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The "its not the coaches fault" thread

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Mar 19, 2020
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In 2025, we have never been more entrenched in the "sack the coach its all his fault mindset". By my count we have the below as being called to be sacked basically every week

Matthew Nicks
Michael Voss
Justin Longmuir
Simon Goodwin
Alastair Clarkson
Ken Hinkley

Honorable Mentions : Luke Beveridge, Ross Lyon, Brad Scott

So question is, do all of these teams have the coach to blame or are they searching for a scapegoat that isnt there. From the list above I think the it isnt his fault award goes to Nicks . He is a very good coach who urned the list around very well with what has been limited resources to do it with. Had a great 2024 off season and has done a good job in blooding young players the right away. Adelaide fans complaining about Nicks job all the time geniunely are just looking for something to complain about

The team most within the rights to want the coach sacked is Fremantle. Longmuir is a terrible coach who should have been sacked 2 years ago. He is lucky they have good assistants who have stopped him from some epic failures (ie. Longmuir wanting to keep Hayden Young in defense). Fremantles list is superb and they still have those lapses of concentration at times when they can least afford to.

Most of the others I feel are a bit harshly treated. Voss does ok with a middling list, Goodwin just has a list issue right now. Hinkley is a good coach who got scapegoated for sure. Clarkson is a good coach at the wrong club. North Melbourne need a particular type of coach and Clarkson isnt it (Clarko the 2nd one who should be sacked)

So who do you think is being harshly treated out of all the coaches and is actually doing a good job, even if their own fans cant admit it
 
Might be an unpopular opinion, but I think the fans overrate the influence of a coach on the performamce of a side. The better teams players will be skillful and make smart decisions regardless.
Michael Voss says hold my beer while i put Cripps in the ruck and keep playing Fantasia as my plan B to combat opposing coaches out coaching me.

🤦‍♀️🤢🤣😩
 

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I feel like Bevo has always made the tough calls to look after the medium-long term. Most recently moving on Macrae and Daniel. Which leads to players like Joel Freijah or positional changes like Richards to the midfield.

But at the same time I'm on and off his general system and plan B.

But can understand players taking some responsibility- Naughton and English have been average to say the least. Some poor bottom 23 players too.
 
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If you could enlighten us all to what value Nicks adds on gameday I'd happily concede the point.

When things aren't going our way he doesn't do anything to bring us back - he just keeps backing in the same players in the same position playing the same gameplan.
 
If you could enlighten us all to what value Nicks adds on gameday I'd happily concede the point.

When things aren't going our way he doesn't do anything to bring us back - he just keeps backing in the same players in the same position playing the same gameplan.

Also how on earth have you guys had “limited resources”?

Rankine & Dawson for first round picks a huge win.
Thilthorpe as pick 2.
He had Tex, Fogarty, Crouch, Laird, Milera & an oft maligned but always serviceable, durable & competitive ruck in O’Brien on the list when he started.
Michalanney as a FS pick.

And now decent role players requesting a trade in such as Cumming & Peatling.

I don’t rate your board/off field people a hell of a lot but still a successful club financially.

So good finances, decent senior players for the rebuild, a mega beast as pick 2, multiple stars and multiple B grade role players requesting a trade?

I’d hardly call Adelaide poorly resourced.
 
If you can make an argument for how Melbourne & Port benefit on field from keeping their current coaches, I’d be interested.

Voss has under achieved with the list. Still has plenty of time though I’ll acknowledge.

And just watch a ****ing North game. Unfortunately we need stability for the sake of stability but that’s the only positive he has.
 
On the flipside coaches seem to get sacked less than ever, so many have been around 5-6 years despite total failure. That is an astonishingly length of time. There probably isn't another sport in the world where coaches get half that time to prove themselves. Meanwhile an AFL coach after 6 years of no finals "Well if he doesn't make finals this year the heat will be on"
 
On the flipside coaches seem to get sacked less than ever, so many have been around 5-6 years despite total failure. That is an astonishingly length of time. There probably isn't another sport in the world where coaches get half that time to prove themselves. Meanwhile an AFL coach after 6 years of no finals "Well if he doesn't make finals this year the heat will be on"

100%.

Teams flip flop between churning through multiple coaches in quick succession (Carlton, North) without giving any of them a chance to rectify or maybe get an experienced assistant in etc, and then they go damn we might need to keep a coach around for 5-6 years but they just get stuck with whoever that is.
 
100%.

Teams flip flop between churning through multiple coaches in quick succession (Carlton, North) without giving any of them a chance to rectify or maybe get an experienced assistant in etc, and then they go damn we might need to keep a coach around for 5-6 years but they just get stuck with whoever that is.
I recon it’s because you now need to make long term list building and development decisions. The old 3 years or bust is too short for a full rebuild and if you don’t get given 5 years minimum then it’ll be tops up to no man’s land and the Essendon / Carlton models of the past.

The quickflip has resulted in a few flags but every Dynasty from 2005 onwards was on the back of a long term coach who was under pressure in some way and kept on.
 
In 2025, we have never been more entrenched in the "sack the coach its all his fault mindset". By my count we have the below as being called to be sacked basically every week

Matthew Nicks
Michael Voss
Justin Longmuir
Simon Goodwin
Alastair Clarkson
Ken Hinkley

Honorable Mentions : Luke Beveridge, Ross Lyon, Brad Scott

So question is, do all of these teams have the coach to blame or are they searching for a scapegoat that isnt there. From the list above I think the it isnt his fault award goes to Nicks . He is a very good coach who urned the list around very well with what has been limited resources to do it with. Had a great 2024 off season and has done a good job in blooding young players the right away. Adelaide fans complaining about Nicks job all the time geniunely are just looking for something to complain about

The team most within the rights to want the coach sacked is Fremantle. Longmuir is a terrible coach who should have been sacked 2 years ago. He is lucky they have good assistants who have stopped him from some epic failures (ie. Longmuir wanting to keep Hayden Young in defense). Fremantles list is superb and they still have those lapses of concentration at times when they can least afford to.

Most of the others I feel are a bit harshly treated. Voss does ok with a middling list, Goodwin just has a list issue right now. Hinkley is a good coach who got scapegoated for sure. Clarkson is a good coach at the wrong club. North Melbourne need a particular type of coach and Clarkson isnt it (Clarko the 2nd one who should be sacked)

So who do you think is being harshly treated out of all the coaches and is actually doing a good job, even if their own fans cant admit it
This would be under the premise that all coaches are equal, which is clearly not true. Collingwood under Buckley in 2021 is such a contrast to McCrae in 2023, a mere 2 seasons later. I understand there should be a grace period if a team is rebuilding, but if you're gonna trial a new coach it's best to do it with a person who had managerial experience before becoming a senior coach like Fagan. Too many senior coaches get the job but have never had managerial skills and don't know how to deal with personalities.
 

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Might be an unpopular opinion, but I think the fans overrate the influence of a coach on the performamce of a side. The better teams players will be skillful and make smart decisions regardless.
Somebody has to manage them and dictate the standards/culture, though. You could have many outstanding players who play very individualistic but poorly as a collective.
 
Good coaches who have problem's elsewhere in the club which affect their ability to win. Would keep but changes still need to be made.

Voss - Good coach, backed by shit list management.
Hinkley - Great motivator, when surrounded by good coaches (Richardson/Voss/Carr) he can rise to the top. But list management is shit.

Brought something to the club when hired, have deficiencies which mean they've overran their welcome

Nicks - Fixed the culture, tactically inept
Goodwin - Tactics won a premiership, culture cancer

Not up to it

Longmuir - The team is being built well, matchwinners all over the place. But obviously a poor coach who will never amount to anything while there.

Has been

Clarkson - Built a great team, won 4 premierships, but couldn't capture the genie in the bottle a second time.

In short. Voss and Hinkley should stay.
Nicks, Goodwin, Longmuir and Clarkson should go.

Other coaches
Lyon - just another Clarkson. Has been
Beveridge - Old school style coach. Good tactically, struggles with maintaining a good culture. But I feel he straddles that line, but doesn't self-implode the club often. Really rebounded this year. Didn't expect it.
Scott - Good tactically, comes down to the list manager. A bad manager will lead to an eternity of mediocrity. A good one which gives him the talent he needs, I feel will lead to a premiership. His success will be dependent on those around him giving him a team that has the talent.
 

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The "its not the coaches fault" thread


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