Robbo: North Melbourne cannot let Rhyce Shaw coach next season and must put his wellbeing first
North Melbourne has a duty of care to senior coach Rhyce Shaw, even if that means denying him the chance to lead the Kangaroos next year. And the club is already exploring possible replacements, writes Mark Robinson.
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It doesn’t matter if Rhyce Shaw wants to be senior coach next year, North Melbourne — and the AFL — has a responsibility to deny him.
Friday’s announcement that Shaw has been and will continue to be away from the club for personal reasons leaves the Kangaroos with no alternative.
After a stressful season, which finally waylaid the coach late in the first week after Round 18, the Kangaroos know they have a duty of care for their much-loved coach.
So does the AFL.
Football is a brutal industry.
Football coaching is doubly so.
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For close to a month now, as Shaw recuperated and no one from the football department had spoken face-to-face with him, it became increasingly obvious the club would need to find a new coach for 2021.
It’s possible Shaw — a father of two who turned 39 on Friday — may continue at North Melbourne in a reduced role, but that scenario is not important right now.
The club’s priority is Shaw’s wellbeing and it’s certainly not about to wash its hands of him and move on.
Still, the club formulated a list of possible replacements as far back as three weeks ago.
Newly-appointed assistant coach John Blakey won’t be a candidate.
Ross Lyon has made it clear he will not coach again.
That’s not to say he won’t.
It would take a huge turnaround of mindset from the veteran former coach, for Lyon is relishing life outside of the coaching cauldron.
For sure, the AFL wouldn’t be against Lyon coaching the Kangas.
Friday’s announcement came after a week of social media speculation which is understood to have rattled the Shaw and extended Shaw family.
The AFL has been aware of the situation for several weeks.
It’s been a dreadful several months for Shaw and the Kangaroos.
They were embarrassed on the field, which wore down Shaw, and in the post season they delisted 11 players, put others up for trade and sacked coaches.
It was a cull which the modern game has not seen before.
It’s understood Shaw was not even part of the decisions to dump his assistants and development coaches.
MORE NORTH MELBOURNE:
SHAW’S COACHING FUTURE IN DOUBT
ROOKIE ROOS COACH LAMENTS “PERFECT STORM” IN 2020
ROOS ‘NOWHERE NEAR’ SHAW’S BOLD PRE-SEASON CALL
ROOS’ HUB SETUP LIKE ‘BIRDCAGE AT FLEMINGTON’
ROOS SHOCK: COACH ADMITS SELECTION BLUNDER
After the final game of the season, Shaw and his family had a few days holiday, then returned to Melbourne.
It was then he stepped away from football.
In the latter stages of the season, as loss piled on upon loss, North Melbourne officials were in daily contact with Shaw to ensure, as the face of the club, he was coping with the losses.
Even after the demoralising loss to Gold Coast in Round 14, when Shaw was visibly distressed in the post-match press conference, the club maintained Shaw was in an OK head space, and the seemingly ‘woe me’ attitude was simply Shaw wearing his heart on his sleeve.
A prodigious worker — which prompted Kangaroos officials this year to advise him to chill out — Shaw admitted at the end of 2019 he needed to address his work/life balance.
“I love it (footy) and I know I have to get better away from footy,’’ Shaw said.
“I understand that. I am as keen as mustard to get into it. I could spend every hour here. I know I can’t, but I would if I could.
“Me and my wife, Leah, have had numerous chats about it.’’
Clearly in 2020, football and the plight of his team consumed him.
The COVID-19 pandemic, the hub life, the defeats, the loss of spirit among the playing group conspired against him.
The building of relationships and culture, which is true to Shaw’s character, also seemed to collapse as poor performances wracked up.
The decision by CEO Ben Amarfio not to live in the hub and support Shaw when he and the club was under siege remains one of the more bewildering decisions of the season.
The Kangas had a new coach, and new football boss (Brady Rawlings) and a relatively new coaching staff and sometimes, it’s important to be seen.
It was the perfect storm.
The search for a new coach will be wide and the Kangas will dust off the list of almost 30 candidates it had before Shaw was officially elevated from interim coach to full-time coach.
In a massive rebuild phase, the most important decision will be if they go for an untried coach or coach with previous experience.
As said, Lyon would be ideal.
An untried senior coach would be a gamble.
Michael Voss, who coached Brisbane and is senior assistant to Ken Hinkley at Port Adelaide, is sure to be approached.
Paul Roos was contacted about being a mentor for Shaw, but it’s extremely unlikely he will be a candidate for the senior position.
Clearly, the decision-makers at the club, led by president Ben Buckley and football director Glenn Archer, are under pressure to deliver the best person to coach the footy club.
Don’t rule out Lyon.
And don’t rule out Shaw being at the club in some capacity next season.
Originally published as Robbo: North Melbourne cannot let Rhyce Shaw coach next season and must put his wellbeing first