The modern coach

I had the chance last week to hear Leigh Matthews speaking at a function. Four-time premiership player, four-time premiership coach — probably knows a little bit about the game. . .

The comment that interested me most concerned the modern, that is the “noughties”, coach. In 1986, when Matthews was appointed to the Collingwood coaching job, he was full-time, but most of his players and any assistant coaches were not. He was, effectively, the only conduit to the players.

Step forward to 2008 and Matthews’ final year as coach at Brisbane. Not only are the playing group full-time employees of the club, so too are the assistant coaches. Matthews’ role was no longer to coach, but to manage a group of men who did the coaching on his behalf.

This notion has stuck in my mind pretty firmly and is leading me to question my own pet theory about AFL coaches (see Coaching credentials, Coaching credentials, part 2 and Coaching credentials, part 3).

It is now the assistant coaches who have more direct influence over the average player’s preparation and mindset. The head coach manages and motivates the team of assistant coaches to manage and motivate the playing group.

Now, of course, this is a simplistic scenario and can only go part way to explaining how a football team at the elite level functions. Nevertheless, it does serve to illustrate that the need for a head coach to have those qualities that influence the bottom 15–20% of the playing group to excel is much reduced. The modern head coach is a senior manager/executive. I think this has been a subtle change, in process for perhaps a decade or more.

One thing that doesn't change, until there's some convincing evidence to the contrary — like a spate of Buckley-coached Magpie flags, is that really gifted players aren't your go-to guy to win the club premierships from the coaches' box.