Vale James Dore: The coach who took the Queanbeyan Tigers to a remarkable three-peat

On first impressions, James Dore came across as a mild-mannered accountant, which indeed he was.

In the coaches’ box, he took on a completely different persona as his passion and intensity for the role appeared to take control.

The players rarely witnessed this side of his personality. By the time he made his way down from the coaches’ box to speak to the players, he was calm, focused and constructive.

That is a glimpse into the personality of the man who guided the Queanbeyan Tigers to one of the most remarkable premierships in AFL Canberra history.

When James Dore arrived in the Canberra region in 1996 to work as an accountant, he had already achieved plenty in the game, notching 300 senior games in Country Victoria, four premierships as a coach in and around Gippsland, and he had development officer roles at Carlton and Essendon.

Despite his impressive resume, James had no intention of going back into coaching after moving to the Canberra region. His only connection to the code was through a part-time accountancy contract with the Queanbeyan Tigers.

This evolved.

He became a board member of the licensed club, and when the senior coaching position became vacant, he was eventually persuaded to take on the role in 1998.

James must have wondered what he had signed up to.

In the lead-up to the pre-season, the club had lost 35 players from the year before. Then, three of the new recruits returned home, followed by the loss of the leading full forward after a job transfer to Adelaide.

As an indication of the dire straits the club was facing, the Tigers couldn’t field a team for the under-19s and under-21s.

In his pre-season training session in 1998, less than 12 players turned up.

They then proceeded to lose every practice game by eight to 10 goals, including a loss to the club that went on to claim the wooden spoon that year.

Then, something quite extraordinary took place once the season started. The Tigers were a totally different team, winning their first eight games in a row.

History now shows that the Queanbeyan Tigers went on to win the premiership in 1998 and again in 1999 and 2000.

Three wins in a row created a legacy for many years to come.

James had developed an underdog mindset built on a perception that Canberra teams looked down on Queanbeyan. He crafted this mentality to perfection. His players seemingly possessed an inbuilt ability to scrap and fight against the odds.

Paul Walshe was the first-grade assistant coach in 1998 and 1999.

He remembers those days and James Dore so well.

“It’s hard to believe James is no longer with us. He was an incredible man with whom I had the opportunity to spend many hours in 1998 and 1999. He believed in people and got the best out of everyone. He gave me a chance to be his assistant coach when others probably wouldn’t have.”

Legendary Tigers coach Brian Quade says James Dore’s legacy is well deserved.

“He was a great coach. Fiery in the coaches’ box, but the results speak for themselves. He stepped up to the plate when things were looking grim.”

James Dore was described in one headline as an accidental coach.

The circumstances leading to him taking up the Queanbeyan Tigers coaching job may have been unusual, but there was nothing accidental about his ability to get players to lift to their full capabilities as was the case in 1999 when half the team carried injuries into the grand final against Belconnen, before winning the decider by 16 points.

This is why he will be remembered as a legend not only for the Queanbeyan Tigers but also for the entire competition.

James was 76. A memorial service is expected to be held in Victoria.