A surprise name headlines the Kangaroos’ coach selection panel, while Geelong coach Chris Scott was taken by surprise during his weekly press conference.
Meanwhile, Cats assistant Nathan Buckley has fielded questions over North Melbourne’s now-vacant coaching job. Read on in AFL Daily.
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SURPRISING NAME IN ROOS COACH SELECTION PANEL
A shock name headlines North Melbourne’s coach selection panel.
Recently retired Collingwood stalwart Steele Sidebottom is among the six-person expert committee to decide on Alastair Clarkson’s replacement.
The 35-year-old hung up his boots this year after a 375-game Collingwood career spanning 18 seasons.
Chief executive Jennifer Watt will chair the collective, which also includes football boss Todd Viney, former Kangaroos captain Andrew Swallow, AFLW senior coach Darren Crocker and club vice president Nick Dowling.
“The club is seeking a person with recent and relevant AFL coaching experience from successful environments who can deliver North Melbourne its next silverware in the men’s competition,” a North Melbourne statement on Tuesday read.
“Candidates will need a proven track record in demonstrating outstanding leadership, relationship building, communication, and education.”
Crocker’s AFLW side has won 31-straight matches, including the past two premierships, while Swallow played 224 AFL games for North.
“Interesting,” Demons great Garry Lyon reacted to Sidebottom’s inclusion on AFL 360.
“He’s got a mountain of experience to call upon. Having sat on those panels, I say ‘good luck’. It’s a very tough job.
“They should have some clear air. It’s an attractive list; they shouldn’t have too many problems attracting some candidates, I don’t think.”
Gerard Whateley added: “They shouldn’t limit it to the idea of a new coach, or an untried coach.
“They have a whole sweep in front of them; take advantage of this moment in time.”
Steele Sidebottom will help select North Melbourne’s next coach. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: getty
SCOTT’S SURPRISE AT PRESSER QUERY
Chris Scott was left surprised by an ear-pricking question about his Geelong coaching tenure on Tuesday.
Contracted with the Cats through the 2029 season, Scott has been at the Kardinia Park helm since 2011.
But during his weekly press conference, the two-time premiership mentor was taken by surprise when he was asked if he expected to see out that deal.
It came after a rumour emerged on Melbourne radio station 3AW he would retire after the Cats’ season ends.
“Gee, I wasn’t expecting that question,” he replied.
“We had a long briefing and that one didn’t come up. Am I under the pump, am I?
“Yeah, I expect to see it on my contract, yeah.”
In a follow-up, Scott was probed on his level of enjoyment in coaching, given Alastair Clarkson’s unceremonious North Melbourne exit, and after his brother, Brad Scott, was sacked from Essendon earlier this year.
“I love parts of it, and I despise parts of it,” Scott said.
“I think when you’re early in your coaching journey, at least in my experience, I chose not to talk about
the bits I despised, and have become a bit more open about it as time’s gone on.
“Now, that’s not a cry for help or a plea for sympathy. Anyone else can think whatever they like. I’ve just become a little bit more honest about it.”
He added: “The price of admission in the AFL is that some parts are going to be bloody hard, and some bits you’re not going to be in love with. And some bits you just have to endure, to be frank.”
Scott referenced Matthew Nicks’ situation at Adelaide when asked about the level of criticism coaches receive now, compared with a decade ago.
“Yeah (it has gotten more significant), and I think it will accelerate as well,” he said.
“It’s going to be hard to unwind this sort of stuff … I’m assuming some of the questions are coming, because I wasn’t aware of the speculation about Matthew Nicks until quite recently.
“And then the Clarkson thing, maybe it just sort of crystallises it for people.
“And look, if there is the argument that’s run that, hey look, that’s just the way it is and you’re in a privileged position as a coach and you’ve got to deal with this stuff a lot, okay, I can see that to an extent.
“I kind of challenge whether it has to be that way, but it’s probably not my fight to have.”
Chris Scott answered a question about his coaching tenure at Geelong.Source: FOX SPORTS
BUCKS QUIZZED ON ROOS GIG
Nathan Buckley says he’s yet to hear from North Melbourne but put it back on the club to first work out what it wants in a new senior coach.
The Kangaroos are in the market for a new coach following last week’s ugly split with Alastair Clarkson with a year to run on his contract.
The conversation has fast turned to who will replace the four-time premiership boss as North begins its coaching search.
Flag-winning coaches and Kangaroos greats John Longmire and Adam Simpson have naturally been linked, while untried options including Jaymie Graham and Corey Enright have also been mentioned as possible candidates.
But Cats assistant Buckley, who ran deep in the Tasmania search and has flagged his ambitions to be a senior coach again, couldn’t confirm whether he’d pursue the Roos gig without knowing the attributes they’re looking for.
“I haven’t (received a call), and the question is not so much of me, it is of North Melbourne,” Buckley said on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.
“What are they looking for? What are the attributes? What are the proficiencies that they’re looking for in a senior coach?
“What sort of space do they want that person to be able to provide for development, performance, growth of their people on and off the field?
“Only they know that now, and it’s now their job to go to market to find out who best fits that.”
Scott quizzed on Marshall interest | 01:06
Buckley reiterated that he’d need to learn more about North’s wants and needs in Clarkson’s successor before he could consider pursuing interest.
“I’d like to know more about what they come to when they’ve gone through that process,” the former Collingwood coach added.
“When they look at what they actually need, and when they know that, I’m sure they’ll approach the right people.”
It wouldn’t be the first time Buckley has been linked to the Roos coaching role.
North Melbourne reportedly showed interest in Buckley to be its coach back in 2009, but he chose a succession plan with Collingwood-Mick Malthouse.
Since departing Collingwood in 2021, Buckley was also a finalist for the Demons coaching search eventually won by Steven King.
Buckley returned to the coaching caper as one of Chris Scott’s assistants at the end of last season.
‘Would you still be Adelaide coach?’ | 01:14
It comes as Nine’s Damian Barrett reported on Monday night that the Roos will over the next 48 hours put together a coaching selection panel with a “North Melbourne flavour to it,” with an eye on hiring an untried coach.
Barrett expects it to include club chief executive Jen Watt, football boss Todd Viney, AFLW coach Darren Crocker, board member and ex-skipper Andrew Swallow, along with an external candidate.
“While all candidates, including the tried and true and premiership-winning North Melbourne linked coaches in John Longmire and Adam Simpson, and beyond that, Nathan Buckley, will be considered, I do believe there’s a strong leaning internally for this appointment to be someone who is untried,” Barrett said on Nine’s Footy Classified.
North president Sonja Hood said last week the club’s coaching search would move “pretty quickly” and that it doesn’t “have a presupposed idea” on the exact type of coach it wants.
“Last time, we chased the best person for the job. This time round, our club is in a very different position and our list is in a very different position,” Hood said.
“We will let the market put up the best coach for this club. We’ll make an announcement some time this next week on the process that will take.
“But we will be looking for the best person to coach the North Melbourne Football Club.”