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Adelaide’s caretaker coach Mark Bickley says he’s uncertain if he wants the full-time job from next AFL season. Bickley will coach the Crows for their six remaining AFL matches this year following Neil Craig’s resignation on Monday.
But the dual Adelaide premiership captain says he’s unsure if he has the desire or qualities to land the permanent coaching role.
“It would be silly for me to sit up here and make the statement now that I’d love to do it full-time when there’s still more information to be gained,” Bickley told reporters on Tuesday.
“I don’t see a rush or feel a need to say that I want to do it right now.
“It’s a six-week period, for me it’s an opportunity to be a coach in my own right – I haven’t done that yet.
“Who knows what is going to happen in the next six weeks, which path or road may unwind or unfold, so I will wait until the end of that period, see how it has gone, and then make a decision.”
Bickley had been an assistant coach to Craig since 2009, which followed a five-year stint in the media following the end of his decorated playing career.
But the 41-year-old has never expressed a goal of becoming a head coach, saying the caretaker role was “a huge challenge and it’s exciting”.
“But it’s tempered with a whole range of other emotions – I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t some nerves … the enormity of the position is quite daunting,” he said.
Bickley said he would change certain facets given Adelaide, with just four wins and in 14th spot, would record its worst season.
“Whilst we want to win, we also understand that what we have been doing hasn’t been working so we need to try things differently,” he said.
“There is not a lot you can do when you’re two-thirds of the way through the season but certainly you will notice some differences, whether that be selection, whether that be positional.”
Bickley said Crows players carried a degree of guilt for Craig’s demise.
“When I looked at the players and seeing their faces yesterday, they were remorseful for Neil,” he said.
“He has put a lot of time and effort and energy into all of the players, he has had a lot of care for those guys.
“We have seen Neil put his heart and soul into coaching this footy club and we know that he wanted to have success.
“So for it to finish the way it has, and I guess the resignation in Neil that he wasn’t going to continue what he loved doing, of course they would feel as if there is some contribution towards that.”
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