Coach Coach for 2025

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Quinz said:
View attachment 2098482

Have to admit I was hoping for a few more inspiring candidates. Going back to Woosha would certainly be a choice, and I think Watters and McKenna have had their shot. No one has given Suma a go yet though! Could Waterman coach his son (has it been done before?)?

Paul Peos or Chris Lewis is my pick.
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Holy hell that's some memories, I have that book sitting somewhere signed by them all on the inside cover.
 
amazingjoshy said:
That's an awful lot of words saying a whole lot of nothing really
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It's basically the Nesbitt email equivalent but open. Guess he has to get some word out for our members and fans to make sure they know something is being done about our position.
 
DeckedOut20 said:
No one should have to pay to read the West or anything Coc*smack writes:

West Coast Eagles CEO Don Pyke reveals club has ‘several’ high-quality candidates in coach race​


West Coast chief executive Don Pyke says the club has identified “several” high-quality candidates to be the next coach, despite a number of frontrunners publicly declaring they are not interested in the top job.

And while he says the man to replace Adam Simpson will be crucial in the next phase of the club’s history, Pyke said it was important they put the right support around them to ensure they have the best chance to succeed.

The Eagles are on the hunt for a replacement for Simpson after they parted ways with the 2018 premiership coach in July after more than a decade.

West Coast champion Dean Cox was viewed as the strong favourite but quickly ruled himself out of the race, instead deciding to stay on Sydney where he is the senior assistant.

Cox was joined by the likes of Josh Carr, Jaymie Graham, Ash Hansen, Daniel Giansiracusa and Josh Carr all deciding to not be part of the process.

Despite the list of public withdrawals, Pyke said he was confident the Eagles would still find a quality coach through their process.

66e68994ccd873fc7a95ea97742d10d2c4d0d536.jpg
Dean Cox was a frontrunner before he declared he was not interest in the Eagles job.

“I know there’s been a lot made of those who for one reason or another (have withdrawn), and the reality some of those reasons are family reasons for people or just personal reasons as to why it doesn’t suit them at this very minute to be a part of it,” Pyke told The West Australian.

“We’ve identified a number of high-quality candidates and are quite excited to see what the process will unveil. And find the right guy to take us forward.”

West Coast chief executive Don Pyke.: “We’ve identified a number of high-quality candidates.”

Pyke said ensuring they had a strong network around the next coach was just as important as who they contracted to lead the team.

“The senior coach is the face of the club, he sets the direction of the club from a football viewpoint, so it’s an important decision,” he said.

“It’s also really important that we support whoever that person is in the role to ensure that they’ve got the best chance of having success and that includes all the people around the senior coach.

“I know having done the job there’s a lot to it, but you need a lot of support at all levels and it’s important that we set that person up as best we can with the right people around to drive the programs forward.

21250b837e5a3fd6ebee0eed7710ee9026b606ea.jpg
Interim coach Jarrad Schofield with Don Pyke.

“It can’t just be one guy, the successful teams playing in the finals there’s a senior coach who does a lot of the heavy lifting but the support he has whether that be from high-performance, from medical, from mental skills stuff or coaching and assistant coaching, development coaching – they’re all important pieces. We’re mindful of that as we bring someone new on board.”

After five wins in the past two seasons and a second wooden spoon in the club’s history the Eagles claimed five victories in 2024 to finish 16th.

Pyke said while they had taken steps forward, they were not pleased with their season overall and identified the inconsistency week to week as a focal point.

“We’ve shown in some games this year a high level of performance, but they haven’t been sustainable,” he said.
“The end of the season probably epitomised that a little bit. We had a couple of strong performances albeit against teams that are outside the eight in Gold Coast and North Melbourne, but there were some positives there, only to finish the season against Carlton and Geelong.

“The gap between our best and worst, we’ve certainly got to narrow that down. There was some improvement, but I wouldn’t sit here saying we’re anyway pleased with the season.

“We’ve got a lot more work to do and obviously there’s some change and some transition within the club and within the football department and that is what the next 10 or 12 weeks is focused on.”

West Coast have been linked to several players already this year including Richmond vice-captain Liam Baker and his Tigers teammate and free agent Jack Graham.
8f4c75d4a6e668e66f36f00c92554d0929d7c533.jpg
Richmond star Liam Baker.

They are also looking to continue to bring in high-end young talent through the draft after recruiting No.1 draftee Harley Reid as well as Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett in the past two years.

Pyke said the challenge was to find the balance during their list build of brining in experience as well as draftees.
“Historically if you look across successful teams, they’ve got enough first round, top 20 picks on the list that mean you’ve got the talent base to work from,” he said.

“We’ve got pick No.3 this year and then No.23 as it currently stands. How do we position ourselves to bring in that talent but also, we do have a gap on our list in the 22- to 27-year-olds. If opportunities come up that we can add to it, then we look to do that as well without giving away our draft capital.

“It’s a balancing act. We’re pretty clear in terms of the strategy we’ve got but it’s like anything now it’s all about execution and we’ve got to in the next period of time set ourselves up both through the trade period and into the draft period to be able to make sure the list continues to evolve.”

57b84e249b233d3497f2c6ddced5df3df7443443.jpg
West Coast have hit the draft in recent years.

Pyke said the Eagles also had to create an environment where the current young talent they have on their list can take a step forward.

“The key is that we see the list getting better year on year and we saw it with guys (Harvey) Johnston who came in at the end of the year, (Ryan) Maric continued to show that there’s something there,” he said.

“Jack Williams and Harry Edwards came in and played some strong footy. It’s a combination of the work needed to play consistently strong AFL footy.

“Guys like Reuben and (Brady) Hough would be sitting there going ‘I can play AFL footy, I know I’m good enough at AFL footy’. Those guys are ready for the next step now we have got to create the environment where these guys can actually take the next step and come forward.

“But mindful also we need to continue to add talent to that list and that’s been our focus since pretty much early in the season. We’re talking about making sure that we have enough draft capital to bring in some talent and some high-end picks but also if there’s some free agents or some other players available that we’re actively pursuing them and just make sure we’ve got the balance right.”
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You know it's bad when Josh Carr has ruled himself out twice!!

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Now we have a front runner in McQualter. Let's commence the roast shall we

1. He was tigers coach through premiership (tick) BUT he was assigned head coach for a while then passed over for Yze (Hmmmmm)
2. Part of Melb which they are culturally in the mud close to us 2007 (Hmmm)

I mean atleast his resume is short enough that he hasn't been ingrained in loser culture like carlton or essesdon
 
random260 said:
Now we have a front runner in McQualter. Let's commence the roast shall we

1. He was tigers coach through premiership (tick) BUT he was assigned head coach for a while then passed over for Yze (Hmmmmm)
2. Part of Melb which they are culturally in the mud close to us 2007 (Hmmm)

I mean atleast his resume is short enough that he hasn't been ingrained in loser culture like carlton or essesdon
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Who says he's the front runner? He's a "contender" for the role which isn't really news

He's also probably the only one not involved in finals which is likely why his name has come out
 
“The gap between our best and worst, we’ve certainly got to narrow that down. There was some improvement, but I wouldn’t sit here saying we’re anyway pleased with the season.
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I think this is important to note from Don. Acknowledgement that some things got better but importantly pointing out that the level is unacceptable.

Exciting off-season for us. New Coach appointment, draft with a decent pick (currently), back room clear out in progress.

Club reinvigoration is loading!
 
random260 said:
Now we have a front runner in McQualter. Let's commence the roast shall we

1. He was tigers coach through premiership (tick) BUT he was assigned head coach for a while then passed over for Yze (Hmmmmm)
2. Part of Melb which they are culturally in the mud close to us 2007 (Hmmm)

I mean atleast his resume is short enough that he hasn't been ingrained in loser culture like carlton or essesdon
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He certainly looks like someone our club would employ.
 
amazingjoshy said:
Who says he's the front runner? He's a "contender" for the role which isn't really news

He's also probably the only one not involved in finals which is likely why his name has come out
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Yes, how do we know he’s the front runner? Or has there been a leak?

Played 7 seasons with Gold Coast for 89 games (2005 - 2011). One season with Gold Coast for 5 games (2012).

Assistant coach at Gold Coast (2013), then Richmond (2014 - 2023).
Caretaker coach at Richmond for the last 13 games in 2023 for a 7 - 6 record.
Assistant coach at Melbourne (2024).
38 y.o.

On the face of it not a very extensive or varied experience. Main coaching experience is as an assistant to Hardwick during Richmond’s success period.
I don’t know what he would have over Jarrad Schofield or Brett Montgomery, even Brendan Lade.
No tatts?
 
Bacchus said:
Yes, how do we know he’s the front runner? Or has there been a leak?

Played 7 seasons with Gold Coast for 89 games (2005 - 2011). One season with Gold Coast for 5 games (2012).

Assistant coach at Gold Coast (2013), then Richmond (2014 - 2023).
Caretaker coach at Richmond for the last 13 games in 2023 for a 7 - 6 record.
Assistant coach at Melbourne (2024).
38 y.o.

On the face of it not a very extensive or varied experience. Main coaching experience is as an assistant to Hardwick during Richmond’s success period.
I don’t know what he would have over Jarrad Schofield or Brett Montgomery, even Brendan Lade.
No tatts?
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In the end its more about the person and their leadership/coaching capabilities (skills, knowledge;edge and psyche)
 

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JackOutback said:
The leading contenders are probably McQualter and Schofield as they are the only two free to be interviewed so far.
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Hayden Skipworth and Scott Selwood, both at Collingwood, would also be available for interviews.
 
Miguel Sanchez said:
Even Simpson‘s biggest detractors at least waited until he’d been appointed to start shit-talking him. (Though some of them certainly didn’t wait long after that)
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There was certainly criticism (including from at least a couple that have also been in this thread) that we went with someone relatively unproven and not a club legend. Didn't do a long enough apprenticeship as an assistant with Clarko, didn't have a coaching gig at West Coast, didn't give the impression during his playing days that he was a tactical mastermind, didn't have any idea about the culture of West Coast. The list was endless.

Keyboard warriors on here always think they know better - they trumpet their successful calls but stay notoriously quiet about their own bad calls.
 
We are a very well funded and resourced club.
We have Harley.
We are the West Coast bloody Eagles.
Any coach with an ounce of intelligence would know this is great opportunity to build and coach a team to greatness.
We have Harley Reid.

Just say we have, on the side, targeted an existing head coach who is in the finals.
Port don't want to lose Carr so tell him he will have the head job 😁 next year. Hinkley available.
Same with Cox at Sydney, Longmire available.
Chris Scott has been at Geelong through an awesome dynasty but many of his key personal have or will be retiring. Does he want to build another dynasty at another club?

If we had a choice of those 3 who would best suit and who would we like to see here.
For me I think Chris Scott is just a very smart coach who knows how to build a team and think he would deliver.

Maybe a bit of fantasy thinking but this is AFL where contracts and loyalty are only worth what someone is willing to pay, mostly.
 
Forward Press said:
There was certainly criticism (including from at least a couple that have also been in this thread) that we went with someone relatively unproven and not a club legend. Didn't do a long enough apprenticeship as an assistant with Clarko, didn't have a coaching gig at West Coast, didn't give the impression during his playing days that he was a tactical mastermind, didn't have any idea about the culture of West Coast. The list was endless.

Keyboard warriors on here always think they know better - they trumpet their successful calls but stay notoriously quiet about their own bad calls.
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Good old ndot was a shocker for that.
 
Eagles shortlist cut to eight, believed to include:

• Jarrad Schofield
• Andrew McQualter (MEL)
• Brendon Lade (WB)
• Danny Daly (BRIS Football Boss)
• Brett Montgomery (GWS)
• Steven King (GEE)

 


Six of the suggested 8 candidates are
• Schofield
• McQualter
• Lade
• Montgomery
• King
• Daly (who I thought ruled himself out)

Selwood, Hickmott, Enright, and Skipworth mentioned as other possibilities

West Coast have cut their coaching wish list to eight people of “interest” which will be pruned to four short-listed applicants within weeks.
The Eagles hope to have Adam Simpson’s permanent successor in place by the end of September but have conceded that the speed of their process depends on results in the AFL finals and which candidates stay involved deep into September.

Although West Coast CEO Don Pyke has been adamant that he would not provide a running commentary on the process and as recently as late last week did not want to reveal how many potential candidates the club had interest in, he did confirm there were more than six.

It is believed that six of the eight the club has interest in are interim coach Jarrad Schofield, current Melbourne assistant and Richmond’s 2023 interim coach Andrew McQualter, former Port Adelaide premiership star and current Bulldogs assistant Brendon Lade, Brisbane footy boss Danny Daly who had an extensive assistant’s resume before moving into an executive position, Giants assistant Brett Montgomery and Geelong assistant Steven King.

It is understood King spoke with West Coast after the round 24 clash between the clubs at GMHBA Stadium.

Of the six, Lade, Daly, Montgomery and King will all be involved in finals this week.

Pyke said several candidates had expressed a wish to see out their current coaching commitments as their immediate priority.

Another identified by colleagues as potentially ready to coach is former Crow Hayden Skipworth, now a Collingwood assistant after a lengthy stint at Essendon.

The Eagles have also been urged to sound out former assistant Adrian Hickmott because of his popularity with players during his stint with West Coast around the 2018 premiership.

Former West Coast player Scott Selwood who is currently at Collingwood and Geelong champion Corey Enright, who has impressed at St Kilda are others believed to have coaching potential but who may not have the experience to pull off a challenging rebuild.

Pyke used the term “people we are interested in talking to” which is an indication that at least some targets may not have committed to going through the selection process.

Pyke’s CEO career at the Eagles might be less than a year old but the next month shapes as tenure defining, with the club still in the rough early stages of what shapes as a major rebuild.

Pyke’s role in the appointment of the next coach is seen as pivotal.

Those close to Pyke label him highly intelligent but also potentially autocratic.

He is expected to be the dominant voice on a coaching selection committee which includes himself, the club’s general manager of football Gavin Bell, Director of Football Affairs from the board Rowan Jones, fellow director Jan Cooper and former Geelong champion Harry Taylor who is the club’s performance and leadership consultant.

It has been a slow moving process so far, more known for those who have opted out than those who might be in.

Former club great Dean Cox, now John Longmire’s senior assistant at Sydney, has doubled down on not being involved after it was suggested that he might yet be talked into putting in for the job.

The club’s 2006 premiership centre half forward Ash Hansen has also declared he will not go through the process. Hansen is a senior assistant with finalist Carlton and club sources believe there may be a further attempt to woo him if the Blues are an early finals casualty.

Fremantle forward line coach Jaymie Graham, a former Eagles player and a former assistant coach at the club is another to declare he is out of the running, as have Port Adelaide’s Josh Carr and former Western Bulldog Daniel Giansiracusa, currently an assistant at Essendon.

It is understood the club also reached out to former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley who said he was not ready to coach again yet.

Pyke did not rule out any level of experience provided the candidate had coaching potential.

“Adam Simpson (at the end of 2013) was hired off three or four years as an assistant coach but he had also had 300 games of on field and leadership experience,” Pyke said.

“Everyone brings a different range of experience but that doesn’t automatically mean they are excluded from the process.”

Asked how long it would take to land their next coach Pyke said the process would run as quickly as circumstances allowed, confirming several people the Eagles were interested in still had finals involvement.

“We are not going to rush this but we are not dragging our feet either,” he said.

“We are progressing. But I can’t say that it (the process) is going to finish then, or then, or then.

Pyke said the Eagles fully understood the want of candidates still involved in finals to finish the season’s work with their current club.

“They have got to focus on what they are doing at the moment,” he said.
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