I wasn’t suggesting someone needed to be a champion.There are many facets which go to make an AFL footballer - skills, desire, competitiveness, fitness, athleticism. It's quite feasible that a player can have all the skills, but lack the fitness & athleticism to make it at the top level. Fitness & athleticism are not pre-requisites for being a good coach.
What matters most when coaching, particularly skills coaching, is an understanding of the skills and the ability to communicate. Neither of these require having played at the highest level.
History has shown that few real champions go on to make good coaches. Leigh Matthews is an obvious exception - but most other champions have failed badly as coaches (think Voss & Hird). Players who often seem to make the best coaches are the gritty back pocket types, who had to work hard for everything they got. Examples of this type include Chris Scott, Damien Hardwick, and Alastair Clarkson.
I don't know whether Baulderstone will make a good coach, or not, but I am certainly willing to see how he performs before passing judgement.