But when the Harbour premier coach Paddy Stewart pulled out just before the season began, Medder was thrust back into the "hands on" role as premier coach after a 16-year gap.
Medder (72) is the oldest coach of a premier rugby team in Dunedin, and probably the oldest in the country. He last coached a premier team in 1993.
"If I'm not the oldest I feel sorry for the coach who is older than me," Medder told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
Medder retired as a player in 1964 and then became a referee for nine years before he began his coaching career with Port Chalmers in 1974.
The club regained premier status when it beat Alhambra 7-3 in the promotion-relegation game in 1983.
He coached Port Chalmers until 1986 and then took three years off when Russell Hawker filled the role.
Medder was back in the harness in 1990-91 and was a prime mover in the amalgamation of Port Chalmers and Ravensbourne to form Harbour.
He gave up the reins with Harbour after two years at the end of the 1993 season and has spent the last 16 years as a supporter and administrator. He was president of the Otago Rugby Football Union in 2006.
Some would say he has mellowed with age and his approach to coaching is different.
"In the old days I would rant, rave and bellow and motivate the team by thumping on the table," Medder said. "These days it's different and I just have a quiet chat with the players."
Medder has found players are now better educated in the basics of the game through the various coaching schools.
"There is a lot more consensus now," he said. "I consult the senior players on tactics and training sessions.
"The old bull at the gate style has gone. In the old days I dominated the team but now I try to deliver what they want."
In his Port Chalmers days Medder concentrated on the forwards and played a 10-man style of rugby. But he loosened up with Harbour and gave the backs a free rein and some exciting tries were scored in 1992 and 1993.
He has adopted the same approach with Harbour today and has given Dan Snee and Aaron Bancroft a free hand to direct the backs and attack from all parts of the paddock.
"They know their way around the paddock very well," he said. "My input is just to make the odd comment on what they should and should not be doing. I have minimal input into any of their attacking moves.
"The game has changed so much and I am reliant on the senior players to give me a lot of help."
But he still insists on the forwards doing the hard work which sees Harbour sitting midtable in the competition.
"If you don't insist on the basics being done by the pack you don't get the results," Medder said. "You still need the correct techniques at the line-out, scrum and clean out."
Medder still enjoys the companionship that develops in a team environment.
"I enjoy the contact with the players," he said. "They are a great bunch of guys and have a good ethic about life. Team sports develop character. When guys are in a tight situation they won't let their mates down."
In his earlier coaching days Medder used to run around with the team at training.
"I was a lot more active then. I can't do that off a mobility scooter," Medder joked.
Medder has had good support from his wife Pauline (nee Bain) who also grew up in Port Chalmers. Their sons, Aaron and Dean, both played premier rugby for Port Chalmers.
• The Medder file
Jack Medder
Age: 72.
Family: Pauline (wife), sons Aaron and Dean.
Occupation: Retired executive.
Sport: Rugby.
Club: Harbour.
Administrative record: President ORFU 2006.
Premier referee: 1964-73Coaching record: Port Chalmers 1974-86, 1990-91; Harbour, 1992-93, 2009.
