Lack of Indigenous Coaching Staff... Time for a 'Rooney Rule'?

[Bostonian]

Stop with this "best person for the job" BS. The indigenous population constitutes 10% of the AFL and has done so for some time now. Then why is the number of assistant coaches and other important football department figures (analysts, development coaches etc.) disproportionate to the 10%?

Because they choose to work in other areas/occupations after they finish football?

 

[Bostonian]

arent one of the clarke boys coaching now? might one day be a head coach at a senior club

You should know, he's one of your development coaches.

 

[deflated]

I feel that if Indigenous players wanted to coach at clubs they would definitely be given a go.

Goodes, McLeod, O'loughlin type players would for sure get A chance to coach if they wanted it.

But maybe Indigenous players just don't want to coach at the highest level, at some point personal choices need to be taken into account.

O'Loughlin was head coach of the Swans academy teams for a couple of years, decided to move on to other work with the Swans and his foundation. Got a chance, wasn't for him.

 

[Bostonian]

Xavier Clarke is probably right now the best chance to land a senior coaching role. Building a fairly decent coaching resume at a young age.

"Xavier Clarke, 33, has been coaching NEAFL club NT Thunder since the end of 2013, he won the NEAFL Coach of the Year in 2014, led the side to the premiership in 2015, and, in 2016, he was awarded the NT Sports Awards Coach of the Year.

Clarke’s CV is both long and diverse, following his retirement playing league football, he worked with the AFL Players’ Association in Indigenous engagement, and with the AFL as the National Indigenous Programs Coordinator, managing Indigenous talent pathway programs such as Kickstart and Dreamtime at the ‘G.

Clarke is also an AFL Level 3 accredited coach and sits on the AFL Indigenous Advisory Group and AFL Women’s Football Advisory Group.

He has some experience with Richmond already, in 2013 he was an assistant coach for the Korin Gamadji Institute’s Laguntas Program – a football talent pathway for Indigenous boys aged 16 to 19 years old."

 

[perplexed]

Of the current players, Lindsay Thomas, seems the most likely coach.
Part of the Next Coach Program, runs mentoring programs for young players and is arguably the most inventive player of all time. Would produce some crazy game plans and tactics.

 

[Kram]

Roger Hayden is a development coach I think at Freo.

 

[STFU Donnie]

Of the current players, Lindsay Thomas, seems the most likely coach.
Part of the Next Coach Program, runs mentoring programs for young players and is arguably the most inventive player of all time. Would produce some crazy game plans and tactics.

Is there another Lindsay Thomas? One, of whom I am unaware?

 

[pazza]

Some may think they have bigger fish to fry..e.g. Goodes and Long.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I don't mind the Rooney rule tbh, seems like a decent measure without being a quota.

 

[perplexed]

Is there another Lindsay Thomas? One, of whom I am unaware?

His tactics have so far caused at least three rule changes. Very few others players could even claim one.

 

[ashep]

Problem is if you implement such a rule and don't see an indigenous coach be hired you'll end up with all the leftist PC do-gooders and Adam Goode's claiming the club management is racist like the magpies in the McAllister days.

Quotas or quota type systems never work or end well.

2 years retired and ignorant flogs still can't keep his name out of their mouths.

 

[ashep]

s**t thread and s**t concept. Best person gets the job.

s**t post mate. Which part of the idea contradicts that?

 

[Heisenberg_]

Xavier Clarke will be a good coach one day.

He's been a good addition to Richmonds coaching panel.

I'm sure in the future we will see more enter the coaching ranks, but a rule like that's not necessary, no foul play at fault for the low numbers, just a lack of interest ATM.

 

[underthestars]

The trouble with requiring minority members are part of the selection process, even though not requiring their eventual hire, is that soon the complaint will become that their is an obvious bias against these minority members given the low percentage of applicants eventually hired. Forgetting completely that they were only interviewed in the first place due to a legal requirement, rather than on merit.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Personally I think a Rooney rule would be a good idea. You're not forcing anyone to hire someone, merely giving them a chance to state their case. Does the AFL have any kind of action plan regarding Indigenous men and woman in coaching jobs?

 

[TimmeT]

2 years retired and ignorant flogs still can't keep his name out of their mouths.

Goodes will continue to make us not forget his name.

 

[ashep]

Goodes will continue to make us not forget his name.

He break into your place, strap you down and give you a lecture last night?

You're talking crap.

 

[Godchin]

I always find this

We know.

Every time someone says "PC" or "SJW" you're here in a heartbeat.

 

[JVseven]

Isn't it racist in itself handing a person a job because of their skin colour?

 

[Forward Press]

We know.

Every time someone says "PC" or "SJW" you're here in a heartbeat.

Who are you?

 

[Ok Boomer]

He's been a good addition to Richmonds coaching panel.

I'm sure in the future we will see more enter the coaching ranks, but a rule like that's not necessary, no foul play at fault for the low numbers, just a lack of interest ATM.

That is what I think too, just many of them are not interested in pursuing it at this point.

 

[TW Sherrin]

Does anyone think a club wouldnt appoint an aboriginal coach?

This isnt 1950.

How about appointing people on merit not quotas. Thats called charity.

 

[SterlingArcher]

you have to bend and flex rules and perceptions if we are to see meaningful change

I'm all for giving our indigenous friends a chance

In all seriousness I think there may be more fruitful ways to give them a chance.

Developing teaching programs so they earn the knowledge and skills required to be coaches will be far better than handing out (possibly token) interviews. I mean, this goes for coaches in general already - you have to be level 3 or something to be a senior coach.

Inviting young Indigenous players into coaching boxes early in their careers, creating a program for Indigenous players to enter during their careers (perhaps when they are 28+ or so) to start the process, hell, even finding out the reasons why we don't have Indigenous coaches and seeing whether it's something that needs to be 'corrected' (perhaps cultural differences mean Indigenous players prefer to go into junior mentoring roles rather than senior coaching, certainly seems that way anecdotally).

 

[Power Raid]

In all seriousness I think there may be more fruitful ways to give them a chance.

Developing teaching programs so they earn the knowledge and skills required to be coaches will be far better than handing out (possibly token) interviews. I mean, this goes for coaches in general already - you have to be level 3 or something to be a senior coach.

Inviting young Indigenous players into coaching boxes early in their careers, creating a program for Indigenous players to enter during their careers (perhaps when they are 28+ or so) to start the process, hell, even finding out the reasons why we don't have Indigenous coaches and seeing whether it's something that needs to be 'corrected' (perhaps cultural differences mean Indigenous players prefer to go into junior mentoring roles rather than senior coaching, certainly seems that way anecdotally).

100% agree

Doing this means they earn their right and ensure sniping comments about achievement can't be made

 

[Kwality]

Because they choose to work in other areas/occupations after they finish football?

Indeed !!
Consider Goodes & O'Loughlin:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-...p-program-helps-20-indigenous-aussies/8557564
OR
the Wirrpanda Foundation:
https://www.wf.org.au/about/the-wirrpanda-team
OR
Phil Narkle
http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2012-04-05/narkle-appointed-north-west-academy-coach

& that's not even looking at Ports efforts in the bigger picture.

Well said Boza.