Glenn’s 10: The biggest burning questions of the 2014 AFL season

CAN Nathan Buckley coach? Are the Hawks better without Buddy? Glenn McFarlane answers the big questions.

GLENN McFarlane kicks off his weekly top 10 lists by posing — and answering — the burning questions on the eve of the 2014 season.

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1. CAN BUCKS COACH?

We’ll know a hell of a lot more in the coming months, but there is no reason to think that he can’t. Any coach, even one who inherited such a strong list as Buckley did, who has a 65 per cent winning record after two seasons is no mug. A fourth placing in his first year as coach (after losing four players to ACL injuries) and a disappointing eighth last year has been his yearly return so far. Locked in until the end of 2016, Buckley has made the tough decisions on some players and backed his judgment. He’s a good coach, but we’re about to find out if he is better than that.

News_Rich_Media: Collingwood have received a double blow ahead of their first round clash against Fremantle, with both Jesse White and Ben Reid ruled out through calf injuries

2: WHO WILL REPLACE ANDREW DEMETRIOU?

The AFL will cast the net long and wide for a replacement for Andrew Demetriou, but it’s a fair bet that the man who will take over is only a handball away from the chief’s chair right now. Gill McLachlan has assumed many new responsibilities since becoming deputy CEO and has long been Andy’s anointed one. Even though the AFL’s handling of the Essendon supplements scandal was not as successful as it would have hoped, the job is Gill’s to lose.

News_Rich_Media: Andrew Demetriou admits he's more relaxed now that his future at the helm of the AFL is public knowledge.

3: WILL JACK RIEWOLDT’S MEDIA GAG HELP RICHMOND?

Not a hope in hell. For a club eager to keep a low profile heading into an important season, the Tigers must have been cursing their lot when Riewoldt chose a paid media gig to announce what is effectively a season media ban. Talk about putting more pressure on. Instead of slapping a gag on himself, Riewoldt should forget about how he is perceived outside of the club and concentrate on the opinions that matter within the club. If he did, he would be much more content.

News_Image_File: Jack Riewoldt’s media ban could backfire on the Tigers. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

4: IS CARLTON A BETTER TEAM UNDER MICK MALTHOUSE?

Like the Buckley question, it’s just too early to tell. On face value, the Blues finished sixth last season, knocking off Richmond in a memorable elimination final. But wipe away the Essendon disqualification and the a last-gasp win over Port Adelaide in Round 23 (when Matthew Broadbent hit the post with 30 seconds left), and Carlton could have finished 12th. We all know what Mick is capable of, but the real question is whether the Blues’ list is on the ascent or the decline. Standby for a bumpy ride.

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5: WILL BOMBER COACH BEYOND THE BOMBERS THIS YEAR?

He should, and all the indications are that he will. Essendon keeps insisting that James Hird will return at the end of the season. That could see Mark Thompson come into the frame for a senior coaching role elsewhere next year — or maybe even the year after. The two-time premiership coach was jaded at the end of his Geelong tenure. Now he looks to have the mojo back and he has only just turned 50. His mentor Kevin Sheedy was only getting warm at that stage.

News_Rich_Media: Herald Sun AFL writer Mark Robinson appeared was irked by what he describes as a deliberate request to separate him from Essendon coach Mark "Bomber" Thompson on the AFL 360 panel.

6: ARE THE HAWKS BETTER OFF WITHOUT BUDDY?

The simple answer is no. Who wants to lose a bloke who has kicked almost 600 goals? But the more pertinent response might be that list-savvy Hawthorn was smart enough to wean itself off Lance Franklin in time to ensure his absence won’t have anywhere near the impact some might have feared. The Hawks are perfectly place for life after Lance, with Jack Gunston showing his brilliance during the finals, the reigning Coleman Medallist in Jarryd Roughead patrolling the forward line and with a less predictable avenue to goal in recent years.

News_Image_File: Lance Franklin trains at Lakeside Oval. Picture: Phil Hillyard

7: ARE THE KANGAROOS JUST A GREAT BIG TEASE?

Perhaps, but we’re giving them one last chance. There is too much talent in the side, too much thought has gone into the list development and too much is riding on the outcome. They’ve had a long, hard summer on the track (maybe a bit too hard, some track watchers have suggested), but it is time for the Kangaroos to revive the Shinboner spirit without losing their skill and spark.

News_Image_File: There are high hopes for Jack Ziebell and the Kangaroos this season.

8: IS PAUL ROOS THE MESSIAH OR JUST THE RICHEST COACH IN TOWN

When the last messiah took over Melbourne — Ron Barassi in 1981 — he at least had a five-year deal to try and make it happen. Sadly, it never did. Roosy has signed for two years with a third year as an option. It’s not long enough to work miracles, but he should at least put some life back into the long-suffering club. This year marks 50 years since the last Melbourne flag. Roosy was only 18 months old when that happened. And the wait rolls on …

News_Rich_Media: Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson and Paul Roos joined AFL 360 to talk about their experience coaching and all things AFL.

9: CAN A ROSS LYON-COACHED TEAM KICK ENOUGH GOALS TO WIN A GRAND FINAL?

You better believe it. If Nat Fyfe, Hayden Ballantyne, Nick Suban and Co had managed to kick more accurately in last year’s premiership playoff, that mark on Lyon’s coaching record would be gone forever. Hunger burns deep for Lyon as much as anyone in footy and he deserves to win a flag as a coach — just as Malcolm Blight did after three Grand Final losses at Geelong ended up in two flags with Adelaide.

10: WILL ESSENDON PLAYERS BE GETTING INFRACTION NOTICES

That’s the $64 million question, and we are no closer to getting a straight answer. As Robert Duvall said in Apocalypse Now, “One day this war is going to end.”

Follow Glenn McFarlane on Twitter: @MaccaHeraldSun