For those with long enough memories, the "best" coach does not always mean the person with a premiership record behind them. Here's a list of "best" coaches who were invited to another club, and for a million different reasons, didn't work out:

Barassi and the Dees

Joyce at the Bulldogs

Jewell at St. Kilda

Blight at St. Kilda

Walls at Richmond

Do you see the theme here? Premiership winning coaches who are offered huge money and incentives to come and take on a developing list at a struggling club. Sound familiar?

Malthouse, Roos, Clarkson may simply be a repeat of this age old formula. We must think outside the square a bit and go for someone who can bring to our club what we have rarely had.

I would love to get Roos here for two reasons:

1 . He is a culture changer

2 . Under his calm, friendly exterior he has a huge dose of mongrel. He will face-to-face any player, admin person or executive and give then bare cold hard facts wihtout any pause. But Roos is imply not going anywhere.

Could Malthouse handle our inner conflicts? I reckon it would end up a Blight / St. Kilda scenario

Clarkson knows the Melbourne cuture and will not come. Those great early 90's teams should have been premiership teams but the club was a shocking, dysfunctional mess at the time, and Clarkson was there. Not enough culture change at the top to attract him back.

For mine, Laidley is the best option available, but only after discussion about his coaching team. Getting this right is as important as the head coach. His assistants must also be people who can LEAD. I would love to see this scenario:

Dean Laidley - head coach

Wayne Carey - Forward Coach

Scott West - Midfield coach

Gary Ayres / Brett Lovett - Defensive Coach

Todd Viney - Head of coaching/coaching overseer / mentor.

.

Also Pagan at Old Carltonians.

I think we should start a petition against Dean Laidley being coach. I would be absolutley crushed if we got him as Head coach. His CV looks terrible. We are aiming for the stars ppl. Sounds to me like some ppl want the same old medicore near enough is good enough style of coach. Well i tell u what i sure as dont want that attitude anymore.

Sign Here........

Jesus Christ, how about no? An assistant maybe. But senior coach? Cya later.

I think we should start a petition against Dean Laidley being coach. I would be absolutley crushed if we got him as Head coach. His CV looks terrible. We are aiming for the stars ppl. Sounds to me like some ppl want the same old medicore near enough is good enough style of coach. Well i tell u what i sure as dont want that attitude anymore.

Sign Here........

1. billy2803

Jesus Christ, how about no? An assistant maybe. But senior coach? Cya later.

Didn't know JC was available but I agree.....he's been out of the game too long and tends to be all "turn the other cheek" and "forgive them father" not the hard nut we apparently need

No thanks. I want someone who's climbed the mountain. Laidley did well with what he had but that's immaterial. His sides were pretenders that were exposed and flogged in finals. I want us to go hell for leather for Clarkson or Choco. I'm really starting to warm to the idea of Choco. He's an animal full of passion. I also want Trengove as captain. The old journeymen on our list can be led by a natural leader. I also want Scully to rack off. As someone who lives in Sydney, I'm going to give him a gob full at any game I attend here.

Don't agree with that one Ned. I think the title 'premiership coach' is overused. They're premiership clubs. As an example, Malthouse has won premierships with both West Coast and Collingwood. At the time of their success, both of these clubs were at the forefront, in off-field terms. They were both putting large amounts of money into their football departments and both had fantastic supporter bases. Malthouse had a stint at Footscray/Western Bulldogs but to no avail.

Let's not over rate the coaches. These guys are all reading from the same handbook, so to speak. Dean Bailey was removed to appease us and potential sponsorship not because they thought he wasn't the best guy for the job. I don't believe our club will win or miss out on premierships based on our choice of coach.

Edited August 4, 201113 yr by WAClark

Can you just remind me about his trading record especially referring to the names Thompson & Hay. We could almost guarantee the Hawks another flag.

If you base coaches 'ability' on their trading record, then Bailey trading out Brock McLean and Travis Johnstone for Gysberts and Grimes makes him Coach of the Century!

Laidley is still under contract at Port Adelaide, isn't he ? So, if that is the case I don't think a consultancy role with Viney over the next 5 weeks would be on the cards.

edit:

With regard to the coaching prospects, I would want a coach that has had experience at a club first hand and is up to date with current trends in the game. I ask myself what are the credentials of Laidley and the like ? Williams ? The game is forever changing...Williams has been out of the loop in GWS, is he up to speed with zones etc, how have both these guys fared in relation to today's game ? Their characteristics, demeanor ? How would they fit in ? And would they fit in with the boys club ?

Then I look at Eade, Malthouse - both at clubs and unlikely until proven otherwise IMO, especially the latter.

I keep coming back to Viney. Despite him stating he doesn't want to coach.

Outside of that guys like Neeld (Coll)and Burns (West Coast) interest me.

But I'll leave that to hopefully the right people to make the best appointment.

Why Viney? I don't know the guy, and have never played under or worked alongside him, so I can only comment based on reputation/CV. However, on that basis there are a bunch of assistants ahead of him.

A thing to keep in mind this time around is last time one G Lyon only participated in the choice, now he'll be heading it up by all accounts. He , liek the rest of us has seen first hand that what we need is a more no-nonsense, more hard at it type footy nouse in a coach. Lyon will be less impressed with folders of presentations etc as opposed to the simplicity of "This is how Im going to kick some accountability into this team and get it playing football"

Tip..next coach will be a bit more old fashioned and a hard nut.. ; an understandiing of the current game...but a hard nut.

I am certain I read or heard Lyon say that he didn't want to ever be involved in choosing a Coach again; or at least that I read or heard that it was reported that Lyon had such feelings.

Lyon did say that, and repeated it on Footy Classified on Monday... but conceded that he'd likely now be involved in the process again.

Why Viney? I don't know the guy, and have never played under or worked alongside him, so I can only comment based on reputation/CV. However, on that basis there are a bunch of assistants ahead of him.

Including the two I mentioned.

I've asked myself exactly that. Why ?

I think when and if the dust settles in several weeks it might (hopefully) be a little clearer. He has said he will remain in the position role of Player development. And he may well do.

Perhaps my early clouded assessment is the current landscape and the apparent volatility that exists and apparent apprehension of potential candidates about the landscape of the MFC. (ref: D.Laidley about canvassing Mfc before deciding to throw his hat in the ring to apply).

Viney has been at Hawthorn, Adelaide and now our club for a year. He's a part of the furniture and knows the list now. Like you I can only comment on his reputation/CV (being under Clarkson and involved in a Premiership has to count), other than that I'll use a Roost It favourite and say for the moment it's just a hunch. He'll more than likely stay in his development role, as he himself stated. But circumstances occassionally change.

*Landscape might equate to the 'boys club'

I am certain I read or heard Lyon say that he didn't want to ever be involved in choosing a Coach again; or at least that I read or heard that it was reported that Lyon had such feelings.

well..yes he had said that in teh past. And yet there he was on camera the other night /day saying one of his immediate jhobs was to get Melbourne the best coach it could.

Im not the one changing my mind...but circumstances have changed somewhat ..havent they.

Don't agree with that one Ned. I think the title 'premiership coach' is overused. They're premiership clubs. As an example, Malthouse has won premierships with both West Coast and Collingwood. At the time of their success, both of these clubs were at the forefront, in off-field terms. They were both putting large amounts of money into their football departments and both had fantastic supporter bases. Malthouse had a stint at Footscray/Western Bulldogs but to no avail.

Let's not over rate the coaches. These guys are all reading from the same handbook, so to speak. Dean Bailey was removed to appease us and potential sponsorship not because they thought he wasn't the best guy for the job. I don't believe our club will win or miss out on premierships based on our choice of coach.

Fair point. But Malthouse, from memmory, took the dogs to top 4 and was very young at the time. I still believe that a man who can take a team to the top has something special. Of them all I'd take Roos as he did it quickly and without an exceptional list. But he's not available.

Fair point. But Malthouse, from memmory, took the dogs to top 4 and was very young at the time. I still believe that a man who can take a team to the top has something special. Of them all I'd take Roos as he did it quickly and without an exceptional list. But he's not available.

Correct on his time with the Dogs. Malthouse has succeeded wherever he's gone. Collingwood's list was absolute tripe when he took it on, and a couple of years later he had them playing off in back to back Grand Finals. Should we be so lucky to appoint him, it would be unmitigated party time.

Edited August 4, 201113 yr by pantaloons

Fair point. But Malthouse, from memmory, took the dogs to top 4 and was very young at the time. I still believe that a man who can take a team to the top has something special. Of them all I'd take Roos as he did it quickly and without an exceptional list. But he's not available.

Yeah and I certainly don't want to say that Malthouse is not a good or even great coach. I guess my main point is that different clubs have different circumstances. Rodney Eade has also taken the Dogs to multiple top 4 finishes but he hasn't had an opportunity at a great club. Theres a little bit of luck involved when the coaching roundabout starts-a-swingin'. I reckon if a club gets everything in order, a good coach is just icing on the cake.

Head assistant, but not the top dog. He certainly knows his footy.