The search for Paul Roos’s number two is heating up and widely anticipated with many teams reaching the end of their seasons.
On offer is the chance to learn from Paul Roos for two seasons, a man regarded by many as one of the best coaches in the business, before fully taking charge of the Melbourne Football Club.
Many informal discussions have been had throughout the season and many names have been linked to the role since the arrival of Roos to the Melbourne Football Club last year.
Originally it was Stuart Dew, a senior assistant coach at the Sydney Swans and ex-Hawthorn and Port Adelaide premiership player, who was famously blocked by Sydney from accepting the role. Now having signed a new three year deal last year, it’s safe to assume he is out of the running.
Cameron Ling was continuously linked with the role throughout the majority of 2014 and many coaching roles throughout the year before deciding to fully pursue his media career. Mark Thompson has also been linked recently in a somewhat unrealistic ideal and I’ll get to that later.
I’ve broken it down into three categories: the Favourites, the roughies and the underdog/unlikely.
The favourites
Simon Goodwin: At Essendon as a senior assistant to Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson, the former Adelaide captain is a very likely option for Melbourne. Clearly wants a senior coaching role having applied to the Brisbane Lions and Essendon for the head coaching role.
He came in the final two at Brisbane before losing out to Justin Leppitsch before being promoted to senior assistant having impressed as a caretaker coach at Essendon.
The man once regarded as the heart and soul of the Adeldaide Crows Football Club for whom he played over 200-plus games for, his career was built around toughness, versatility and courage. During his reign as captain of the club he was much respected and well-liked not only in Adelaide but also in the AFL.
The chance to learn off Paul Roos for two seasons would only enhance his experience and make him a better coach.
The role seems to suit him perfectly. A man amongst men, Goodwin has developed a reputation for his honest approach and his calm demeanour. As a man characterised by toughness and courage it would be logical for that to come through in his coaching.
If rumour is to be believed Goodwin is already a front runner for the position as Roos right hand man.
With the uncertainty at Essendon and the Bombers seemingly wanting to fit both James Hird and Mark Thompson into the same coaching panel, and Bomber Thompson probably wanting to reclaim his Senior Assistant role for the 2015 season. Simon Goodwin may be moved in to make it all possible.
The only negative to his name is that he doesn’t have more experience and has only been at Essendon thus far with his coaching career. But both these issues are seemingly fixed if he accepts the senior assistant role.
However, he is already in discussions with Melbourne and is reportedly going to be offered a five year deal, two as assistant, three as coach. It looks like a done deal, though it possibly won’t be announced until the Grand Final week.
Mark Harvey: I wasn’t sure whether to add Harvey to the favourites or the roughies the favourites but I’d say his experience at AFL level just pushed him into the favourites. The ex-Fremantle coach who was controversially sacked for Ross Lyon is back coaching, this time at Brisbane.
Harvey led the Dockers from the lower reaches of the AFL ladder to Finals contention and recruited most of the integral Fremantle players that form one of the AFL’s powerhouse sides.
He handles the media well and had a good report with most players at Freo and is gaining good reviews at Brisbane. His sides generally play a good style of football which is sure to please Melbourne fans.
Perhaps his only detraction is that his generally attacking style, which he developed in the latter years at Fremantle, would be at odds with Paul Roos’s defence first philosophy and also he recently moved to Brisbane.
However, the attraction to coach a Victorian club, learn off Paul Roos and eventually ease his way back into the senior role may be too good to refuse.
The roughies
Brendon Bolton: Whisper it quietly but the Smiling assassin called Brendon Bolton may return again.
The Hawthorn assistant coach stepped in to the senior role early this year when Alistair Clarkson was struck down with injury and led Hawthorn to four wins from four games. While managing the media in a brilliant and refreshing way he also handled the absence of several key players and kept Hawthorn going strong.
Having coached at the Hawk’s affiliate Box Hill and in the Tasmanian League where he won a premiership as a player-coach aged just 24, Bolton is on the up.
At Box Hill he is credited with ‘creating a positive environment so that AFL players actually enjoyed playing there according to Box Hill President John Ure. He is further credited with taking the side to the finals in 2009 and 2010 before he really impressed Hawthorn and became their midfield coach.
The man with the megawatt smile has the makings of a brilliant senior coach and wouldn’t look out of place coaching his own team in the near future.
His is said to have a team first philosophy similar to that of Paul Roos but favours faster ball movement. Although an outside chance and perhaps unlikely to leave such a successful team like Hawthorn, the Senior assistant role really would set Bolton up beautifully for the job.
The underdogs/unlikely
Mark Thompson: The legendary Geelong Coach with two premierships in ’07 and ’09 is credited partly with this brilliant, long-sustained run of dominance by Geelong.
Now at his much beloved Essendon after becoming senior assistant to James Hird, Thompson stepped up to the role of senior coach during Hird’s suspension.
There has been recent discussion among Melbourne fans, the media and online forums that Bomber may come to save Melbourne after Paul Roos finishes up, but it’s unlikely.
Thompson is on record of saying he doesn’t want a senior role again and although he has backflipped once before I am confident that even if he does, he still won’t come to Melbourne.
Thompson will either become ‘Head of Player management and Welfare’ at Essendon or a similar role associated with the aforementioned department, or will go to Adelaide.
Brenton Sanderson’s sacking has opened the door to the coaches box and the idea of Mark Thompson in the ‘city of churches’ to reclaim some lost pride is surely an enticing offer.
Adelaide would have the salary cap to make this happen, unlike Melbourne, who although they are reportedly set to record a miraculous profit this year, shelled out a massive multi-million dollar contract to Paul Roos and to do that two times in a row is just not sustainable.
Bomber will be at Adelaide next year. Simon Goodwin will be a Demon.
Watch this space.
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