Alistair Nicholson in the studio | AFL Coaches Association CEO (22.07.26)
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is your town. This is your station. This is Waitley.
With all that's happening in the coaching sphere at the moment, the return of Ken Hinckley, two vacant jobs, so processes taking place at Carlton and Essendon, the incumbents working their way towards the final series. It felt like the exact right time to have the chief executive of the AFL Coaches Association, Alistair Nicholson, in the studio. Al, welcome back.
Why was Alistair Nicholson invited to discuss coaching changes and Ken Hinckley’s return?
Thanks, Gerard. How significant to see Ken Hinckley return to the profession this week, do you reckon?
Yeah, well, it's always good when there's a new appointment. And this is slightly unique in that often there's an appointment after some turmoil, but this is quite fresh and pure. And I think Ken talked about openly he's a coach and what he loves doing, and you could really see the genuineness in it. And also just, I think, just the ability to have some downtime and step away as well. You can see he's refreshed. And so, you know, I think our industry where we can actually allow that to happen is really important. So you can really see that with Ken on the weekend.
Yeah.
Is it notable that the next game your coach will be in his 60s, which is pretty rare historically?
It is, it is. And obviously Chris Fagan has broken the mould there and will continue to. So look, I think what it means is just, and it's something we've been talking to the AFL about, is just what is the role of the senior coach has become so all-encompassing. It's how do we make sure it's designed as well as possible for the future with the balance of football and non-football and promoting the club but also working with players and attracting players and all that is involved how do we make sure the role just doesn't continually burn out people so they sort of lost to the game and you know i think ken stepping back in is is a good example of that but also then continuing to promote and and give opportunities to younger coaches coming up as well
Is it possible to re-energize and refresh within the job? This is a Ken Hinckley, not quite 12 months out of the profession, but bursting with energy and enthusiasm where it grinds people down.
Yeah, look, I think a couple of things there. I think, and one of the things we're keen to sort of talk more with our senior coaches about is just the, is there time off, an extra time off that you might get over, say, five years? Or is there extra time that you take at Christmas annually? I know Chris Scott and Craig McRae took extended breaks over Christmas. There was a bit of criticism of that, but I think they're both going really well now and they're well positioned.
How did Alistair describe Ken Hinckley’s return and its significance for coach wellbeing?
So I think we just need to start looking at that senior coach role as not being totally having to be across everything. And some of the senior coaches admit that part of that they need to work on as well. But for it to continue to have our best coaches in the game, I think that's something we need to look at.
So is that an active conversation with the AFL, what the job was 10 years ago, what it is now, what it will be in 10 years time?
Yeah, that's something we're talking to them about. And then we've talked about it, you know, at the end of the season, whether we can sort of get the senior coach group and some of the key people in the IFL executive together and just actually talk about what we think could work here and how we do it. So it's just how do we just continually get it better for, you know, the good of the game, really?
You continually take the temperature of your membership, so senior coaches and assistant coaches all across the 18 clubs with the yearly survey. What have your results given you as a headline act this year?
Look, I think, again, it's an interesting one because, as you say, it's the whole group, so development and assistant and senior coaches. So we have seen a little bit of a thawing of how the coach group see themselves viewed by the AFL. So that was quite low. That was sort of 14 or 15% think they're well regarded. That's moved up to sort of over 20%.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:24
2
Why was Alistair Nicholson invited to discuss coaching changes and Ken Hinckley’s return?
0:24–2:41
3
How did Alistair describe Ken Hinckley’s return and its significance for coach wellbeing?
2:41–11:33
4
Can senior coaches recharge within the job and what time-off models are proposed?
11:33–18:55
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Whateley
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