Port Adelaide preparing for Fremantle with the shackles removed after Ross Lyon departs, David Hale takes over
It’s a bit of a myth that clubs always win their first games after coaching changes. But an ex-Crows caretaker expects the Power to face a Fremantle side with the shackles released on Sunday.
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Port Adelaide has enough to worry about without having to contend with the sacking of coach Ross Lyon prompting an immediate uplift for Fremantle on Sunday.
But that is what the Power faces after Lyon’s dismissal on Tuesday – five days out from playing the Dockers at Adelaide Oval in a game that may determine their finals fate.
Lyon became the fourth AFL senior coaching departure this year, following the exits of Brad Scott from North Melbourne, Alan Richardson at St Kilda and Carlton’s Brendon Bolton.
And all three of those clubs’ caretakers – Rhyce Shaw, David Teague and Brett Ratten – won the first games in their new roles.
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The Kangaroos beat Richmond by 37 points in Shaw’s debut as coach in May, Teague coached the Blues to a 15-point triumph over Brisbane in June and Ratten led the Saints to a 27-point victory versus Western Bulldogs last month.
Those successes have evened the ledger to 10 wins and 10 losses from the past 20 mid-season coaching changes.
Ex-Hawthorn and North Melbourne ruckman David Hale will take charge on Sunday against the Power, which sits 11th with a 10-11 record and is relying on the Hawks losing and Adelaide winning to be alive in the finals race when it plays the Dockers.
Crows premiership captain Mark Bickley, who steered Adelaide to a 32-point Showdown win in his first game as caretaker coach in 2011 after replacing Neil Craig, expected Hale to release the shackles.
“There’s two things I reckon: game style will be ‘what have we got to lose’, let’s take it on, let’s attack, if you can mark it go for it, but I think there’ll also be a bit of a circuit-breaker effect as well, where probably many players felt they were pigeonholed by Ross,” Bickley told The Advertiser.
“That’s not a big thing for the blokes who are ranked up the top but the people who felt they weren’t appreciated by Ross, they’ve got a bit of a spring in their step.
“Their might be some guys who were thinking ‘am I going to be here next year or not?’
“And now they’re perhaps looking at things through a different lens – the long-time coach who’s seen them one way is gone and potentially they get another opportunity.
“Whether they decide to play a youngster, a debutant or something like that, to give them an opportunity, that’s something that happens as well.”
Bickley, who took over after Craig resigned when the Crows were 4-12, made several changes for his coaching debut.
They included handing Aidan Riley his first game, recalling Taylor Walker and giving Patrick Dangerfield more midfield time.
Dangerfield registered 27 disposals in the Showdown, while Walker booted a game-high four goals.
Bickley ended his coaching tenure with a 3-3 record before Brenton Sanderson took the reins full-time in 2012.
PAST 20 DEBUT GAMES OF CARETAKER COACHES
2019:
Brendon Bolton (Carlton): Win
Brett Ratten (St Kilda): Win
Rhyce Shaw (North Melbourne): Win
2017:
Dean Solomon (Gold Coast): Loss
2015:
John Barker (Carlton): Loss
Matthew Egan (Essendon): Loss
2013:
Neil Craig (Melbourne): Loss
Mark Harvey (Brisbane) Win
2012:
Garry Hocking (Port Adelaide): Loss
2011:
Mark Bickley (Adelaide): Win
Todd Viney (Melbourne): Loss
Paul Williams (Western Bulldogs): Win
2010:
Matthew Primus (Port Adelaide): Loss
2009:
Jade Rawlings (Richmond): Win
Darren Crocker (North Melbourne): Loss
2007:
Mark Riley (Melbourne): Win
Mark Harvey (Fremantle): Win
Brett Ratten (Carlton): Loss
2002:
Paul Roos (Sydney): Win
2001:
Grant Thomas (St Kilda): Loss