Coach Men's Coaches 2024 - Ringing in the changes for next year

[eth-dog]

AFL Senior Coach: Brad Scott (thread)
reports to the Chief Executive Officer

• Ben Jacobs – Assistant Coach (Defence)
• Daniel Giansiracusa
  Daniel Giansiracusa

  Age

  42

  Ht

  182cm

  Wt

  81kg

  Pos.

  Fwd

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  17.6

  4star

  K

  11.0

  4star

  HB

  6.6

  4star

  M

  5.1

  5star

  T

  2.4

  4star

  G

  1.2

  4star

  No current season stats available

  D

  10.2

  3star

  K

  7.4

  3star

  HB

  2.8

  3star

  M

  5.2

  5star

  T

  2.0

  4star

  G

  1.0

  4star

  – Assistant Coach (Midfield)
• Brent Stanton – Assistant Coach (Midfield)
• Dale Tapping – Assistant Coach (Forwards)

Head of Development: Cam Roberts
reports to the General Manager, AFL

• Travis Cloke
  Travis Cloke

  Age

  37

  Ht

  196cm

  Wt

  105kg

  Pos.

  Fwd

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  13.6

  3star

  K

  10.6

  4star

  HB

  2.9

  3star

  M

  6.7

  5star

  T

  1.9

  4star

  G

  1.8

  5star

  No current season stats available

  D

  12.6

  4star

  K

  9.8

  4star

  HB

  2.8

  3star

  M

  3.6

  4star

  T

  1.0

  3star

  G

  1.0

  4star

  – Development Coach (Forwards) & VFLW Head Coach (VFLW thread)
• Michael Hurley
  18

  Michael Hurley

  Age

  33

  Ht

  193cm

  Wt

  94kg

  Pos.

  Def

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  18.3

  5star

  K

  12.1

  4star

  HB

  6.2

  4star

  M

  6.4

  5star

  T

  0.9

  3star

  MG

  389.3

  5star

  D

  16.5

  4star

  K

  11.8

  5star

  HB

  4.7

  3star

  M

  6.3

  5star

  T

  0.3

  1star

  MG

  301.2

  4star

  D

  15.0

  4star

  K

  7.6

  3star

  HB

  7.4

  5star

  M

  5.0

  5star

  T

  2.0

  4star

  – Development Coach (Backline), Jack Jones Academy & Player Welfare
• Natalie Wood – Development Coach (Teaching & Education) & AFLW Senior Coach (Coach thread)

VFL Senior Coach: Blake Caracella

Blake Caracella

Age

47

Ht

186cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.5

4star

K

10.1

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

4.7

4star

T

1.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

4.4

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.6

3star

(VFL thread)

• Adam Potter – VFL Assistant Coach

 

[Schnitzengruben]

Pretty clearly a demotion. I must admit we've made very little progress with ball movement in 4~ years. I get we're not a star outfit, but still...

 

[ant555]

You don't undermine your afl program to promote your vfl program.

Either Cara wants to step into a career at vfl or Scott believes he can improve the afl coaching group.

The VFL program is about player development. It is as important as it gets .

 

[andleanback]

The VFL program is about player development. It is as important as it gets .

People palm it off as just a soso role and it’s a demotion. It’s very important, especially when you’ve got a heap of young talent coming through. We’ve undervalued that position for such a long period of time as well, so it’s crucial we get someone in the role who can really elevate the program.

 

[Godzke]

How are you undermining the afl program? Having a really good vfl coach is essential for the program/ list / talent to grow and move forward. Cara will still be involved full time preseason and training. A lot of coaches are going back and coaching vfl for a year or 2 to add to their credentials

Perhaps "undermining" was the wrong choice of words on my part.

The point is, as a VFL coach you are essentially a senior development coach.
Important role? yes.
More important than 2IC afl coach? no - players in the best 22 still need coaching and developing.
A stepping stone into becoming a senior AFL coach one day? for someone who has just entered the industry, yes, for someone like Cara who has been a senior assistant AFL coach for ... 15??... years, definitely not. Not a single AFL club would place any more weight on this appointment relative to his existing resume.

 

[andleanback]

Perhaps "undermining" was the wrong choice of words on my part.

The point is, as a VFL coach you are essentially a senior development coach.
Important role? yes.
More important than 2IC afl coach? no - players in the best 22 still need coaching and developing.
A stepping stone into becoming a senior AFL coach one day? for someone who has just entered the industry, yes, for someone like Cara who has been a senior assistant AFL coach for ... 15??... years, definitely not. Not a single AFL club would place any more weight on this appointment relative to his existing resume.

Um Mccrae went back and coached vfl?
Mitchell went from being a senior assistant to going to coach box hill for a year
Yes they would and they do, coaching your own team has a whole lot of weight.
Maybe he’s had no interest in coaching his own team vfl/afl and now he wants to have a crack at it. If he felt like he was getting squeezed out and it was a significant demotion, he could easily walk and get a senior assistant job at most clubs tomorrow.

 

[Mootsy]

He's gotta be doing it because he genuinely wants to do it, again, he has one of the best assistant coach resumes in the entire league, he's seen more finals/grand finals than some have eaten dinners. If he didn't want to be VFL coach surely he'd just get a gig at another club.

 

[ant555]

People palm it off as just a soso role and it’s a demotion. It’s very important, especially when you’ve got a heap of young talent coming through. We’ve undervalued that position for such a long period of time as well, so it’s crucial we get someone in the role who can really elevate the program.

Agree 1000% and it is actually more of an upgrade in role under a senior coach with Scotts experience. Scott does not really have a need for a senior assistant let alone 2 or 3 of them. It was different under Truck as he did not have the experience. Right now VFL coach / player development is 100% the most important position on the coaching panel after the head coach.

 

[ant555]

Perhaps "undermining" was the wrong choice of words on my part.

The point is, as a VFL coach you are essentially a senior development coach.
Important role? yes.
More important than 2IC afl coach? no - players in the best 22 still need coaching and developing.
A stepping stone into becoming a senior AFL coach one day? for someone who has just entered the industry, yes, for someone like Cara who has been a senior assistant AFL coach for ... 15??... years, definitely not. Not a single AFL club would place any more weight on this appointment relative to his existing resume.

How important is the 2IC role under a coach with Scotts experience ? I would say it is far less important than heading the VFL / development program.
Plenty of coaches have gone on to coach in the AFL after coaching VFL.

 

[DERO]

My read is that he's been pushed out

Why would you want to be a vfl coach when you've been a 2IC afl coach for a long time. Unless thats what he wants as a step into retirement, ala Gary Ayres, but thats not a stepping stone to getting a gig as a senior coach at AFL level.

I reckon you might be pretty close.

 

[andleanback]

Agree 1000% and it is actually more of an upgrade in role under a senior coach with Scotts experience. Scott does not really have a need for a senior assistant let alone 2 or 3 of them. It was different under Truck as he did not have the experience. Right now VFL coach / player development is 100% the most important position on the coaching panel after the head coach.

Yep Scott doesn’t really need a senior 2ic, just rather his line coaches and the gm head of performance. It’s not like a first time young he’s coach when you get in a experienced right hand man to help him out.

 

[Orbit]

Agree 1000% and it is actually more of an upgrade in role under a senior coach with Scotts experience. Scott does not really have a need for a senior assistant let alone 2 or 3 of them. It was different under Truck as he did not have the experience. Right now VFL coach / player development is 100% the most important position on the coaching panel after the head coach.

Agree, Agree, Agree finally some focus on our most deficient area….DEVELOPMENT!
We have had all types of recruits, high end draft picks, high quality trades over many years and I’m of the belief very few if any have developed (improved).
Our off field operations from President down over the past 15 years has been appalling. We may finally be getting the club in some type of shape to move forward continuously instead of this stop start rudderless way of the recent past.

 

[mike ross]

I'd like to echo the posters saying it's a good thing. It's obvious Scott and Vozzo have identified development to be lacking at Essendon. I mean we all know this. Cara stepping into this role emphasizes the importance of improving the VFL program which leads to better player development. Good move. Plus I don't see Cara moving on. He's got a lot of work to do.

 

[Schnitzengruben]

I'd like to echo the posters saying it's a good thing. It's obvious Scott and Vozzo have identified development to be lacking at Essendon. I mean we all know this. Cara stepping into this role emphasizes the importance of improving the VFL program which leads to better player development. Good move. Plus I don't see Cara moving on. He's got a lot of work to do.

Then why not get a designated coach for VFL and leave Cara in charge of ball movement for the AFL side?

Cara is very good technical coach and especially with strategy but he's a poor communicator to players. I'm not sure how his skillset would translate to being a suitable VFL coach more so than his current role.

 

[Lore]

The VFL head coaching role has not kept many people in it for long lately. I don't know if it is underpaid, overworked, or lacking in status, but everyone who has held it has taken the first opportunity to move into AFL line coaching, development coaching, running a club academy, or work for the AFL in the U18 talent pathways.

VFL coaching at Essendon altogether doesn't seem to be a desirable role, it's a line on your CV and a stepping stone into the AFL system, but that's it. And from a club perspective it's a good place to stick someone if you wouldn't mind them searching elsewhere for their opportunities.

I don't think SANFL and WAFL have the same stench to it, or even an unaligned VFL club. But an aligned club generally means an under-resourced reserves team and probably a large amount of pushdown in terms of strategy and approach from the AFL coach. You're not in full control the way you would be at an independently run club, and you don't get the credit for it either.

Also, when is the last time a VFL coach at an aligned club was regarded as a front-runner for a senior coaching role in the AFL? I reckon all notable applicants I've heard of lately were line coaches, with a couple of keen exceptions like Scott and Lyon that already had runs on the board. Some might have previous experience running their own team, but that's not generally the job they have when they're applying to be a senior coach.

 

[yodellinhank]

There doesn't seem much to develop in the reserve grade these days anyways. List sizes are so small with injury and emergencies held over etc, it isn't like half the side is made up of developing kids. You're lucky to get a handful of the 1st-2nd year guys I would've thought.

 

[ant555]

There doesn't seem much to develop in the reserve grade these days anyways. List sizes are so small with injury and emergencies held over etc, it isn't like half the side is made up of developing kids. You're lucky to get a handful of the 1st-2nd year guys I would've thought.

It is still a dual role taking in development coach so he is working with all the under 23 players and other parts of the list during the week. Not like he is just turning up to take VFL training.

 

[ant555]

Then why not get a designated coach for VFL and leave Cara in charge of ball movement for the AFL side?

Cara is very good technical coach and especially with strategy but he's a poor communicator to players. I'm not sure how his skillset would translate to being a suitable VFL coach more so than his current role.

Because as senior coach Brad Scott is now setting the program. That is what they got him for. If he needs someone to hold his hand as senior assistant then we have hired the wrong coach which of course could be possible . Coaches with Scott's experience do not have a senior 2IC . On top of that Caracella was the backline coach last year. There was no "ball movement coach" it went when Truck went . Gia was midfield coach with Ben Jacobs assistant midfield and Dale Tapping forward coach.

 

[ant555]

The part I am waiting for is where does Cam Roberts fit in ?

 

[Lore]

The part I am waiting for is where does Cam Roberts fit in ?

He’s working with Cara and Rosa on the VFL program

 

[Vindicater]

Reckon it will be for a single year before he leaves for another job elsewhere. Maybe up to Gold Coast to work with Dimma again.

 

[ant555]

He’s working with Cara and Rosa on the VFL program

He is the one that seems to have been demoted . Head of development to working with .

 

[Lore]

He is the one that seems to have been demoted . Head of development to working with .

He’s still head of development, it’s in the Cara article

 

[ant555]

He’s still head of development, it’s in the Cara article

Like Mahoney was still the head of football.

 

[yodellinhank]

It is still a dual role taking in development coach so he is working with all the under 23 players and other parts of the list during the week. Not like he is just turning up to take VFL training.

Not the way I'd structure it. Disservice to both roles. Let the VFL coach set up a VFL side with instructions from a head of development on what we want to get from the players.

Like Mahoney was still the head of football.

I thought Mahoney was facilities manager and chief correspondent for Caro?

 

[Lore]

Not the way I'd structure it. Disservice to both roles. Let the VFL coach set up a VFL side with instructions from a head of development on what we want to get from the players.

I thought Mahoney was facilities manager and chief correspondent for Caro?

Is the VFL just for developing players basic stuff like GPS numbers and basic skills, or is it supposed to implement the same gameplan as the AFL so that they learn the roles they need to learn to plug and play in the AFL side?