Coaches 2026

[fargothegreat]

Dunney has confirmed in an interview that Steve Morris is in charge of the defenders, which leaves the following coaching structure:

Defenders - Morris
Midfield stoppage - Ziebell?? (or has this been handed over to Truck and he's stepped back into a development role?)
Midfield spread - Caracella
Forwards - Newman
Rucks - Maric
VFL - Batchelor
Development - Lonergan
AFLW/development - Ferguson

Rutten - ??? (maybe he's looking after team-wode defensive structures?)

 

[Ralll]

Dunney has confirmed in an interview that Steve Morris is in charge of the defenders, which leaves the following coaching structure:

Defenders - Morris
Midfield stoppage - Ziebell?? (or has this been handed over to Truck and he's stepped back into a development role?)
Midfield spread - Caracella
Forwards - Newman
Rucks - Maric
VFL - Batchelor
Development - Lonergan
AFLW/development - Ferguson

Rutten - ??? (maybe he's looking after team-wode defensive structures?)

Makes sense if true.
Defenders - Morris - He was a defender.
Midfield stoppage - Ziebell - He was a midfield stoppage guy.
Midfield spread - Caracella - he was a midfielder.
Forwards - Newman - ummmm
Rucks - Maric - He was a ruck.
VFL - Batchelor - He played VFL...
Development - Lonergan - He was young once...

 

[Coach_Required]

Makes sense if true.
Defenders - Morris - He was a defender.
Midfield stoppage - Ziebell - He was a midfield stoppage guy.
Midfield spread - Caracella - he was a midfielder.
Forwards - Newman - ummmm
Rucks - Maric - He was a ruck.
VFL - Batchelor - He played VFL...
Development - Lonergan - He was young once...

Newman just filling in time for when Yze gets sacked.

Groupie_

 

[Groupie_]

Newman just filling in time for when Yze gets sacked.

Groupie_

newman shouldnt be at the club

 

[JackNah_8]

what happened to Rutten?

 

[Groupie_]

what happened to Rutten?

went back to esserden

 

[fargothegreat]

what happened to Rutten?

He's still there, but it seems to be a bit of a mystery as to what his role is with Morro taking over the backs.

 

[Muddiemoose]

He's still there, but it seems to be a bit of a mystery as to what his role is with Morro taking over the backs.

Maybe a similar role to Cara who said in his interview he was doing offensive ball movement and structure so maybe he’s doing an overall defensive structure type role

 

[fargothegreat]

Maybe a similar role to Cara who said in his interview he was doing offensive ball movement and structure so maybe he’s doing an overall defensive structure type role

Didn't we used to have both an offensive and defensive coordinator in addition to line coaches a few years back before the soft cap cuts?

Should hopefully make the players a bit better drilled. Gameplan was all over the place last year.

 

[Muddiemoose]

Didn't we used to have both an offensive and defensive coordinator in addition to line coaches a few years back before the soft cap cuts?

Should hopefully make the players a bit better drilled. Gameplan was all over the place last year.

Yeah that’s kinda where my mind has gone in regards to Truck getting that role

Would make sense truck getting a pretty senior job in the pecking order as well due to all of his experience

 

[Simche]

I don't love the group. It is really inexperienced if you take Rutten and Caracella out.

Also how many of those blokes played in winning systems and understand the standards required? None of our old boys who are all from the Wallace or early Hardwick era (apologies to Ivan who I rate as a wonderful person and Morris who I think has done a good job at the VFL). Certainly not Adem. Absolutely not Ziebell or Lonergan.......

So a total of one flag from Caracella.

Let's compare to the groups that played in the GF last year:
Brisbane - Fagan 2 TFL flags, Murray Davis NEAFL Flag, Cameron Bruce (meh), Dale Morris 1 flag, Scott Borlace (no SANFL flags), Daniel Lloyd (technically still a player), Stuey Dew 2 Flags - Let's call it 3 and stick to VFL
Sydney - Longmire 2 flags, Cox 1 flag, Jarrad McVeigh 1 Flag, Mark McVeigh 0 (but was on the Essendon list 99-01), Ben Matthews 1 Flag - 5 flags.

Go to Geelong and Port next:
Port - Kenny (3 losing GF), Carr 1 Flag, Cornes 1 flag, Goldsack 1 Flag, Luke Kelly (0 and gone in 2025) - 3 flags
Geelong - Scott 3 flags, Lappin 3 flags, James Kelly 3 flags, James Rahilly 1 VFL flag - 9 flags

I honestly think it is important to get blokes in with a pedigree for success and an understanding of the standards required to win. Don't think any of the current group for us do and I'm really worried about them being tasked with developing a talented group of juniors.

 

[RichoLedio]

Newman just filling in time for when Yze gets sacked.

Groupie_

Newman to caretaker coach until Grigga can come across

 

[tiger_tough]

Dunney has confirmed in an interview that Steve Morris is in charge of the defenders, which leaves the following coaching structure:

Defenders - Morris
Midfield stoppage - Ziebell?? (or has this been handed over to Truck and he's stepped back into a development role?)
Midfield spread - Caracella
Forwards - Newman
Rucks - Maric
VFL - Batchelor
Development - Lonergan
AFLW/development - Ferguson

Rutten - ??? (maybe he's looking after team-wode defensive structures?)

Yze said this morning that Truck has moved into a director of coaching role.

Pretty underwhelming appointment TBH.

 

[copthat]

It appears Morris as backs coach has been a great appointment and I wonder if Rutten has had any input too.

Miller, Banks, Brown having career best years. Gray showed great signs. Young has come back in much improved. Vlastuin and Broad keeping on. Even Short has been in good form since coming back in. And then Blight and Smith while not setting the house on fire at AFL level have at least been in good VFL form mostly.

 

[Wrenny]

Be interesting to see what we do going into next year.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

It appears Morris as backs coach has been a great appointment and I wonder if Rutten has had any input too.

Miller, Banks, Brown having career best years. Gray showed great signs. Young has come back in much improved. Vlastuin and Broad keeping on. Even Short has been in good form since coming back in. And then Blight and Smith while not setting the house on fire at AFL level have at least been in good VFL form mostly.

forward line has been the biggest worry, has looked completely uncoached a lot of the time. long bombs to Lynch and then zero small forwards at the fall of the ball. Loved the look last night with players actually leading into space and mids trying to hit passes instead of the easy bomb option every time.

 

[fargothegreat]

Be interesting to see what we do going into next year.

Possibly Rutten out with another senior head (Hinkley?) coming in.

 

[tiger_tough]

Possibly Rutten out with another senior head (Hinkley?) coming in.

Rutten has been doing more of a head of coaching type role that Hinkley would do anyway, so I doubt he leaves. Unless hes poached.....at least we know it won't by by Essendon.

Id love to get Adam Simpson in, for any role. I couldn't be more impressed every time I hear him speak.

 

[Tackle Bag]

Rutten has been doing more of a head of coaching type role that Hinkley would do anyway, so I doubt he leaves. Unless hes poached.....at least we know it won't by by Essendon.

Id love to get Adam Simpson in, for any role. I couldn't be more impressed every time I hear him speak.

Not sure about Simpson, left that club in absolute disarray and didn’t seem to handle development of youngsters particularly well either

 

[tiger_tough]

Not sure about Simpson, left that club in absolute disarray and didn’t seem to handle development of youngsters particularly well either

He had no youngsters. The list profile was diabolical. Shit and/or injury prone older guys and no good young kids.

 

[Tackle Bag]

He had no youngsters. The list profile was diabolical. Shit and/or injury prone older guys and no good young kids.

Had very few right at the end but he was there a while. He drove that list off a cliff. And Reid came in under him and looks to be screaming out for leadership and direction and didn’t get it from Simpson.

 

[tiger_tough]

Had very few right at the end but he was there a while. He drove that list off a cliff. And Reid came in under him and looks to be screaming out for leadership and direction and didn’t get it from Simpson.

As Dimma did with us......As Clarko did with the Hawks....As Goodwin did with the Dees etc etc.

You cant blame a coach for going all out for continued success after a flag, that's their job. The list manager and football department need to try keep the list balanced amd as just about every club bar Geelong has proven, it's near impossible to rebuild on the run.

Fortunately for us, our list management team had drafted some valuable assets to trade into the draft heavily. Eagles didn't have that luxury.

Harley Reid was exceptional in his first year under Simmo. Yes Eagles lacked leadership badly, but it was more on field than off.

 

[Tackle Bag]

As Dimma did with us......As Clarko did with the Hawks....As Goodwin did with the Dees etc etc.

You cant blame a coach for going all out for continued success after a flag, that's their job. The list manager and football department need to try keep the list balanced amd as just about every club bar Geelong has proven, it's near impossible to rebuild on the run.

Fortunately for us, our list management team had drafted some valuable assets to trade into the draft heavily. Eagles didn't have that luxury.

Harley Reid was exceptional in his first year under Simmo. Yes Eagles lacked leadership badly, but it was more on field than off.

The west coast list management has been so much worse than anything seen in recent times. Resigning multiple old injury prone players to contracts and trading away multiple early first round picks as well. An absolute train wreck

 

[tiger_tough]

The west coast list management has been so much worse than anything seen in recent times. Resigning multiple old injury prone players to contracts and trading away multiple early first round picks as well. An absolute train wreck

Yeah, horrific. They're so ****ed if Reid leaves.

 

[tigs2010]

The west coast list management has been so much worse than anything seen in recent times. Resigning multiple old injury prone players to contracts and trading away multiple early first round picks as well. An absolute train wreck

All those picks they split were ridiculously bad deals. Imagine splitting pick 3 in a super draft for a midget utility. Splitting pick 2 when it would have got you Sheezel because you were scared he was a mummy's boy. Would have got more if they drafted him and he bailed.

Also traded out their only AFL KPD besides McGovern with no young developing player for a late 1st in a shit draft, while we traded flankers for multiple picks in strong drafts.