Rodney Eade latest in string of older coaches to land AFL jobs
THE trend to appoint older coaches continues with confirmation Rodney Eade, 56, will join Gold Coast.
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THE trend to appoint older coaches continues with confirmation Rodney Eade, 56, will join Gold Coast.
The move follows the recent appointments of Mick Malthouse at Carlton, Paul Roos at Melbourne, Ken Hinkley at Port Adelaide, Alan Richardson at St Kilda and Phil Walsh at Adelaide
Malthouse was 59 when he arrived at the Blues.
Roos was 50.
Hinkley was 46.
Richardson was 48.
And Walsh, 54.
Less than four years ago, the trend was for younger coach.
James Hird, Michael Voss, Nathan Buckley, Brenton Sanderson, Adam Simpson and the Scott brothers, Chris and Brad, were all appointed before they were 40, while Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron had just turned 41 when he replaced Kevin Sheedy.
Eade’s impending appointment tells us clubs are looking at men who are experienced in football and in life, and that an ability in man management was crucial.
That’s not to say the Scott brothers, or Buckley or Simpson, don’t have that skill set, but clubs clearly are looking at the experienced coach/person, which follows professional sports in the United States and Europe.
Which makes the Western Bulldogs coaching situation intriguing.
It was the Bulldogs who broke the trend of going for younger coaches by appointing Brendan McCartney, at 51, in 2012.
It failed two weeks ago when they sacked McCartney, but it leaves the Bulldogs a decision of whether to go ‘’young’’ or ‘’old’’ with their next appointment.
The Dogs have started their first round of interviews and hope to make an appointment by November 17, when the senior players return from holidays. The younger players are back at the club on November 5.
The Bulldogs won’t be dictated by age in their search.
It is a cliche but the Bulldogs are looking for the “best available candidate”.
It means current senior assistant coach, 42-year-old Brett Montgomery, at this stage at least, is as good a chance to get the job as, say, Brett Ratten, who is 43, or Neil Craig, who is 58, who both have coached AFL clubs
Adelaide officials have privately suggested Craig, who shares the head of football role at Essendon with Rob Kerr, would be ideal at the Bulldogs.
Montgomery is one of the favourites because he has a strong relationship with the players.
But it’s believed the Bulldogs would also look favourably on candidates who have coached in their own right.
Hawks mentor Alastair Clarkson coached Werribee and Central Districts in South Australia, joined Port Adelaide in 2004 and was appointed Hawthorn coach in 2005.
The Eade appointment means the Bulldogs are the only team without a coach for 2015.
If they go young’, you can expect a further appointment of an experienced football person beside him.
If they go ‘’old’’, the trend continues.
Originally published as Rodney Eade latest in string of older coaches to land AFL jobs
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