Mark Riley appointed VFL Coaching Mentor

20/10/2025

The Sandringham Football Club is pleased to welcome Mark “Bomber” Riley to the club as our VFL Coaching Mentor.

Riley will assist our coaching team, with CEO Mark Wheeler stating,

"It is very exciting to have someone of Bomber's calibre join us. Given his extensive experience in AFL coaching, we eagerly anticipate him sharing his insights with Wardy and his coaching staff. He will primarily serve in a mentoring capacity for all coaches, in addition to being a sounding board for Daniel."

Riley has an extensive coaching history in the AFL, stemming back to the end of 1994 when he joined Fremantle Football Club as a Development Coach (and then Assistant Coach) on his entry into the AFL. Since then, he’s held various roles including Senior Coach/Football Manager at Claremont Football Club (2000 – 2002), Assistant Coach and then Caretaker Senior Coach at Melbourne Football Club (2002 – 2007), Assistant Coach at Carlton Football Club (2007 – 2012) and Assistant Coach at Gold Coast (2012 – 2014). He was awarded the JJ Leonard Western Australian Football Coach of the Year award in 2002 and the AFL Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2009. Riley then joined St Bernard’s (VAFA) as their Senior Coach at the end of 2015 and retired from the role at the end of 2019.

He is a highly respected coach, a teacher, a mentor and an excellent communicator who builds relationships based on mutual trust and respect.

Outside of football, Riley is the Zone Manager – Victoria & South Australia at the Clontarf Foundation, which exists to improve the educational and employment opportunities for young indigenous men. He has previously worked in education and financial services, along with his three decades in football.