Adam Cooney says knowing how to get a response from players is the art of good coaching

ADAM Cooney has witnessed his share of coach sprays and knows what cuts a player to the core. The Brownlow Medallist on his experiences — and why he loved Don Pyke’s ‘stare down’.

Adam Cooney with Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade.

A brilliant moment occurred in Alice Springs on Sunday.

The Crows, who were getting belted off the Traeger Park, came in for their three quarter time coaches address.

Players shifted uncomfortably waiting for Don Pyke to bring them in and unleash the fury.

To everyone’s surprise Don, a calm measured dude, dug deep into his coaches playbook and pulled out the endangered, almost extinct “angry wife when you get home drunk from the pub after being with the boys all night” silent treatment stare down. It’s as frightening and unnerving as any verbal ear massage.

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I loved it.

The players would’ve wanted immediate feedback — to be yelled at, told they were pathetic, to lift or their spot would be in jeopardy next week.

Adam Cooney enjoyed Don Pyke’s stare down. Pic: AAP

But Don wasn’t wasting his breath on them — what more can you say. It was too late to get a response, the game was over.

The message from Pyke was clearer than any dressing down could’ve been … ‘You have let me down boys. I’m hurting and I’m disappointed in you’.

Nothing stings more as a player than letting your coach down.

That’s the art of coaching.

It has many layers to it. Strategy, development, game plan, media commitments, training — just to name a few. Arguably, the most important facet of being a successful coach is understanding what makes a player tick.

Investing time and effort in them individually as people and as players can be the key to unlocking their full potential.

It also helps if you understand their personalities, to tailor a good, old-fashioned earbashing to the individual’s needs when required.

Rodney Eade talks with Adam Cooney after a loss

Eade with Cooney after his 2008 Brownlow medal win.

This is done to get maximum value out of the feedback and get the best possible response from it.

Rodney ‘Rocket’ Eade, my coach for the majority of my career, excelled in the art of the spray.

Although he pushed the limits on many occasions, he was Picasso-like in his delivery, ferocity in message and stinging criticism which was designed and verbalised in a unique way depending on who was the unfortunate target.

Brian Lake took most of the verbal grenades from Rod, a) because he never played on his man and as a fullback no doubt would have frustrated the ‘cockroach’ and b) Every. Single. Time that big ‘Briza’ copped it, his performance would inevitably rise to another level — so that was their dynamic.

Poor Brian.

Brian Lake was often in Rodney Eade’s sights.

My feedback from Rocket generally didn’t have the same level of venom in it.

I remember one specific occasion when I was underperforming against the Lions at Etihad one day early in my career.

It was near three-quarter time when the runner came out: “Coons, come to the pine when you get a chance.”

“Uh oh, what have I done” was the immediate thought. So I trotted off, head down, knowing I was in for an absolute treat.

I put the phone to my ear, about an inch away in case my eardrum popped, ready for both barrels.

“Coons, you there?” Rocket asked.

“Yep.” This was the only acceptable response in a situation like this.

“Disappointing son” he whispered. “You’re not working hard enough and you s--t yourself in that last contest with Mal Michael.”

‘Most do’ was my first thought. Luckily I kept that to myself.

A young Adam Cooney takes on Simon Black and the Lions at Etihad.

“You’ve let me down, there’s just over a quarter to show me that you want to be in this side”.

I put the phone down and wanted to make amends and show my coach what I could do.

Long story short, I was (maybe) the difference in the last quarter, we won and I (probably) got the three votes.

Rocket also made sure he covered off his blasts during the week. He would come up and stick his finger in your ear on the massage table, laugh and say “That was a pretty good spray I gave you, wasn’t it?”

The best coaches in the game nowadays have the fear-to-response ratio just right.

This comes about by investing time and effort into their players — getting to know them as people, open up to them just enough so they feel a connection and want to do all they can to please you and make you proud.

So, when that inevitable time comes that the pink-kitted reaper sprints out from the bench and tells you, “Come off, the coach wants a word” you both know how to deal with the situation to gain maximum value from it.

It’s the art of coaching.

Rocket was good at covering off his sprays.

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