Thompson would be an amazing get, to go from Roos to Bomba would be incredible but I'm not sure that it's realistic/practical. As many have said they have very different styles of playing and Roos is building a team based on that style, to then jump to the Bomba style could set us backwards while we adjust. Then again you could say that Roos is setting us up defensively, while Bomba could take us forward offensively.

Lingy is a media man for me, until he 100% commits doing an apprenticeship be it under Roosy or somewhere else he isn't going to be considered in my books. FWIW I don't think he would enter into be a senior coach without those preparations, especially after seeing how Voss has gone and even to a certain extent Buckley. Bucks was taken on too soon IMO, and his early years have shown that.

Kirk seems like a good candidate. He's doing his time as an assistant, he was an intelligent football when playing, highly respected in the AFL community, and he has history with Roos' game style and teaching methods. It would stand to reason that he would continue the Roos mantra after he has left coaching.

I'm hoping Roos will stay for the 3rd year minimum, I think he will given where we are at and that we still do not have the succession plan in place. The only way that would change is if we had someone internally already earmarked. Of course the dream is that he gets so ingrained with the club and it's direction that he can't help but stay for 5+ years!

Roos hasn't set his style yet, as the eyes would notice anyway.

Surprised Jude Bolton isn't being thrown around as a potential assistant. His article this week was fantastic, and having met the guy he's a ripping bloke too.

He's an accredited player agent and has publicly stated he has no interest in coaching.

If we want an experienced coach after Roos we should get in the ear of Clarkson.

Thompson would be great but I don't think he'll want to do it. He's always said he's just doing the year and then scaling down his coaching work. That sounds fair to me.

I also like the succession plan idea, just needs Roos to do 3 years minimum so something has been created first.

Roos hasn't set his style yet, as the eyes would notice anyway.

Yet we are leaking 10 goals less a game?

Stunning insight by Robbo.

Fills the page though.

Yet we are leaking 10 goals less a game?

If i were to train a team from the ground up, I would start from the back half first, strengthening, teaching, recruiting & grow the defensive aspects into instinctive habits first, prior to starting to release them a little, with some offence, after quite some time of stopping the opposition.

the priority of basics would be to defend, pressure the Oppo's, make them wilt under fierce attack on contest & then to hurt them going back the other way.

No talented but lacking in the Basics players would be given games, without the Hunger for the teams 1%er efforts. team first, flash last.

If i were to train a team from the ground up, I would start from the back half first, strengthening, teaching, recruiting & grow the defensive aspects into instinctive habits first, prior to starting to release them a little, with some offence, after quite some time of stopping the opposition.

the priority of basics would be to defend, pressure the Oppo's, make them wilt under fierce attack on contest & then to hurt them going back the other way.

No talented but lacking in the Basics players would be given games, without the Hunger for the teams 1%er efforts. team first, flash last.

I would do the same yet the way Hinkley and Leppich as examples implement coaching a new group is different to each other based on the overall style they are trying to implement. You can see alot of Roo's style with what he is implementing.

I would do the same yet the way Hinkley and Leppich as examples implement coaching a new group is different to each other based on the overall style they are trying to implement. You can see alot of Roo's style with what he is implementing.

yes, but I'm not talking about other teams. we are talking about Melbourne, & even in our Best Teams over the Decades, we still lacked a little in our defensive workrates & team abilities.

Its just not been bred into our clubs DNA whilst playing at home around the wings on the 'G'. so with that club culture, our defensive abilities have been really shownup, especially when our list is average.

this is why its more important for Us, to learn thoroughly, until its instinctive to do all the team things First, before we want to do all the creative & flashier things.

as far as the lions are concerned, they aren't that far removed from their great Era teams, so its not as big a step to win back the respect of fans for the team things to inspire.

We are benefited by the MCG; but the negatives are we tend to try to put on a show for the patrons of the MCG, before anything like the 1%ers. This is one of our biggest traps, for our young players, & old.

Their Ego's can run away from any disciplines, & the team orientation can suffer... egged on by supporters at the coliseum, wanting to see the flashy flighty stuff. Remember we haven't won a Premiership Cup, for how many Decades.

Is it past Robbo to just make something like this up purely as a cross-promotional opportunity to get viewers watching 360 on Monday night?

Is it past Robbo to just make something like this up purely as a cross-promotional opportunity to get viewers watching 360 on Monday night?

Or to make copy on a slow news day? Seriously what a nothing article, no basis in fact only an idea that sprouted in his head last Monday thinking "gee wouldn't this be good?" nothing more than fantasy booking by Yobbo.

I think everyone who watches AFL 360 can see how well Roosy and Bomber get along, but i can't see Bomber coming in unless Roos takes the 3 years and he comes in with us pushing for finals, and by then Roosy might decide hang on i have come this far, might stick around and finish the job.

Is it past Robbo to just make something like this up purely as a cross-promotional opportunity to get viewers watching 360 on Monday night?

While I think Mark Robinson's grasp of the English language is tenuous at best, I don't believe he is an outright liar. I expect he has some inside info, though who's to say how accurate that info might be?

Edited May 13, 201411 yr by Chook

As a few of us who watch Monday nights AFL360 have noted how Thompson and Roos are in agreement over pretty much everything and how he would be a great replacement. Now they are reporting in the HUN that we are wanting to talk to him about taking over after Roos.

The other names are Ratten, Voss, Harvey and Ling, Ling seems to be second fav after Thompson of course after Roos staying on.

Interesting to see where this leads.

It's certainly interesting watching these two interact on AFL360.

I can't see bomber taking a step back behind Hird upon his return and it appears he has the fire in the belly to coach again. Thompson would be my ideal replacement after Roos.

I also presume neither would feel threatened to work in the same environment if Roos decided he wanted to remain at the MFC as the Director of Football (Rodey Eade like position at Collingwood). If anything they would and should work really well together.

As for the other potential candidates stated I'm not a fan of any. Ratten, Voss, and Harvey are at best good position coaches (e.g. Midfield coach), and I certainly wouldn't want to see our list in any of their hands.

As for Ling, he could be a great coach one day but he is currently unproven and completely untried. He needs to start in a development role - not senior coach.

It's certainly interesting watching these two interact on AFL360.

I can't see bomber taking a step back behind Hird upon his return and it appears he has the fire in the belly to coach again. Thompson would be my ideal replacement after Roos.

I also presume neither would feel threatened to work in the same environment if Roos decided he wanted to remain at the MFC as the Director of Football (Rodey Eade like position at Collingwood). If anything they would and should work really well together.

As for the other potential candidates stated I'm not a fan of any. Ratten, Voss, and Harvey are at best good position coaches (e.g. Midfield coach), and I certainly wouldn't want to see our list in any of their hands.

As for Ling, he could be a great coach one day but he is currently unproven and completely untried. He needs to start in a development role - not senior coach.

This is the major problem as I see it. I don't think Hird will coach again after ASADA hit EFC. If Thompson manages to escape ASADA then he will coach at EFC.

Edited May 13, 201411 yr by ManDee

Assuming we keep Roos in a Director of Coaching role (which means we maintain his excellent man-management skills, which I think is his key ingredient), I'd love to see Ratten back at the club. He coached a Carlton list to finals that Mick Malthouse has done absolutely nothing with, and our midfield looked sharp when he was their coach.

I think he's a good strategist and footy brain, just doesn't have the calm head and people-skills of Roos. Combine the two... good as gold.

I reckon Carlton made a major mistake giving him the arse.

Anybody got the link to Robbo's story?

Assuming we keep Roos in a Director of Coaching role (which means we maintain his excellent man-management skills, which I think is his key ingredient), I'd love to see Ratten back at the club. He coached a Carlton list to finals that Mick Malthouse has done absolutely nothing with, and our midfield looked sharp when he was their coach.

I think he's a good strategist and footy brain, just doesn't have the calm head and people-skills of Roos. Combine the two... good as gold.

I reckon Carlton made a major mistake giving him the arse.

2 in that situation won't work, never does. If Ratten doesn't have the people skills he will never make a good senior coach and should stick to what he is doing.

I reckon this story is a bit of a beat up. Jacko would be completely negligent not try to have a chat to Bomber. He and the Bombers have said he won't be coaching there next year which means he is theoretically available. You'd think as a matter of course PJ will have some sort of discussion with everyone mentioned on this forum. He'd be negligent not to.

I bet like me and most of the rest of us, PJ is hoping that Roosy will work his way around to deciding to take the job on as the Dees, long term, Senior Coach rather than a 2-3yr consultant setting up for a successor.

Since the Adelaide game, if not a bit earlier, its becoming pretty clear that he is getting some serious traction with his coaching and after only 7 rounds we are all starting to see the signs of a Paul Roos coached team. If they keep going like this, by the end of the year coaching this team is going to be a much more appealing proposition. Why would you give that up to step away just to be the Director of Football with a massive pay cut. There would be no place for a succession plan under Bomber so he would need to go straight to being Director of Football or out the door. Doesn't make a lot of sense when you think about it.

Edited May 13, 201411 yr by It's Time

A quiet night for footy in Melbourne - check.

Paul Roos available to talk about an untested coaching set up at a (previously) struggling club - check.

A grandstanding, "head-on-TV" journalist looking for a story to keep his personal profile in the spotlight - check.

Result. One bag of speculative hot air.

Roos will hold firm to the plan set out by him and PJ when he signed on. By the end of this year a senior assistant will be in place, and that recruitment list is still probably quite wide but they will have a two 2 or 3 ready to approach by now. The successful candidate will assist Roos in 2015 during which time Roos will decide whether to stay for a 3rd year.

Bartlett, Roos and and PJ all have 2 character traits that are similar. 1 - they have a calm demeanour that hides an aggressive approach to success, and 2 - they do not leak information and hate it when others do. I don't believe for a moment that Robbo knows any more than he, or anyone else did, 4 months ago.