ALAN Richardson’s path to becoming a senior coach has seen him work under and alongside some of the most highly regarded people in the football industry.

As the 45^th coach of the St Kilda Football Club, Richardson automatically shoulders responsibilities he has never carried before. But given his vast experience at five AFL clubs and VFL side Coburg, the 48-year-old looks cherry ripe for the job he is about to undertake.

After 114 games as a reliable defender for Collingwood from 1987-1996 – in which he played under Leigh Matthews and Tony Shaw, Richardson moved into coaching and began his journey at East Burwood in the Eastern Football League.

His stint at the Rams yielded back-to-back flags in 1999 and 2000 before he was appointed coach of VFL club Coburg when it was aligned with Richmond.

The Tigers finished seventh then fourth in Richardson’s two seasons at Coburg City Oval, but at the end of the 2002 season he was courted by the Western Bulldogs and subsequently appointed assistant coach there.

Under the guidance of Peter Rohde for two years and Rodney Eade for one, Richardson looked after the Western Bulldogs defence which included youngsters Brian Lake, Lindsey Gilbee and Dale Morris - all of whom went on to become All-Australians.

However after three years at the kennel, he was on the move again – this time back to Collingwood as a player development manager under Mick Malthouse.

After finishing second-last in 2005, the Magpies played finals in both years Richardson was at the club. It was in this period that he continued to strengthen his reputation as an excellent communicator and a respected mentor.

His tenure at Collingwood saw a rapid rise in the playing stocks of youngsters Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas and Travis Cloke amongst others, and his work with these players was critical to putting the wheels in motion for the 2010 premiership.

After his time at Collingwood, he moved to Essendon for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons under Matthew Knights.

He was believed to be a leading candidate for the Bombers coaching job after Knights’ departure, but ultimately was trumped by favourite son James Hird for the position.

In search of greater opportunities and a more advanced position, Richardson joined Carlton in 2011 as senior assistant coach to Brett Ratten. Not only did he work closely with the playing group, but his portfolio included directing and advising other coaches as well as undertaking a leading role in training schedules and game-day activity.  

By this point, Richardson had established himself as one of the AFL's most highly-regarded assistant coaches.

Shortly after Ratten's departure, Richardson also left the Blues to join Ken Hinkley at Port Adelaide ahead of the 2013 season.

In another career move that exemplified his ambitions to land a senior position, Richardson was appointed Port Adelaide’s director of coaching and even took charge for Port’s round six clash against North Melbourne when Ken Hinkley was ill.

Like Hinkley himself, Richardson has built a wealth of experience at a number of AFL clubs.

He joins St Kilda after a healthy apprenticeship, with a sizeable CV and a strong reputation as a clear communicator priming him for a tilt at a senior position.

Evidently, he is ready for the challenge.

You can follow Tom Morris on Twitter: @tommorris32