There’s an old saying that two heads are better than one. But when it comes to coaching in AFL, there has always been a clear hierarchy.
The senior coach is the team’s off-field leader. Sometimes he is deified (think Kevin Sheedy, Tom Hafey, Leigh Matthews) and sometimes he becomes the sacrificial lamb.
Whenever there are murmurings of discontent at a club, the coach is the first person with a target on his back. Just ask Brenton Sanderson or Guy McKenna or Brendan McCartney. They can tell you what it’s like to be sent to the slaughterhouse.
When there is only one person in charge it’s logical to assume they are responsible for all failures. It’s rational to suspect that without them, your team would have made the eight, or recruited better, or nurtured bourgeoning talent more effectively.
Sometimes these are the white lies we tell ourselves to make us feel better; sometimes we see through them, but mostly we believe our created falsities.
So what happens when a coach is neither sacked nor able to coach a game? What do we tell ourselves then?
Last season, when Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, the football community held its breath. There was uncertainty surrounding the condition, Clarkson’s subsequent time on the sidelines, and the impact his illness would have on Hawthorn’s season.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and we now know that Clarkson’s absence did little to deter Hawthorn’s back-to-back premierships. Brendon Bolton, the man to replace Clarkson for five weeks, had the best figures of any coach in 2014: five games for five wins.
The premiers demonstrated the talent in their off-field team was as deep and versatile as the team that demolished a hapless Sydney on grand final day.
This should be something that every AFL team seeks to emulate.
While it is rare for coaches to miss games through illness, last year’s situation with Clarkson proves that it is not an impossibility. And Allan Jeans’ brain surgery in 1988 proves Clarkson’s case is not an anomaly.
AFL clubs use the preseason to test out the strength of their playing list, to give up-and-comers a chance, and to trial a range of game-day plays and tactics. Why not use the preseason to also test the strength of the assistant coaches?
This preseason marks the fourth NAB Challenge in a row that Clarkson has relinquished his role as senior coach. Brett Ratten, the former Carlton coach, took the reigns for Hawthorn’s loss to Collingwood at the weekend; Cameron Bruce will experience the role as top dog on Saturday against North Melbourne; and, Brendan Bolton, the hero of 2014, will have a chance to add another senior coaching start to his resume when he leads Hawthorn against St Kilda on March 19.
Sydney and Port Adelaide – the 2014 minor premiers and the team that lost to Hawthorn by a mere three points in the second preliminary final – are two other teams testing out the depth of their coaching staff at this year’s NAB Challenge.
Stewart Dew will replace John Longmire at the helm for the Swans, with Henry Playfair and John Blakey coaching one match each, while ex-Sydney Swan Matthew Nicks will stand in for Ken Hinkley at Port Adelaide.
If it’s good enough for the teams that finished first, second and third, it should be good enough for the rest of the competition. Even if assistant coaches never get the call-up to replace a senior coach, the experience they gain is invaluable.
What’s more, the shake up of the coaching structure is also valuable for senior coaches, who get the chance to view the workings of the club through a different lens. They may realise that things could be done in a different way to maximise certain results. Conversely, their coaching methods may be reaffirmed through their observations from the sidelines.
Some may argue that senior coaches need to use preseason games to gain their own match-day momentum leading into the home-and-away season. It’s a fair point: momentum can be useful come Round 1.
But the greater sin would be allowing a coaching staff to be so superficial that no assistant coach could replace the senior coach if he fell ill.
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Chief certainly gave David King the details he wanted!
Will it get the Hawks ready for a crucial clash with North Melbourne?
Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
Collingwood premiership defender Nathan Murphy has been forced into a premature and immediate AFL retirement through concussion to prioritise a "full and healthy life"…
Geelong has been crafty and creative in its list management and has quietly assembled a very exciting young group of midfielders and half-forwards.
Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale will be looking to lead his team to a victory against Melbourne in what will be his 250th AFL game.
