Melbourne boss Peter Jackson admitted the club could move away from its coaching succession plan come Paul Roos' departure at the end of 2016.

I think its good at least that we're always re-evaluating things.

Might also read as ....we cant make up our minds on anyone ( or no one we want has said yes )

Could be any reason but again its always good to not get too stuck in a rut .

Melbourne boss Peter Jackson admitted the club could move away from its coaching succession plan come Paul Roos' departure at the end of 2016.

I think its good at least that we're always re-evaluating things.

Might also read as ....we cant make up our minds on anyone ( or no one we want has said yes )

Could be any reason but again its always good to not get too stuck in a rut .

Might also read as, let your assistant coach go or we might be coming after your senior coach.

Ross Lyon out of contract at end of 2016, I wonder if a good financial offer and the end of freos flag window could tempt him?

Melbourne boss Peter Jackson admitted the club could move away from its coaching succession plan come Paul Roos' departure at the end of 2016.

I think its good at least that we're always re-evaluating things.

Might also read as ....we cant make up our minds on anyone ( or no one we want has said yes )

Could be any reason but again its always good to not get too stuck in a rut .

Been mentioned before - we have a very shrewd operator as our CEO and a clever coach. I suspect that the end of the season we will lock in a senior assistant coach, I suspect we will go down the succession path and I have enough faith in the people now running our club that the successor will be evaluated by Roos and co at the end of season one and before the end of 2016 and we will either proceed with the handover or we will have been actively seeking out a higher profile out of contract coach to take over in 2017 because the confidence in the successor is not as it should be. Succession plans are NOT set in stone. ( we only have to reflect on the events that led to Roos getting the job in Sydney - whilst it was clunky at the time I admired that they abandoned the Wallace takeover as it was determined that it was not the right choice)

Melbourne boss Peter Jackson admitted the club could move away from its coaching succession plan come Paul Roos' departure at the end of 2016.

I think its good at least that we're always re-evaluating things.

Might also read as ....we cant make up our minds on anyone ( or no one we want has said yes )

Could be any reason but again its always good to not get too stuck in a rut .

because we are in talks with Bomber Thompson?

Bomber doesn't need a succession plan.

Might also read we reckon we can sign Paul for another three if we don't force him out with a successor?!

Ross Lyon out of contract at end of 2016, I wonder if a good financial offer and the end of freos flag window could tempt him?

I hope not. He left the Saints in a hole and showed himself to be a man of little charactor in the process. I can't see him leaving Freo any better. Give me someone that has an eye for what he leaves behind rather than a glory hunter like Lyon.

Melbourne boss Peter Jackson admitted the club could move away from its coaching succession plan come Paul Roos' departure at the end of 2016.

I think its good at least that we're always re-evaluating things.

Might also read as ....we cant make up our minds on anyone ( or no one we want has said yes )

Could be any reason but again its always good to not get too stuck in a rut .

Could also be, "gee I am really enjoying this much more than I ever thought I would, I might have to see the job through now". Roos did state on AFL360 Monday night that he was enjoying himself immensely and that all people at MFC, supporters included are tremendous people and are working extremely hard to become a successful club once more. Listening to him talk on Monday night I get the feeling that he is REALLY enjoying himself now.

Might also read we reckon we can sign Paul for another three if we don't force him out with a successor?!

Nah, Roos said before he even signed on, that if he does stay for the extra year then that will be the absolute max for him to coach us. Wants to spend some time overseas with his family, etc, but said that he'd still love to stay at the club in some capacity.

AC will be available by then.

We need another guy who knows what he is doing and has the runs on the board.

The MFC cannot afford "might be's"

Nothing but the best is the only way to the top.

If this club is pushing for finals in 2016 I personally can't see Roos jumping ship, no matter what he's said.

If this club is pushing for finals in 2016 I personally can't see Roos jumping ship, no matter what he's said.

Roos has said many times he will only answer questions about what he knows right at that moment,

3 years down the track the club is pushing for finals, looks to be a serious chance for a flag within another 2-3 years, I reckon Roosy will stick around, I just don't think he wants to commit long term because if it doesn't work out he doesn't want to be stuck here.

Ross Lyon out of contract at end of 2016, I wonder if a good financial offer and the end of freos flag window could tempt him?

Agree with this.

We all want Roosy to stay as long as possible, but if he does leave after three years I would go very hard at Lyon.

Look at the factors - good mates with Roos, has coached under him, they share a similar footy philosophy and game plan, lots of Sydney coaches at the club, Freo potentially out of their premiership window, ageing key players like McPharlin, Pavlich, Mundy, Sandilands, Dawson, Johnson, Crowley, Mzungu, Ballantyne, etc. on the way down or retired / retiring, a desire to be a career coach, potential attraction of a return to Melbourne.

Make no mistake Lyon is a sensational coach - to do what he did at St Kilda and what he has done at Fremantle - turning two historically unsuccessful clubs into AFL powerhouses - is a fantastic achievement.

If Roos is to go at the end of 2016 he (and Clarkson if he were available) would be my no.1 targets.

The key for us is to ensure our list continues to improve and our performances continue to improve so that we are seen as an attractive proposition for these blokes.

You're a long time retired and surely another three or five years on $1-$1.5m per year will go along way towards multiple overseas trips with his family - he can buy a house on each continent if he wants.

The interesting part of that article is that PJ has yet to commit. We also need him to extend until the end of Roosy's tenure. It has been bloody refreshing this year to not constantly be hearing about leaks from disgruntled employees, losing sponsors due to ineptitude, board members coming out to can the performance of the team or some other administrative f*** up. A lot of the thanks for that needs to go to PJ. We heard a lot from him last year as quite frankly, he probably needed to be the face of the club as he was the one most likely to be there in the medium-short term after the new broom had swept through. It's great to see that he has been barely sighted this year. Things just seem to be running efficiently with very little fuss or fan fare which has allowed us as fans to focus on what matters: the product that is out on the paddock.
PJ, you may be looking to train your own successor but right now we need YOU to resign for another 1-2 years!

Is the plan to have Bomber come on board with Ling as his assistant for the longer term?

What about the blokes sitting right under their noses : Jade Rawlings or is he not interested. He has managed our Defence and developed a cohesive unit . Has served a very good apprenticeship.

Alternatively Daniel Cross : Maintains high standards repecred throughout Club and Football. HAs had Roos for 3 years (at end of 2016). Could retire end next year or play a Giancirac...role next year.

I hope not. He left the Saints in a hole and showed himself to be a man of little charactor in the process. I can't see him leaving Freo any better. Give me someone that has an eye for what he leaves behind rather than a glory hunter like Lyon.

Don't really agree with this, Ross Lyon is only coaching at his second club, Saints balked and to secure himself financially he moved. So in hindsight we are saying he left the St Kilda list in a bad way. Where woul dthey be now with Dal Santo and Goddard still on their list.

He is now at his second club and I think you will find he has been bringing a lot of youngsters through at the Dockers and has recruited the likes of Taberner and Apeness with a view to the future for when Pav and Mcpharlin depart. I think he can be judged fairly after he leaves Fremantle. Not to mention the likes of Neale, Walters and Sutcliffe who he has brought through and are devloping very well under him

I also think he tied to Freo until 2017

Nah, Roos said before he even signed on, that if he does stay for the extra year then that will be the absolute max for him to coach us. Wants to spend some time overseas with his family, etc, but said that he'd still love to stay at the club in some capacity.

Roo first said not to coaching, then relented for two years maybe three.

Roos then relented for another year...

In two years (2016) we should be rolling into the finals with all the hard work starting to pay off,

PJ says to Roos "How about another two years mate and you see us to a flag?"

Alistair Clarkson becomes available at the end of 2016.

After what will be 11 years at Hawthorn, he may just be ready for another challenge. Also MFC would become a very good grounding for prospective coaches ala Ling, playing under Thompson, and having an opportunity to work under both Roos and Clarkson.

If anyone can, PJ can.

What about the blokes sitting right under their noses : Jade Rawlings or is he not interested. He has managed our Defence and developed a cohesive unit . Has served a very good apprenticeship.

Alternatively Daniel Cross : Maintains high standards repecred throughout Club and Football. HAs had Roos for 3 years (at end of 2016). Could retire end next year or play a Giancirac...role next year.

I like Rawlings, but his apprenticeship hasn't been particularly noteworthy: Assistant under Wallace, assistant under Voss, assistant under Neeld. He left (was let go?) in the same seasons that Wallace & Voss were axed.

Edited for clarity.

The only way I can see Roos staying on beyond 2016 as our senior coach is if we make finals next year and then win at least a final and finish top 6 the year after. All senior coaches (and certainly the premiership coaches) are competitive beasts. How could he walk away from a chance at a flag. Is the above scenario realistic? Not if our list is as bad as most here seem to suggest but a Jeremy Cameron/Dylan Shiel mega off-season might just give us the top end talent we need. Jackson confirmed for another 2 - 3 years and big recruit like Cameron would be amazing for the status of the club. As I keep saying, hope is a dangerous thing . . .

I like Rawlings, but his apprenticeship hasn't been particularly noteworthy: Assistant under Wallace, assistant under Voss, assistant under Neeld. He left (was let go?) in the same seasons that Wallace & Voss were axed.

Edited for clarity.

I'm not as panicky about coaches that have served under regimes that have perceived to have failed.

I remember Ross Lyon once talking about his apprenticeship before taking the Saints gig. It opened my eyes considerably (not just in terms of how clubs select coaches but my view on how leaders should be selected and judged). He said in so many words that his experiences at Richmond (under Bob Walls) and Carlton (under Denis Pagan) were just as instrumental in making him the coach he is as it allowed him to know what works (i.e. his time at Sydney under Roosy) and it allowed him to see the other side of coaching: a damaged culture where not much is going right or being done well. To be fair, he was working under experienced mentors at those two struggling clubs but you could hardly say his experiences there were positive or regarded as roaring successes. Those experiences gave him a valuable contrast between a culture of success vs. a toxic culture.

Not that Jade is any walk up start for the coaching gig but I hope he is able to take something similar out of the assistant coaching positions he has had over the journey.

I've got this image in my head that I can't seem to shake, which is Roos hugging players on the MCG looking as happy as Larry. Generally something you only see on one day in September.

I don't know why but I can see it very vividly. Maybe I'm going loopy.

Needless to say, I'm.not ruling out him staying on just yet.

Was never a fan of the succession plan

Hoping they stay away from it and we land a big fish at the end of 2016.... assuming Roos doesnt stay on past then.. but anything can happen