Analysis Giants Coaching. Congratulations Adam Kingsley & welcome to GWS.

Who is your preference to be next coach of GWS Giants?

  • Alistair Clarkson

    Votes: 22 26.8%
  • James Hird

    Votes: 7 8.5%
  • Don Pyke

    Votes: 7 8.5%
  • Nathan Buckley

    Votes: 3 3.7%
  • Ross Lyon

    Votes: 3 3.7%
  • Mark McVeigh

    Votes: 6 7.3%
  • Robert Harvey

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Scott Burns

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Blake Caracella

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Adam Yze

    Votes: 14 17.1%
  • Adam Kingsley

    Votes: 13 15.9%
  • Daniel Giansiracusa

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Luke Power

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Jaymie Graham

    Votes: 2 2.4%
  • Ash Hansen

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Andrew McQualter

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Chris Scott

    Votes: 3 3.7%

  • Total voters
    82

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The GIANTS are delighted to announce the appointment of Adam Kingsley as the club’s next AFL head coach.

As a former Premiership and Best and Fairest winner with Port Adelaide, where he played 170 games, Kingsley quickly moved into coaching following his playing career, immediately taking up assistant coaching roles with Port Adelaide and then St Kilda. After eight years with the Saints, Kingsley joined Richmond as assistant coach in 2019 where he played a leading role in the Tigers’ last two Premierships.

GIANTS Chief Executive Officer David Matthews said Kingsley's appointment marked the next chapter in the evolution of the football club. “On behalf of the Board and our entire organisation, I’m thrilled to confirm Adam Kingsley as our new head coach,” Mr Matthews said. “After a thorough and considered selection process, Adam’s vision for the club, our players and our people made him the standout candidate for the job. Adam has outstanding values that align with the GIANTS and with 16 years’ coaching experience he is an exceptional tactical coach, a strong, clear communicator, and someone who brings people together. In our 11 years in the competition we have undoubtedly become a successful club with a fantastic culture and a great playing list. But we haven’t been satisfied with our recent results. We - and Adam - believe success isn’t far away and we’re thrilled to have him lead us into our next chapter as a club. This is an incredibly exciting day for our club and Adam's appointment will not only take our playing group and football department forward but will help continue to grow our game across NSW and the ACT. We look forward to welcoming Adam, his wife Nadine and children Cayla, Ethan and Raf to the GIANTS family.”

Mr Matthews also paid tribute to caretaker coach Mark McVeigh. "We thank Mark for his efforts as interim senior coach and the tireless work he has contributed to our program since taking over in round 10,” Mr Matthews said. “It’s a difficult job to come in as caretaker coach but he attacked the role with fresh ideas and sought to improve our players, staff and program at every step. Mark is a person of the highest integrity and character, and he has always put the club first. He was steadfast in leaving the program ready for whoever would be taking over.”

Following an extensive interview process, Kingsley was deemed the best fit for the GIANTS by the club’s interview panel that consisted of Mr Matthews, Chairman Tony Shepherd AO, Football Director Jimmy Bartel and General Manager of Football Jason McCartney. Kingsley said he was honoured to have the opportunity to coach the club for the next three years. “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity,” he said. “It’s a privilege and an honour to be the next senior coach of the GIANTS. I’ve been clear in my aspirations to become a senior coach and over the last 16 years I’ve continued to learn and develop to the point now where I’m absolutely ready to take the next step in my coaching career. This is a club which has built a strong culture from the ground up in just a few short years. In just 11 years the GIANTS have made multiple preliminary finals, and a Grand Final, and while the ultimate success has eluded the club, it’s clear the building blocks are in place. It's clear the players, staff, members and fans are hungry for success, and we’re going to drive each other to get to where we want to go. I believe in this club and what we can achieve together.”

Kingsley played 170 games for Port Adelaide between 1997 and 2006 and was a member of the club’s inaugural team as well as their first Premiership in 2004. He won the Power’s club champion award in just his second season. In 2007, he became an assistant coach at Port Adelaide, a position in which he stayed in until the end of 2010. Kingsley joined St Kilda at the end of the 2010 season as an assistant coach before moving to Richmond in 2019.
 

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You’d assume there’s going to be a major list cull at the Hawks this year, and that 2022 will be all about playing the kids.

Clarko probably the only coach in the AFL with the full authority to do it and withstand complaints.

I assume Sam Mitchell will be handed a young team on the rise by Clarko.

Personally, I don’t think Clarko will want to be a HC again once he’s done.

However, I could imagine him becoming a consultant to clubs with new head coaches or undergoing major change (e.g., for us when CEO Matthews leaves).

If I was the Chairman of the Giants that’s the question I’d ask Clarko.

IMO, even if Clarko wanted to Coach again I don’t think he’s the sort of guy who’d walk over the body of one of his former assistants to do it.

As an aside, if this model of HC transition works at the Hawks it may become a trend.

Would love to see Giants Stevie J Vs Hawks Sam Mitchell in the HC boxes at the 2025 GF.



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I'm not anti-Leon, and was quite prepared to give him time to work with what was originally a very young and inexperienced team. I cut him slack because of last year being so abnormal. But it just keeps happening this year, and while we can keep coming up with ''excuses'', it's got to the point of realising that Leon just hasn't got ''it''.

So, yes, I too think it's time. Whether it's now, and we try to get a bounce to make finals, or at the end of the year, I don't really care. (Not that I think the club will bite the bullet.) But Leon's not going to deliver a premiership.
 
I'm not anti-Leon, and was quite prepared to give him time to work with what was originally a very young and inexperienced team. I cut him slack because of last year being so abnormal. But it just keeps happening this year, and while we can keep coming up with ''excuses'', it's hard to say that Leon just hasn't got ''it''.

So, yes, I too think it's time. Whether it's now, and we try to get a bounce to make finals, or at the end of the year, I don't really care. (Not that I think the club will bite the bullet.) But Leon's not going to deliver a premiership.

Agree, we have him plenty of time and I was one of his defenders during the 1st Leon outs 6 years ago.
I have no doubt he is a good bloke.

He has had 8 years to do something with the squad. We still have the talent. We need to get someone in who can coach before they all leave.
 
I think they got the ruck choice wrong. Flynn should have played, maybe Flynn & Briggs. If we were to make finals, I'd hate to see Mummy get torched there.
Just play the other 2 for the rest of year, next year, the kids will have matured, we'll be more steady, we can make a finals run.
Don't forget our last 2 home games have been @ MCG & Ballarat, we are showing that we don't settle quickly in new environments, that's a symptom of a young team.
 
How are we young? Suns were younger.

Greene, Hogan, HH, Finlayson, Ward, Kelly, Hopper, Whitfield, Haynes, Davis, Reid, Lloyd Kennedy. Leaders and quality across the board.
These guys aren’t young.

Green, Idun, Cumming, Hill. I’ll even throw in Perryman, yes are young but that is not an excuse.

Our coaching is beyond bad at almost every line.

We were in the game due to some
Luck and the odd bit of brilliance.
 
How are we young? Suns were younger.

Greene, Hogan, HH, Finlayson, Ward, Kelly, Hopper, Whitfield, Haynes, Davis, Reid, Lloyd Kennedy. Leaders and quality across the board.
These guys aren’t young.

Green, Idun, Cumming, Hill. I’ll even throw in Perryman, yes are young but that is not an excuse.

Our coaching is beyond bad at almost every line.

We were in the game due to some
Luck and the odd bit of brilliance.
Even with those names listed we are in the bottom 3 teams in the league for average afl games played for round 16
 

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it's time to bite the bullet with Leon - we've regressed since making the GF, but whilst we are still a chance of playing finals this year, its best to not making a decision yet so to keep squad solidarity.

we were up against the suns headed into the final quarter and got beaten - look at the teams on paper, with respect to Gold Coast, there are players across the board in our team that would walk into that GC squad.

our coaching is not getting the best out of our players - players need to hold themselves accountable big time but coaching is failing miserably and most AFL fans can see this.

he's been very good to our club Leon, but its time to go - we wont struggle attracting a good coach considering the list we have, make the change before it gets worse.
 
We won’t be winning enough games to make the eight.
Missed finals two years in a row. Playing poorly with only a few injuries.
We should be going after Clarkson.
Clarkson is a farm boy. His fav place is his farm. This idea that he is gettable for the giants needs to stop.
He is no chance of leaving
 
I agree with the prior comment, that in the current COVID environment (plus how Matthews seems to think), we won't ditch Leon at the end of this year, but might do so at the end of next year, when his contract is up. If that's 3 year's straight missing finals ... that should be the outcome.

I also agree with the immediately preceding post that Alistair Clarkson won't leave Victoria - as much as we'd like to dream.

So, it's really a case of who else? Another ''up & comer'' (e.g. Adam Yze, Scott Burns, Daniel Giansiracusa, Nigel Lappin, Adam Kingsley), or recycle a ''failed'' coach (e.g. Nathan Buckley, Don Pyke).

Given what seems to be some difficulty in luring people to Sydney (likely to be made worse in COVID times, due to the difficulty in going ''back home'' if maintaining a split household), and the bump his presence as a senior assistant has made to Sydney, I would certainly give some thought to Don Pyke.
 
Clarkson is a farm boy. His fav place is his farm. This idea that he is gettable for the giants needs to stop.
He is no chance of leaving
Buy him some land out near Dural.
 
I agree with the prior comment, that in the current COVID environment (plus how Matthews seems to think), we won't ditch Leon at the end of this year, but might do so at the end of next year, when his contract is up. If that's 3 year's straight missing finals ... that should be the outcome.

To the best of my knowledge, Matthews - who I understand has not traveled with the team to either VIC or QLD - is out of contract himself at the end of this year.

Will he be extended? I guess that remains to be seen.

All things being equal I agree Matthews would want Leon to coach again in 2022 as to do otherwise would be an admission of CEO failure.

Contractually we can effectively change HC at any time due to the payout being limited to 6 months.

The Chairman and Board are definitely key stakeholders in the HC decision.

If 2021 ends in an ugly fashion possibilities also include:

1. CEO not being extended, which would be a sign of Board unhappiness and also see a change of HC.

2. CEO being extended if he agrees to support a change of HC.

We haven’t heard anything from the Board for months.

And the last time Matthews was extended it was done in June of his final year.

IMO almost anything is possible over July-Aug.

And that includes us sneaking into finals.


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To the best of my knowledge, Matthews - who I understand has not traveled with the team to either VIC or QLD - is out of contract himself at the end of this year.

Will he be extended? I guess that remains to be seen.

All things being equal I agree Matthews would want Leon to coach again in 2022 as to do otherwise would be an admission of CEO failure.

Contractually we can effectively change HC at any time due to the payout being limited to 6 months.

The Chairman and Board are definitely key stakeholders in the HC decision.

If 2021 ends in an ugly fashion possibilities also include:

1. CEO not being extended, which would be a sign of Board unhappiness and also see a change of HC.

2. CEO being extended if he agrees to support a change of HC.

We haven’t heard anything from the Board for months.

And the last time Matthews was extended it was done in June of his final year.

IMO almost anything is possible over July-Aug.

And that includes us sneaking into finals.


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Didn’t one of the Americans who wants in become a board member as well this year?
Maybe some changes are incoming.
 
The bigger issue by far is the quality of the high performance/strength and conditioning team rather than the senior coach.

Their continual under performance over several seasons straight has easily cost the side any chance of a flag far more so than any perceived coaching failures.
 
Just my 2 cents after an infuriating game:

We had a bad run with injury in 2017, but our gameplan really undid itself after we lost Wilson (end of 2017) and Scully had that nasty ankle injury at the start of 2018. Wilson's kicking saved us alot of headache not having to do 3 high risk, short kicks inside our defensive 50. This allowed us to abuse the likes of Whitfield, Scully and Kelly, all providing an insane amount of overlap run. When Scully went down and we no longer had Wilson, Whitfield went to HB and our orange tsunami went out the door with only Kelly left in the middle out of the 3 prime runners.

Leon then went for a ridiculous emphasis on contested footy, which in itself is not problematic but he applied this all over the field. Our forwards all bunch together and ram into our own players rather than going for more more leading patterns/bruise free footy. Our mids crowd the forward 50 on our slow attack, negating any prospects of forwards being able to lead even if they wanted to. The 9 forward 50 marks to half time today with accurate shooting highlighted what we can and in my opinion should do, and coincidentally no injuries to that point. However having played a shocking brand the last couple of yrs, as soon as a team counters or changes the game plan, our coach disappears and we go to what we know best, slow/contested footy where we cross our fingers and bomb forward into oblivion whilst getting torn apart on the outside. You also notice, we are often only marginally losing, neutral or even winning the contested ball count regardless of a win/loss. That's because our mids are good and doing their role in the middle most of the time, but we still kick forward with minimal aim/bad foot skills. On good days when 2 of HH/TOJ/Greene/Hogan are firing, they will win the contested marks and we will look like a super efficient, high scoring team. However, for the most part HH/TOJ are temperamental at the best of times, Hogan is usually injured and Greene gets man-handled every 2 seconds. This contested marking game plan is essentially a game that relies very much still on individual brilliance. That to me, and the lack of a flexible gameday head coach, accounts for alot of our Jekyll and Hyde performances.

Yes, our strength/conditioning and medicos are also to blame, but their workload gets compounded by a gameplan that is highly susceptible to injuries. No surprise our injuries are often to our high profile players who are trying to lift the team, ironically to get injured due to nursery passes from teamates or due to getting blindly rammed by our own players in the millionth marking contest.

Long rant, apologies team.
 
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