Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade addresses his players during the AFL Round 07 match between the Western Bulldogs and the Sydney Swans at Manuka Oval, Canberra. Slattery Images
Right now there are three clubs looking for a new coach for next season. While it might be easier for these clubs to sell members on a coach with experience, there’s enough evidence to suggest Adelaide, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs should all avoid going down that path.
To be clear, that is assuming these clubs can’t tempt Mick Malthouse away from the Pies, or Alastair Clarkson away from the Hawks, or Paul Roos away from retirement.
Any of these coaches would be a fantastic coup for any club. Only problem is, right now, they all appear relatively “off limits”.
When you take a look at which coaches with AFL experience actually are available, there’s not much to really get excited about.
It’s doubtful anyone fitting that description warrants another senior coaching gig, mainly because they all – Rodney Eade, Neil Craig, Dean Laidley – failed to win a premiership in their first (or second) stints as coaches. (For the record, Mark Williams has gotten a mention or two, but he’s a virtual senior coach at GWS so it’s hard to see him leaving there.)
There are two types of clubs in the AFL: those that are planning towards their next premiership and those that think they are.
An experienced coach may bring a club closer to that end goal in the short-term, but ultimately you are overlooking what should be the most crucial question of any coaching search – “will this man be our next premiership coach?”
If they have shown an inability to lead a team to ultimate success in the past, what would be different this time around?
Eade appears to be the most in-demand of the experienced coaches, yet he’s led two clubs without winning a flag. That doesn’t make him a bad coach. In fact his reputation suggests he’s a pretty good coach.
But he’s not a premiership coach.
Experience is what attracted Richmond to Terry Wallace instead of Alastair Clarkson, that story has been well documented. And experience also led the Bulldogs to Eade which, while far from the worst possible outcome, didn’t end in the Dogs going all the way.
At the end of the day, going all the way should be what these clubs are aiming for.
The best option for the Crows, Dees and Dogs would be to find the assistant coach that appears the most capable of leading a team to a premiership and expresses the qualities that premiership coaches of years gone past have shown.
Take a good hard look at Mark Neeld. Spend some time with Ken Hinkley and Brenton Sanderson. Give Alan Richardson, Scott Burns, Gavin Brown and Brendan McCartney a call.
It’s a risk in the short-term, definitely. But if you’re in this business to win a premiership, and if Malthouse et al truly are off-limits, what other choice do you have?
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Eddie talked about how he would sue any club who recruits Mick (perhaps Melbourne :D), well, imagine my surprise when I read that Mick was contracted to West Coast till the end of 2000? Ed's great, however he's always been hypocritical, and this is yet another (blatant) example of his hypocrisy. Melbourne should have no hesitation in going after Mick with everything they've got. :D
amazonfan
Roar Guru
I really admire Buddy (it's hard for me to love a full-forward who is so inaccurate, and which for some reason, he seems to get away with), but I adore Judd. An absolute match-winner, he is forever amazing, and even his least impressive season (2007, which was affected by injury) was still pretty good, and was in fact great up until he got injured. A genuine legend, if the VFL/AFL Team of the Century was done today (15 years after it was originally done), I would have Judd on a wing.
Swampy
Guest
If you look at the last decade of premiership coaches there are two things that stand out in their character. One is they played at a club that had a long period of success - a winning culture (malthouse, Sheedy, worsfold, Thompson, Matthews). The second was a radical style/approach was adopted (Sheedy, Roos, Williams, Clarkson, Thompson). If I were recruiting a new coach and aiming for a premiership then those two factors would have a great deal of weight in my view. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Yeh, I think he was anything but a dud. The reason he isn't mentioned is that he's been out of the AFL so long. Clubs have short-term memories. They only remember the last, often disappointing, days of great coaches (such as Mark Williams), and they forget high-quality coaches who haven't been AFL senior coaches for a while. Ayres suffers because he hasn't been in the AFL since 2004, and his exit was extremely messy.
brendan
Guest
I am glad you agreed that Ayres wasnt a dud had forgotten about Adelaide's prelim but had remembered that he also got Geelong up in 97 without Ablett senior only to have Adelaide controversially beat us when Colbert wasnt awarded a mark.He fits my citeria im not saying he is a certainty but it surprises me he isnt mentioned.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Wow, that's amazing, I'm really proud of you. :D BTW, I agree with you completely.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
'A total flop at afl level'? Nonsense. He coached Geelong to a gf, and Adelaide to a preliminary final. Even if you were correct that he rode 'malcolm blights coat tails', he still coached two clubs to preliminary finals (or better). That is the mark of a very good coach. Also, he didn't drive any clubs into the ground, that is just absurd. Brendan, strongly disagree that 'Coaches who have not won flags as players have a poor record', however I've discussed that to death with you already.
I would have to agree with your summation Michael. If the available "leading" coaches have not been able to perform at Finals level then there is no reason to believe they will in the future. Better to take a punt on someone else.
Brian
Guest
Definately backed up by the end of 2004, Richmond, Hawthorn & Footscray all needed a long-term rebuild. Richmond offered the most money and got Wallace, Bulldogs having suffered the inexperienced Rhode got Eade leaving Hawthorn with the untried Clarkson, even though the other two were ex-Hawthorn premiership players. The rest is history, although to be fair Eade was fairly successful.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Michael I haven't caught up with the sports section of the Age today, I'll be sure to watch out for it, thanks for the heads up, sounds good.
Seano
Guest
Michael, Nathan Bassett has to get a gig sooner or later, why not now? From all reports he is a genius and unlike grant thomas or Neil Craig he did it at the highest level for years as a player! I see it playing out like this. Eade - Melbourne Bassett - crows Dogs - Laidley, the problem with the yourng coaches you talk of is no flags as players which is a big issue. clarkson is the only coach in years to have done it without doing that and he captianed a melbourne reservs flag, some say captain-coached.
Alfred Chan
Expert
How come Peter Sumich's name hasn't arisen lately? It would be difficult to pry him away from West Coast but didn't he only narrowly miss out on the Freo job a few years back as well as make the shortlist for a few other clubs? He's been at the Eagles for the last decade but, look at what they have achieved!
kick to kick
Guest
Generally I agree that the value of old hands is over-rated and its worth noting that since 2005 the only "old hand" to win the title has been Malthouse. Roos,Worsfold Clarkson, Thompson were all relatively young and not that long promoted from assistant roles. However I think the rap on Eade for not having won a premiership is off the mark. Paul Roos often stresses how hard it is to win one and that luck is a crucial factor. Roos himself would not be a premiership coach without one freakish quarter from the unreliable Nick Davis. You might argue Eade doesn't have that last piece of winning magic. I'd suggest instead he's done brilliantly at two clubs with personnel not quite up to the top flight. He clearly does have an issue with his style becoming abrasive after 6 or 7 years - but that's a generous enough time limit. In my view Melbourbne would be crazy not to snap him up.
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Speaking of articles in The Age, (a shameless segue for a shameless plug...) I was lucky enough to be published in the paper today helping to answer the question, Judd or Buddy - which would you rather have? Thought a few Roarers would be keen to have a read - http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/buddy-v-juddy-20110818-1j0eb.html
The Cattery
Roar Guru
There was an interesting article in the Age yesterday, about the constant search for the ideal Supercoach, a bit like the search for the Holy Grail and Fountain of Youth. Ultimately, those that put their names forward as THE supercoach, suffer from what this article termed: Believus ownus bullshittus
todd
Guest
i odnt know how you find a premiership coach amongst all the current assistants. Its still a punt. Lyon wont take the job at Melbourne so they will have to look at an assistant. It doesnt helo the current caretakers doesnt want the job (and he was a champion player). I cant agree that a premiership is requisite for a player to make a coach. Its their coaching ability.Look at Wayne Bennt and Craig Bellamy in the NRL. very average players. Tte Dee's inparticular to adopt the same process as with Bailey and make it a 3 - 5 project to make the Grand Final. First year KPI must be top 8 with the list they have.
brendan
Guest
Harsh call he got Geelong into the 95 g/f and the side had been up for about 7 years.Port have won 16 in a row so he isnt riding anyones back there.Coaches who have not won flags as players have a poor record(Bailey,Craig,Knights in recent times) .Chris Scott threw Blake Caracella's name into the hat and he does have good all round experience including a flag at Essendon so he should be4 looked at.
TomC
Guest
Unfortunately not that old a practice.
jason
Guest
gary ayres was a total flop at afl level. rode malcolm blights coat tails and drove both geelong and adelaide into the ground. i would take nathan bassett over ayres if talking coaches outside of afl level, he's done some good things at norwood. i think that adelaide will go for an untried coach eg bickley, burns, sanderson, neeld. melbourne will almost certainly go for an experienced coach and i would presume that the bulldogs will go for a younger untried assistant coach as smorgon said the club needs to freshen up (malthouse would be a blast from the past) eg williams, cameron, neeld, brown.
BigAl
Guest
Hopefully all clubs are now professional enough to appoint someone who has coaching credentials - rather than the old practice of appointing a former champion player.