President of the AFL Gamers’ Affiliation and Channel 7 commentator Patrick Dangerfield has thrown up a radical idea to change the construction of senior coaching.
Amid the present high-speed chase for the companies of four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson – whose impending seemingly arrival at both Essendon or North Melbourne is being mooted as like that of a messiah – Dangerfield has questioned whether or not there’s a greater method to strategy senior coaching.
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Moderately than in search of the one “big fish,” comparable to Clarkson, the Geelong champion has advised the AFL considers a whole shakeup to the construction of coaching teams.
“Is there a potential to change it? Is there a potential to employ two senior coaches?” he mentioned on The Field with JJ and Hazard.
“If you’re GWS, (you might be thinking) ‘how can we get the best possible person, or people, for our organisation?’ Rather than the status quo of a single senior coach, do we try and get the best two in the land?
“Because generally, if they’re not already established senior coaches, they’re going to be cheaper and, with the uplift in the soft cap next year, do you pay two coaches around that $350,000-400,000 mark that are absolute guns in their own right, rather than that single big fish?
“Rather than go for one Alastair Clarkson, do you try and get … (Adam) Yze, (Troy) Chaplin? Whomever. Is there a different way of doing it?”
Co-host Josh Jenkins, who performed with Dangerfield at each Adelaide and Geelong, mentioned the idea had benefit.
“I don’t mind that because I hope and I imagine that you lessen the burden; one person’s not responsible for getting around to everyone and making every decision and attending every function and dealing with every sponsor. I don’t mind it, there’s merit in it,” he mentioned.
Jenkins identified that the idea of co-coaches is widespread follow in country footy and works nicely.
“Some people will laugh at me even comparing the two, but we know it works in country and regional and rural footy,” he mentioned.
“We know that two coaches works really well at that level. It’s food for thought.”
Within the AFL, joint management is already widespread, which as Dangerfield explains, would have been laughed at in years passed by.
“Once upon a time you would’ve laughed at co-captains but, given the responsibilities, it’s where plenty of clubs have gone – Sydney have three captains,” he mentioned.
The Brownlow medallist will line up for his three hundredth recreation within the Cats’ conflict with West Coast this weekend.
Having performed in various milestone matches already, Dangerfield mentioned this one felt completely different.
“For me, this one means a bit more,” he mentioned.
“I suppose it’s special for my family and all those sorts of things. But it’s one that I’m really quite proud of. It’s a long time to play in the game for.
“I remember one of my old under-16s coaches, Leon Harris … talking about ‘you’ve made it in the league when you’ve played 100 games of AFL footy’.
“So, to play 300 is very special and it’s nice to be able to do it in front of friends and family this week at GMHBA.”
The midfield bull has performed in some epic video games, together with the 2017 and 2020 grand finals, and has completed nearly every part there’s to do in footy.
However what he and the Crows had to undergo in 2015 after then-coach Phil Walsh was murdered stands proud in his thoughts as a flashpoint of his profession.
“One of the most memorable was the Showdown post-Phil Walsh’s death,” he mentioned.
“I think the previous week we’d played against West Coast and been absolutely pummelled the week before Phil passed away, and we essentially split the points with Geelong (the next week), coming forward and saying we shouldn’t be playing.
“But I remember that game; that’s something that really sticks in my head … just given the enormity of what had happened. We were in control of the game, and then Port were coming. I think it was about a three- or five-point win in the end.
“I remember thinking, ‘that’s what Phil wants more than anything else; he doesn’t want any of the other stuff.’”
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