challenge with great anticipation."

The playing future of Melbourne forward Russell Robertson remains unclear beyond this year.

"Robbo is an interesting one. His form was OK in the last couple of weeks and all of a sudden you see some opportunities being given to Petterd, Jurrah and Matthew Bate has been reasonably consistent," Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said.

"At the end of the year, we'll sit down and discuss our list management and I'm sure there'll be lots of players discussed and he'll be one of them."

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey says Colin Sylvia's suspension after striking Eagle Scott Selwood will have a big impact on the club.

"He's a player we're going to miss because he does kick goals and he does create some run through the middle of the ground which he's been really focused on this year, so ... it's disappointing it happened and we think playing the footy is more important than anything else," Bailey said.

"He's let us down, he's let the club down but I know that Col was really disappointed."

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey says his players can rally around ill president Jim Stynes by beating West Coast on Saturday.

"The emotion side of it is going to be the real key," Bailey said.

"We don't want the players to have played the game before they get there.

"We've got to make sure the focus is on winning the contested ball and winning the game. We don't want to overstate it and we don't want to understate it because Jim has been such a revelation to the club.

"He's brought trust and integrity beyond what we would think. We do need to rally around him and support him. There's no doubt about that and the way the players can do that is to really perform well."

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey has shrugged off accusations that No. 1 draft pick Jack Watts has been blooded too soon.

"Jack's a high-profile player now he's played two games so he's obviously going to be scrutinised," Bailey said.

"Management of him over the next couple of weeks and the rest of the year is going to be important.

Melbourne is confident they are managing the career of Jack Watts well, and coach Dean Bailey said the club won't be affected by media scrutiny.

"That just comes with the territory. Jack's a high-profile player... so he's obviously going to be scrutinised. That's what comes with playing AFL footy now," he said.

"He gets the focus because he's the No.1 draft pick. Management of him over the next couple of weeks and the rest of the year is going to be important.

"We understand the player, we understand the pressure on him, and we understand his schooling commitments.

"None of that's changed how we're going to manage him. We'll do the best for Jack and the club."

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey hopes his team has unveiled a forward who can do some "special things" after a promising debut from Liam Jurrah.

Jurrah was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing performance from the Demons, who lost by 48 points to Essendon at Etihad Stadium.

"It was good for LJ to show a little bit," Bailey said.

"I think it's good for him, confidence for him. It was a big occasion for LJ. He had a couple of nice chases, but his aerial stuff will only get better.

"I think he showed tonight that he has got a reasonable football brain. Hopefully we have uncovered a quick forward who can do some special things."

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey says Liam Jurrah's goalkicking form in the VFL prompted his elevation to AFL.

The indigenous 20-year-old forward has kicked 11 goals for the Casey Scorpions in the past three matches.

"His form at Casey in the last two weeks has been good and he's shown some really good signs at training, so the players are excited for him. And even though he might not say much, hopefully tomorrow we'll see a bit of speed and excitement," Bailey said.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey says Jack Watts is looking to make a bigger impact in his second game after a disappointing debut.

"I know deep down Jack was pretty unhappy with the way he played," Bailey said.

"I know tomorrow, without the extra pressure of his first game, I think Jack is going to show something.

"He's a very proud player and he was disappointed with his game, but he understands the benefits of playing the game. He's pretty keen to play well tomorrow."

Melbourne could unveil its fifth debutant of the 2009 season in the form of exciting forward Liam Jurrah.

"Liam's form in the last couple of weeks has been pretty good, so he's obviously under some consideration for this week," Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey says he will not turn his focus to gaining priority selections at this year's NAB AFL Draft despite his team posting a 1-10 win-loss ratio at the halfway point of the season.

"We've got 11 games to go and our intention is to try and pick a team that'll give experience to young players and still give us a chance to win the game," he said.

"You coach to win and players play to win - that's not going to change, hasn't changed this year and it's not going to change in the future."

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey says number one draft pick Jack Watts will play his second game in a fortnight after Monday's eight-possession debut against Collingwood.

"It's just good that Jack's played a game and ... got it out of the way, so he can look forward to his next game," Bailey said.

"He'll learn from today and he'll understand the speed and the pace of the game, as most players do after their first game.

"He was OK, but it was always going to be a tough job for him to come out and play his first game."

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey says there is a definite possibility No.1 draftee Jack Watts could play out the rest of the season with the Demons.

"What he's shown over the last couple of weeks, he deserves the chance to play this weekend. It happens to be Queen's Birthday and that's great," Bailey said.

"If you're a marketing person, you'd think that's brilliant, but I can tell you it had more to do when he was ready to play. He needed to put a couple of good games together, which he has done."

Melbourne remains coy on when top draft pick Jack Watts will make his senior debut.

"Jack's game on the weekend was okay [for Casey Scorpions]. He'll get another game this weekend at VFL level and if he plays well, then we'll consider him," Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said.

"He's a very busy man, Jack, he's got a lot of things going on in his life, let me tell you.

"The challenge for Jack is just to get some consistency and to manage his time, which he's doing really well and hopefully he'll play well in the VFL this weekend.

"That'll put some pressure on us, not just for the following week, but for the weeks after that. When he's ready, we'll pick him and when that time comes, we'll let you know."

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey pleased with career-best display by Demon Colin Sylvia against the Hawks.

"Col played well, which was good. He had a three or four-minute burst there where he really played well, so it's good to see. Since I've been here, he's worked really hard on the track, so it's nice for him to get a bit of a reward," Bailey said post-match.

"His pre-season was good, and he showed signs in the last six or seven games last year and he's worked really hard off field."

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey says Brad Green has recovered from his broken jaw and is ready to play this week.

"He's one of our elite players, so I'm sure Brad will be playing on the weekend," Bailey said.

Melbourne Demons president wants his No. 1 draft pick Jack Watts to play by round 12 but Demons coach Dean Bailey wants a more conservative approach to the prized recruit.

"It's delicate. I could sit here and say that's it, he'll play on such and such date. And everyone wants a date and time," Bailey said.

"But we have to keep Jack in a mode where we see regular progression. We also have to assess him week to week because the worst thing that could happen is he starts to get tired."

Melbourne president Jim Stynes has backed coach Dean Bailey's brand of football after last week's clash against Adelaide was labelled ugly.

"While Adelaide was criticised as being a poor game, we could have snatched victory in the last quarter," Stynes said.

"I understand we have to put on entertainment. But at the moment when you have a team that is struggling because of the age group playing and the lack of depth, I would rather support a team that fights out games rather than playing a style of play that means you could get blown out of the water."

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey has lauded the courage of run-with midfielder Clint Bartram to play against Adelaide on Sunday night, after Bartram’s father tragically passed away earlier in the day.

"He was adamant that he wanted to play," Bailey said.

"He desperately wanted to play. In the end, the best way for Clint to reward his father passing was to play and he was fantastic today. Not many 21-year-olds could do what he did."

It's been a long time coming, but anxious Melbourne fans will get their first look at prized No. 1 draft pick Jack Watts when he runs out for the Casey reserves on Saturday.

"Jack's going to be a week-to-week proposition. This is the first game he's played for six months, maybe eight months, so we'll just see how he pulls up and that will determine his training next week," Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said.

"We'll see how Jack goes tomorrow and that will determine where Jack plays the following week."

Dean Bailey says four debutants and the return of several senior players are positives for the Melbourne football club.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey has urged his developing defence to back themselves and be more daring this season.