coaches outside RL that you rate.

[plugger66]

Paul Roos and Michael Malthouse are the best 2 in the AFL. Look at their lists and where they have finished. No one would believe they could finish that high with the players they have.

[evertonfc]

Paul Roos and Michael Malthouse are the best 2 in the AFL. Look at their lists and where they have finished. No one would believe they could finish that high with the players they have.

Isn't part of being a good coach being able to assemble a good list?

A good match day coach is different from being a good club/list manager, and both are equally important.

[plugger66]

Paul Roos and Michael Malthouse are the best 2 in the AFL. Look at their lists and where they have finished. No one would believe they could finish that high with the players they have.

Isn't part of being a good coach being able to assemble a good list?

A good match day coach is different from being a good club/list manager, and both are equally important.

roos won a flag who cares if they finish last 20 years in a row but they wont because he gets the best out of his players. Sometimes because of the draft you cannot get the best list but you can coach well. Collingwood will have a great list in 2 years when the players get more experience.

[Beej]

Some just assume that Matthews was gifted a premiership side at Brisbane. What is forgotten is the work he put in with some of Brisbane's players who were considered pivotal to their success.

Look through that Lions team and from top to bottom you'll see instances of Leigh Matthews' vision as a football coach and his ability to develop a footballer.

Alistair Lynch - started his career as a centre half back/full back (All-Australian full back). Went through a tortuous time with injuries and couldn't really take that next step. Leigh Matthews arrived in 1999 and immediately saw Lynch as a potential great full-forward. Under Matthews Lynch became a physical machine, the strongest player in the competition at the time. Lynch also worked on his goal-kicking and before long he was a complete full-forward.

Chris Johnson - Began his career as a small forward. Was an extremely angry young man early on and he would get himself into a bit of trouble. Under Matthews he learnt to channel his anger more productively and he became a two-time All-Australian defender and perhaps one of the best, toughest and nastiest back-pocket players the game has ever seen.

Justin Leppitsch - Began his career as a forward. Matthews was appointed in 1999 and in that same year Leppitsch won his first All-Australian cap, but as a full-back. He went on to win another two All-Australian caps, both as a centre-half-back.

Jason Akermanis - If you remember Aker pre-Matthews he was one of the most frustratingly inconsistent footballers. Undoubtedly talented but blew hot and cold and was at times criticised for being lazy. Leigh Matthews curbed his suspect temperament and in 1999 Aker won his first All-Australian cap as a 22 year old.

Daniel Bradshaw - Drafted in 1995 he was another player who struggled with consistency until 1999-2000. Under Matthews he became a versatile full-back/full-forward and has twice won Brisbane's goalkicking.

I'm sure I could go on.

All those players were instrumental in Brisbane's recent success and are now some of the most decorated footballers to ever play the game. A lot of their success is due, in no small part, to Leigh Matthews.

He is footballing royalty. None better.

[Rooy_coin]

worsfold

[Cirra]

In my small experience, great players tend to be well-drilled and disciplined anyway.

Matthews looked very good with Voss, Lappin, Power, Black, Akermanis, Michael, Leppitsch, B. Scott, C. Scott, Lynch, White, Bradshaw, Notting and Keating playing under him.

Much easier to win when those blokes are playing for you.

I would argue that those players weren't the players they turned out to be in 1999 when Matthews took over as coach. It was the three Premierships is what made them all champians.
Same could be said for the Swans too. Barry, Kirk, Schnieder, O'Keefe etc were only considered great players after they won the Flag.

Back onto the topic -

In my opinion a coach that can take two seperate clubs to a GF makes him an excellent coach.
I believe that a coach needs to be a perfect fit for the team/players that he has under him.
I'm probaby not making myself clear so I'll give example to what I mean:

For example, Denis Pagan is a premiership coach with North but couldn't do anything with Carlton.
I realise he has an uphill battle from the start but....he made no positive inroads in 5 or so years. I would say then that he was lucky that he clicked with the Kangaroos and that he was fortunate that those players responded to his teaching.
Winning a Flag shows you are a good coach but you can get lucky that your message works for the players you have.

On the reverse side, look at Malthouse and Matthews.
Matthews won Flags at two clubs. This shows there is more than just luck with the plyers involved because his philosophy works on two very different playing groups with two very different clubs.
I would say the same about Malhouse. I know he hasn't won a Flag with C'wood yet but he has taken three different clubs to a PF and beyond. Again.....more than just luck involved.

So with this theory I wonder how Worsfold, Roos and Williams would have gone at different clubs.
Would they have done any better at Carlton??

[Beej]

Take 2004 away and Williams' record in big games isn't all that great is it?

[Saints Premiers 2008]

mark williams

he bleeds to win flags...and although it took him a few final losses he still got the job done...

people can criticize him all they please...after all his efforts they were still able to scale the mountain and make it all worthwhile

the power (this year) did what the saints did in 2004...surprise everyone and reach the near-summit...

playing big games is invaluable to a young team like that as it was to us