Gerard's Editorial | The Dimming Eye of the Coach (23.07.26)
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How does Gerard define 'the eye of the coach' and its importance?
And we start with the eye of the coach, the eye of the coach, like the eye of the tiger. A coach never loses it when it comes to watching the game, but it can dim from the perspective of being in the hottest seat in footy. John Longmire has tried to explain that you don't know until you know. It's an easy question. Do you want to coach again? But it's a complicated answer because it's a massive jolt required to re-enter the fray. As Longmire contemplated the job in Tasmania and as he asked his questions of the fledging club, he realised he didn't want to do it. Not Tasmania, not at Carlton and not at Essendon.
Can a coach’s instinct dim after leaving the hot seat?
And who's to say? Maybe not at all. The strain on the senior coach falls largely on deaf ears. You don't want to hear it, but it is real. It doesn't change anything. The reality, and to read John Longmire's soon-to-be-released autobiography, is to understand the toll of losing a grand final and losing multiple grand finals in particular. The sense of loneliness is the most striking aspect, along with the desolation. So what have we seen this week? Kenny is a coach. It's all he knows. It's all he wants to be. A brief time out has him refreshed and re-energized. John Longmire, though, has discovered a bigger world, and coaching doesn't have the same pull, not immediately, but it once did. The eye of the coach has dimmed.
From my perspective, I was probably, looking back on it, I was asking more questions about them than they were asking about me. And I think that told me more than anything, I guess, where I sat.
Why did John Longmire decide he wasn’t ready to return to coaching?
And it obviously told them, but it also told me a lot as well. And I think from that perspective, I said at the very start of this a few weeks ago now, that these things become clear over time. And I think that certainly happened with me. It certainly became clear over time about where I sat with my coaching at the moment. So that means not ready to coach? No, I'm not, Gerard. It's, you know, I certainly explored it. I went down the path.
How is Longmire spending his time now and what are his future priorities?
I looked at it, looked at it seriously. There's no question with that, but I'm really fortunate. I've got a, I was, you know, helped start a business up here 18 months ago that I'm really jumping into and enjoying. There's plenty that we've done, but plenty to do. Some great potential in that, some great growth. I'm going to get into that, you know, really looking forward to that with some people here at the Sydney Swans. And I'm going to do a bit of travel. I haven't done any travel yet. Looking forward to that and watching my kids play sport. But I'm really looking forward to the next stage of my business career up here in Sydney, which I'm enjoying.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
How does Gerard define 'the eye of the coach' and its importance?
0:00–0:36
2
Can a coach’s instinct dim after leaving the hot seat?
0:36–1:34
3
Why did John Longmire decide he wasn’t ready to return to coaching?
1:34–1:58
4
How is Longmire spending his time now and what are his future priorities?
1:58–2:31
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Whateley
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