The Softly Softly approach when it comes to coaches and their tenures

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Oct 3, 2004
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Has anyone noticed in more recent years that coaches who continually fail, rarely get sacked anymore?

Is this just a pandemic thing/purely money watch thing or are clubs hoping for the Thompson/Hardwick effect where an embattled coach will eventually come good ?

I doubt the likes of C.Scott, Hinkley maybe even Chris Fagan would have survived this in another era.

What are your opinions on your coach if your club is in a long term tenure with a coach with no ultimate success?

On SM-G981B using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Oct 3, 2007
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Has anyone noticed in more recent years that coaches who continually fail, rarely get sacked anymore?

Is this just a pandemic thing/purely money watch thing or are clubs hoping for the Thompson/Hardwick effect where an embattled coach will eventually come good ?

I doubt the likes of C.Scott, Hinkley maybe even Chris Fagan would have survived this in another era.

What are your opinions on your coach if your club is in a long term tenure with a coach with no ultimate success?

On SM-G981B using BigFooty.com mobile app

It is the assistant coaches fault now. The bloke on a million dollars per year no longer has to take responsibility. Only the assistants pay the price for terrible head coaching. Hollywood job being a senior coach in footy now.
 

jabba5114

Premiership Player
Jan 23, 2014
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Depends on the club. Just ask Carlton if they have the softly softly approach. Both Thompson and hardback agreed they needed to change there approaches though. Buckley as well. Dont think Scott,Hinkley, and Fagin will win a premiership though.

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Depends on the club. Just ask Carlton if they have the softly softly approach. Both Thompson and hardback agreed they needed to change there approaches though. Buckley as well. Dont think Scott,Hinkley, and Fagin will win a premiership though.

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quoting for hardback
 
Aug 14, 2011
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Has anyone noticed in more recent years that coaches who continually fail, rarely get sacked anymore?

Is this just a pandemic thing/purely money watch thing or are clubs hoping for the Thompson/Hardwick effect where an embattled coach will eventually come good ?

I doubt the likes of C.Scott, Hinkley maybe even Chris Fagan would have survived this in another era.

What are your opinions on your coach if your club is in a long term tenure with a coach with no ultimate success?

On SM-G981B using BigFooty.com mobile app

Changing coaches is no guarantee of success, never has been.
 
Jul 14, 2005
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Coaches get too much scrutiny IMO.

Their main role is to keep the players in check, the squad galvanised and co-ordinate their line coaches.

It’s far more man management than it is having some serious tactical acuity, which develops over time anyway. See: Buckley, Nathan.

Anyone reckon Chris Fagan is coming up with advanced plans from the sidelines? Some coaches are good tacticians (Clarko, Bevo), but it’s an overemphasised characteristic of a senior coach.
 
I always feel like Port worry they will fail to attract a big name to replace Hinkley which helps him keep his job.
Wouldn't surprise me. Management is insular as s**t as per their "were just a little club from Alberton" schtick
 
Jan 19, 2008
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Has anyone noticed in more recent years that coaches who continually fail, rarely get sacked anymore?

Is this just a pandemic thing/purely money watch thing or are clubs hoping for the Thompson/Hardwick effect where an embattled coach will eventually come good ?

I doubt the likes of C.Scott, Hinkley maybe even Chris Fagan would have survived this in another era.

What are your opinions on your coach if your club is in a long term tenure with a coach with no ultimate success?

On SM-G981B using BigFooty.com mobile app

Buckley after a decade and playing finals last year was canned this year.

Teague was canned. Clarko after four flags got canned.

Getting rid of coaches who make the finals consistently is very risky. Making the finals and not winning a flag is not great, but it is better than not making finals at all.
 

Bjo187

Premiership Player
Apr 30, 2020
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Yeah a lot of afl coaches get a lot longer than they deserve. Look at a guy like stewart dew.
 
Jul 14, 2005
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I always feel like Port worry they will fail to attract a big name to replace Hinkley which helps him keep his job.

Was Hinkley a big name when he got signed by Port? He was a highly touted coach, but it was a pretty standard coaching appointment.

Can see Ken making a lot of people eat their words tbh. The same criticisms that get levelled at him (too nice, too measured), were said about Goodwin a couple of years prior.

Port play a great gamestyle, they just haven't developed that hard edge that comes from years of playing finals footy. Their young guns (Rozee, Butters) aren't close to peaking, spine set, talent all over the ground.
 
Aug 15, 2015
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The cockeyed lowlife of the (Southern) Highlands
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Was Hinkley a big name when he got signed by Port? He was a highly touted coach, but it was a pretty standard coaching appointment.

Can see Ken making a lot of people eat their words tbh. The same criticisms that get levelled at him (too nice, too measured), were said about Goodwin a couple of years prior.

Port play a great gamestyle, they just haven't developed that hard edge that comes from years of playing finals footy. Their young guns (Rozee, Butters) aren't close to peaking, spine set, talent all over the ground.

First 9 years were just a warm up, but he's about to come good!

No, he sucks, sack him.
 

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bjwilliams

All Australian
Apr 6, 2015
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Yeah a lot of afl coaches get a lot longer than they deserve. Look at a guy like stewart dew.
If one thing is true, sacking head coach after head coach doesn't help a team either. Systemic clubs failing to reach the finals or make any wave in them isn't solved by going from one to another. Carlton and Gold Coast previously loved cutting them, but I'm glad the Suns are sticking with Dew who seems to have a fair bit of respect of the players.

You can't give a coach 3 years, and a revolving door of players and then expect the club to improve by just sacking the coach.
 
Aug 18, 2009
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Was Hinkley a big name when he got signed by Port? He was a highly touted coach, but it was a pretty standard coaching appointment.

Can see Ken making a lot of people eat their words tbh. The same criticisms that get levelled at him (too nice, too measured), were said about Goodwin a couple of years prior.

Port play a great gamestyle, they just haven't developed that hard edge that comes from years of playing finals footy. Their young guns (Rozee, Butters) aren't close to peaking, spine set, talent all over the ground.

I recall him having huge wraps as an assistant from Geelong. He was hired around the same time as Dimma & I wanted Richmond to pick Ken
 
Feb 23, 2009
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It is the assistant coaches fault now. The bloke on a million dollars per year no longer has to take responsibility. Only the assistants pay the price for terrible head coaching. Hollywood job being a senior coach in footy now.
There's actually some merit to this, most coaches these days are the overall decision maker and people manager, the skill is being able to connect, communicate the message, engage people, but I reckon a lot of the tactical and structure work week to week is done by the 3-6 assistants that sit in the box.

There's no way head coach is getting around and spending significant time with every group or player every week, they rely on their assistants to communicate to them both up and down the chain. You can't win a flag without a good coaching team.
 
There's actually some merit to this, most coaches these days are the overall decision maker and people manager, the skill is being able to connect, communicate the message, engage people, but I reckon a lot of the tactical and structure work week to week is done by the 3-6 assistants that sit in the box.

There's no way head coach is getting around and spending significant time with every group or player every week, they rely on their assistants to communicate to them both up and down the chain. You can't win a flag without a good coaching team.
We are a couple of assistants down on previous years though aren’t we?
 
Jul 30, 2012
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The coach used to be the man where the buck stopped.

Now there is the head coach who has line coaches, several of them.

There is a director of football, a high performance manager with a fitness, strength and conditioning manager

The coach is told how long he can train players for. They are told what to eat and record their sleep.


The coach is just not as responsible as once he was.
 
Oct 3, 2007
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Perth
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The coach used to be the man where the buck stopped.

Now there is the head coach who has line coaches, several of them.

There is a director of football, a high performance manager with a fitness, strength and conditioning manager

The coach is told how long he can train players for. They are told what to eat and record their sleep.


The coach is just not as responsible as once he was.

But still gets paid to be? Maybe they are paid to do press conferences.
 
Has anyone noticed in more recent years that coaches who continually fail, rarely get sacked anymore?

Is this just a pandemic thing/purely money watch thing or are clubs hoping for the Thompson/Hardwick effect where an embattled coach will eventually come good ?

I doubt the likes of C.Scott, Hinkley maybe even Chris Fagan would have survived this in another era.

What are your opinions on your coach if your club is in a long term tenure with a coach with no ultimate success?

On SM-G981B using BigFooty.com mobile app
Depends on the Club IMO.

Carlton sacks coaches like there’s no tomorrow.

I don’t remember the last time Geelong sacked a coach
 

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