Women's Footy Matthew Clarke becomes AFLW head coach

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Clarke has to do something different. He's been in the same role for a decade. Change is long overdue really.

However, you'd imagine there was an element of asking the men's coaching staff, Who can you most afford to lose during that key February-March lead in to the season? Is there anyone you'd barely notice is missing?

Which is fine but I wonder if the appointment was about what's best for the men's team and spreading the men's coaching spend rather than what's best for the women.

 

[Sanders]

Attending a conference is different to being required for a totally different job for a period of 3+ months while still being expected to do your original job

Ok sabbatical then

No big deal

 

[jenny61_99]

I agree it is good to focus on those , and not bagging the job Bec did, but those coaches who follow the Inaugural coaches will start to get better skilled players coming through

Looking at the level of the u/16s match a month ago at AO those skills arent too far away

Those girls have been in the system for a few years now... so we will benefit from that. The inaugural group of girls to join the AFLW were a mixture of athletes (most from other sports) and girls who were playing a bit of kick and giggle in the seniors. Once we start seeing girls who have grown up with the sport, learned their basic skills early, we'll start reaping the reward. Reckon it's essential to focus on this for our senior squad right now (actually, should have been the focus last pre-season).

 

[jenny61_99]

Clarke has to do something different. He's been in the same role for a decade. Change is long overdue really.

However, you'd imagine there was an element of asking the men's coaching staff, Who can you most afford to lose during that key February-March lead in to the season? Is there anyone you'd barely notice is missing?

Which is fine but I wonder if the appointment was about what's best for the men's team and spreading the men's coaching spend rather than what's best for the women.

Do you remember the good old Spackler days? With the selection conversations? Ah.... good times. (reckon "he'd" have a field day with the goings on at the minute)!

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Do you remember the good old Spackler days? With the selection conversations? Ah.... good times. (reckon "he'd" have a field day with the goings on at the minute)!

I'd be interested to know how the women's players feel about this appointment. Whether they think it's great that they have someone with AFL playing experience and current AFL coaching staff experience. Or whether they see it as an tacked-on addition to Clarke's real job.

 

[jenny61_99]

I'd be interested to know how the women's players feel about this appointment. Whether they think it's great that they have someone with AFL playing experience and current AFL coaching staff experience. Or whether they see it as an tacked-on addition to Clarke's real job.

I wonder if they have the courage to be brutally honest?

 

[jo172]

Or, and how about this for a crazy idea, we have a ruck coach and a separate AFLW coach so that each can do their job properly.

Legit it's hard to conceive of how/why a ruck coach would need to be a full time job.

Seriously, what would you spend your 38 hours a week doing?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I wonder if they have the courage to be brutally honest?

I might be wrong. They might be rapt to have him and glad that there's a direct link between men's and women's teams.

From the outside though it seemed like they couldn't justify paying a full time salary to anyone so had a look around the club to find someone on 0.6 or 0.7 time

 

[jenny61_99]

I might be wrong. They might be rapt to have him and glad that there's a direct link between men's and women's teams.

From the outside though it seemed like they couldn't justify paying a full time salary to anyone so had a look around the club to find someone on 0.6 or 0.7 time

And maybe that's ok... for now?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Legit it's hard to conceive of how/why a ruck coach would need to be a full time job.

Seriously, what would you spend your 38 hours a week doing?

What do any of them do? I'm sure they're all busy-ish at times and good at their jobs but I bet there are a lot of coffees.

From what I've heard the busiest guys tend to be the backroom IT crew who splice together all the footage, compile stats etc for the coaches.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Has the AFL mapped out plans for an expansion of the competition? In terms of length of season I mean

Or is it still meant to be a short term Feb-Mar competition for the visible future?

 

[jo172]

What do any of them do? I'm sure they're all busy-ish at times and good at their jobs but I bet there are a lot of coffees.

From what I've heard the busiest guys tend to be the backroom IT crew who splice together all the footage, compile stats etc for the coaches.

From my rampant speculation for Ruck Coach:

You want to spend 1-2 hours each week (in season) reviewing each individual ruckman's game tape and working with them. So at adelaide that's 4-6 hours a week.

Aside from that helping out at training, attending meetings, helping out on match days is all obviously part of the job, but you tend to suspect there's only so much value you're individually adding there.

Then let's think about the 20 weeks a year where you're employed and it's out of season.

What does a ruck coach do to justify their 38 hours a week over pre-season? Seriously.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

And maybe that's ok... for now?

I hope the club hasn't underestimated the time involved in being a senior coach. Sure, the 'contact hours' as far as trainings and games go might be small but I bet Bec Goddard was doing a million things all year round.

 

[jenny61_99]

I hope the club hasn't underestimated the time involved in being a senior coach. Sure, the 'contact hours' as far as trainings and games go might be small but I bet Bec Goddard was doing a million things all year round.

She also had a full time role with the AFP didn't she?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

She also had a full time role with the AFP didn't she?

I thought she arranged some deal with them to do the coaching role?

 

[NikkiNoo]

I thought she arranged some deal with them to do the coaching role?

She took personal leave during the season. The first year she had longer time off as leave. She was only based in Adelaide on a 2 year contract from the AFP anyway and that wound up this year.

 

[Ramify]

I just want to know how this will affect the timing of Sauces jump?

 

[marvin]

Pretty solid year of coaching for Doc. The AFLW team were 2 levels above the other teams by the end of the season, and has to be given credit for ROB's development through this season.

 

[jo172]

Clarke being the brains behind everything all along is a great plot twist.

 

[jenny61_99]

Clarke being the brains behind everything all along is a great plot twist.

The bloody vilification he got in here over recent times.... wow-wee

 

[cmndstab]

I also have to say that I've now listened to his presser and said all the right things in it. He also wouldn't be pressured about who his assistants will be. Was very strong about improving the skills as the main focus for him. It's what we have all noticed across the whole league that this is where things are falling down a little bit. That's a big plus from me on that focus.

Well, that's a big tick Have to give him credit for identifying a problem, setting about solving it, and doing it so well that we completely dominated the competition in his first season at the helm.

I'm really fascinated to see what happens next year. Based on this year's form, we're a mile ahead of everyone else, but we got there in only one season. Presumably at least a couple of the other clubs will manage to do the same.

But yes, between his admirable AFLW coaching job, and ROB's rapid ascent at AFL level, it's been a bumper year for Clarkey

 

[kulak]

This aged well:

Thank goodness we should be getting Marty Clarke back from AFLW soon.

AFLW grand final 31 March

Clarke probably took a couple of weeks off. Was he back for the North Melbourne debacle of 13 April?

Started 1-3, since then 7-2.

 

[FR0GGY]

This aged well:


AFLW grand final 31 March

Clarke probably took a couple of weeks off. Was he back for the North Melbourne debacle of 13 April?

Started 1-3, since then 7-2.

Marty Clarke retired from Collingwood years ago didn’t he?

 

[kulak]

Marty Clarke retired from Collingwood years ago didn’t he?

Russians hacked my post