reading through mark williams article on melb fc...heres the link http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/109603/default.aspx

interesting read, really enjoying these articles as they give great insight into the club on all levels. However thats not the point of my post, reading through the article he talks about all the coaches and what concerns me is almost all of the footy department are vfl people. Look at all the successful clubs from the last decade. all the coaches have been champions of the game in one away or another and are surrounded by assistant coaches who have had real success in the afl or plenty of experience. just look at essendon, geelong, collingwood and brisbane for example. other then scotty west we seem to lack in this department.

is this something to be concerned about?

Dean Bailey : premiership assistant coach 2000 @ essendon, 2004 @ port.

Todd Viney : premiership assistant coach 2008 @ hawthorn

Josh Mahoney: premiership player 2004 @ port

There was more afl premiership experience with Wellman on board. I think there is a level of afl premiership experience there to build upon.

Certainly an exciting panel of coaches. Great to have Viney on board!

r. Look at all the successful clubs from the last decade. all the coaches have been champions of the game in one away or another and are surrounded by assistant coaches who have had real success in the afl or plenty of experience. just look at essendon, geelong, collingwood and brisbane for example. other then scotty west we seem to lack in this department.

is this something to be concerned about?

Kevin Sheedy, Alistair Clarkson, Mick Malthouse, Denis Pagan.....ordinary players

Bomber Thompson...good player

Michael Voss, Leigh Matthews.....great players

No correlation between ability on the field and subsequent coaching result.

Bomber Thompson...good player

rumoured to be on $900K per season with bombers who seemed to have opened the war chest. that is amazing if tru. would love to know what packages wellman, goodwin, mccartney received !

and they payed out knighter !

have we got a war chest ?

Edited March 21, 201114 yr by Grimes to Watts

No correlation between ability on the field and subsequent coaching result.

Agree. Add Tim Watrson and Terry Wallace to that list. Great players...ordinary coaches.

rumoured to be on $900K per season with bombers who seemed to have opened the war chest. that is amazing if tru. would love to know what packages wellman, goodwin, mccartney received !

and they payed out knighter !

have we got a war chest ?

Essendon can get all the coaches they like. They dont have the cattle on the field. They are in a for a huge shock this year.

A friend once explained why Robbie Flower, great player that he was, wouldn't necessarily become a good coach.

Robbie addressing a player prior to big match at the G

"OK son, when you get your chance take a mark over the pack on half-back, play on, out run their quickest player, 3 bounces (2 on your left hand, 1 on your right). Get yourself into a bit of trouble in front of the members stand, sell the dummy, blind turn, straighten up on your non-preferred foot from the 50 and kick the goal. Understated punch of the air. Repeat"

Always thought hardworking, nuggety back pockets made the best coaches. Matthews did put that theory to rest.

Add Scott West to our list, he was a brilliant player!

Kevin Sheedy, Alistair Clarkson, Mick Malthouse, Denis Pagan.....ordinary players

Bomber Thompson...good player

Michael Voss, Leigh Matthews.....great players

No correlation between ability on the field and subsequent coaching result.

Wouldnt mind being as ordinary a player as Kevin Sheedy...

Agree. Add Tim Watrson and Terry Wallace to that list. Great players...ordinary coaches.

This is why Nathan Buckley is a massive call for the Pies. Especialy if Mick takes a walk to another club as well.

With our luck he will turn out to be fantastic, but geez it would be great to see this decision go pear shaped.

You might be able to add M.Voss to that list too soon.

Edited March 21, 201114 yr by The Great One 99

Recruit for talent and potential in the job you want them to do. I dont want Bails or any of the coaching staff to play, I want them to be great coaches. If we trust the board are recruiting for talent to get us to premierships, they can recruit whoever they need to so the job gets done. The feeder system and network is important in getting any job in a 'closed shop' industry, footy looks pretty much the same.

Great players do not always make great coaches - As stated above, lots of examples. I would take a netball coach with no AFL experience (think Neil Craig) if it would get us a flag.

One thing I don't like after reading this is Prendergast's recruitment. Surely when the club was about to enter a stage where recruiting was absolutely vital you get someone with experience in the role, not someone who's done other jobs in the industry. I hope he ends up being a recruiting genius, but I'm not sold on it yet.

Recruit for talent and potential in the job you want them to do. I dont want Bails or any of the coaching staff to play, I want them to be great coaches. If we trust the board are recruiting for talent to get us to premierships, they can recruit whoever they need to so the job gets done. The feeder system and network is important in getting any job in a 'closed shop' industry, footy looks pretty much the same.

Great players do not always make great coaches - As stated above, lots of examples. I would take a netball coach with no AFL experience (think Neil Craig) if it would get us a flag.

Just to set the record straight, you're technically right that Neil Craig has no AFL experience, however he was a very good player in the SANFL for many years, played in several premiership sides and captained SA. In fact, he turned down an offer to play in the VFL. That was at a time, pre-AFL, when in the SA mind at least (yes, I know!), SANFL and VFL were roughly equivalent in standard. Say what you like about the Crows, and I often do, but at the very least they're well drilled and well organised, and with only one recent exception, make us look like bumbling imbeciles whenever we play at Football Park. And they get into the finals on a pretty regular basis, unfortunately.

This is why Nathan Buckley is a massive call for the Pies. Especialy if Mick takes a walk to another club as well.

With our luck he will turn out to be fantastic, but geez it would be great to see this decision go pear shaped.

I think we'd all raise our collective glasses in a charge to eddie if that one went pear shaped. Oh lord may it come true.

For what it's worth, I used to work as a ski instructor. I remember my boss telling us all upon hiring us that it didn't matter how well we skiied, because they could teach us that. What really mattered is how well we related to others and how well we taught others. "We can teach you to ski, but not to teach. That is something in you". The same goes here IMO

For what it's worth, I used to work as a ski instructor. I remember my boss telling us all upon hiring us that it didn't matter how well we skiied, because they could teach us that. What really mattered is how well we related to others and how well we taught others. "We can teach you to ski, but not to teach. That is something in you". The same goes here IMO

Don't know what's happening around here recently, another in a series of informed, measured posts. Nice work!

Anyone here with kids doing sport will have had experience of that. The best tennis coach at my kids' club is way off being the best player, and when my son did soccer, an ex-international came in a couple of times - great for the autographs, and very nice guy, but that was about it.

Not saying that coaching at kids' level equates, but there are parallels.

This is why Nathan Buckley is a massive call for the Pies. Especialy if Mick takes a walk to another club as well.

With our luck he will turn out to be fantastic, but geez it would be great to see this decision go pear shaped.

You might be able to add M.Voss to that list too soon.

Hoping to add James Hird to this list one day!

I think the major thing we shall learn from 2011 is If Dean Bailey can Coach an AFL side.

He can teach, and do that pretty well it seems. But the light shines on Dean as much as the list this year.

I think he will do it. I think he will even suprise himself...sure hope so.