Shane Crawford urges battling Bombers to chase former Hawthorn strategy guru

ESSENDON needs to “throw everything” into poaching David Rath - one of the architects of Hawthorn’s four flags - according to Hawks great and Brownlow Medallist Shane Crawford.

Former Hawthorn assistant David Rath.

ESSENDON needs to “throw everything” into poaching David Rath - one of the architects of Hawthorn’s four flags over the past 10 years and now the AFL’s coaching innovation and education manager - according to Brownlow medallist Shane Crawford.

With the Bombers accused of playing old-style football in the wake of Monday’s sacking of game performance coach Mark Neeld, Crawford said Rath would be the perfect candidate to drag the team into playing a more modern brand of football.

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Essendon sits in 15th on the ladder, with only two wins from eight games, with its season seemingly in free-fall ahead of Saturday’s clash with Geelong at the MCG.

Crawford believes Rath, one of Alastair Clarkson’s highly-rated lieutenants for 13 years before joining the AFL in a new role this year, was capable of making an immediate impact on the Bombers’ game-style, if they could prise him away from the league.

Hawthorn assistants David Rath and Todd Viney with coach Alastair Clarkson in 2005.

“David Rath should be their man, they would be crazy not to try and get him,” Crawford told the Herald Sun.

“He is a great person to have from a strategy point of view. They (Essendon) need to throw everything at him.

“If I was at a club like that, and I needed someone from a strategy point of view, I would be going out and offering David Rath a long-term contract.

“His knowledge of the game is first-rate. He looks at the game from a different perspective, he is an innovator and he is always ahead of the curve.”

Crawford said Rath was critical to Hawthorn’s success during his time there, with the former Australian Institute of Sport biomechanist playing a key role in transforming the Hawks into the best kicking team in the competition.

Essendon coach John Worsfold talks to assistant Mark Neeld.

He also played a role in making the Hawks a groundbreaking AFL outfit in terms of innovation and on-field strategy.

“He has just got a real calmness about him that would be suited there (Essendon),” Crawford said.

“He would bring with him so much intellectual property as well and knowledge that could transform a footy club.

“The AFL thought so much of him that they grabbed him off Hawthorn.”

Rath was appointed to the AFL at the start of the year to work along with league football operations manager Steve Hocking.

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Originally published as Shane Crawford urges battling Bombers to chase former Hawthorn strategy guru