Where do the best coaches come from ?

Where do the best coaches come from ?
I’m not asking about states, leagues or clubs. What position as a player generates the best all round coaches ?
Has there been 1 position that makes more blokes capable of manufacturing the most lethal teams possible ?

e.g. I’ve always thought:
Neil Balme was a tall tough man who saw the damage great ‘mosquito fleets’ could do.
Michael Nunan was a small tenacious player who appreciated tall, mobile, high marking players.
Under Balmey, NFC could destroy most opposition with our exceptionally well drilled small men, as seen circa 1982
Grand Final. But we always seemed to struggle using that formula against Mick Nunan’s Roosters later in the 80’s
when he/they constantly outsized us up and down the ground. Glenelg (& others) started doing the same thing to us.
Perhaps that’s why these two teams seemed to dominate the 80’s with so many Grand Finals played between them
and not us. We finished 3rd far, far too many times back then. Probably Balmey's downfall.

I guess what I’m asking from fellow posters is, “Do most coaches past and present only excel in their own areas of
expertise and bias?” and “What was the position played by those who have shown the coaching smarts to dominate
all over the park at your club (or elsewhere) ?”

Just from a Norwood coaching perspective:
Did a forward like Neville Roberts put a good scoring combination together, but fail to keep possession and stop
the opposition doing better because of weaker back and centre knowledge/formations ?
Did a mainly centre playing small like Trevor Hill generate a good centre line-up without having the expertise to
coach a dependable forward and back line ? (Yes, I know there were 'other' issues)
Which then begs the question, “Is Nathan Bassett the doyen of current potent back line coaches, who needs to now
concentrate on better scoring plans up forward?”

Don’t think for a moment that I’m criticising ‘Bass’. Hell NO! Just the opposite! I’m quite in awe of the way he organises
our troops to strangle opposition forward movement. Indeed, Nathan’s overall game plan and defence seems to destroy
most of our opposition’s options and possessions before too much damage can be done. We older supporters may well
prefer yesteryear’s free flowing, open and higher scoring game, but I can certainly live with this shut ‘em out style just
as long as we always outscore the enemy at the other end and start winning Premierships. A good coach wants his players
to perform well and improve in every facet of the game. We Norwood fans want Nathan Bassett to be the greatest coach.
Maybe right now, if 'Bass' can make our forwards as dominant as our defence, he could well become one of the very best.

Recent seasons and Friday’s trial match against North shows we are ‘The Duck’s Nuts’ when it comes to shutting down a
team's momentum and turning over possession. Our clearances out of the last line of defence is pretty slick too. It's the
other end of the ground that remains a concern. I guess what I’m alluding to in my typically verbose manner is that we
really, really, really have to start concentrating on lifting our score per forward thrust percentage, with accuracy, if we
want to achieve any kind of constant Premiership dominance, or at least capability.

Luv,
SABRE.

I always have admired the coaches who have had a semi-reasonable playing career or none at all and then show that they are successful in the coaching caper.

Sometimes someone standing outside the circle can see all facets of the game more clearly than someone who has experience as a top-line player (usually stuck in a similar position for their entire career).

Lovely read, Sabre and very thought provoking.

My initial response was to say the best coaches come from West Adelaide and it would be nice to keep them at Westies occasionally.

I'm looking forward to joining in the discussion in more detail ASAP.

How many elite SANFL players actually became good coaches?

Not Robran or Ebert. Davies didn't do much.

Cornes and Cahill are 2 obvious ones. Blight did ok with a traditional struggler.

Going back, obviously Kerley is highly regarded as a coach, likewise Fos Williams.

Easy. Only because I've posed the same question recently over beers. And I was surprised by the not-so-beery response. The answer is HALF BACK FLANK. Evidence cited (can't vouch for any of it) included:

Roy Laird
Alastair Clarkson
Nathan Basset
Dean Laidley
Mick Malthouse
Kevin Sheedy

Discuss!

Well Clarkson was a rover, Basset was more of a full back and Malthouse and Sheedy were back pockets.
Back pocket has also supplied David Parkin, Rodney Eade, Andy Collins, Mark Thompson...

Other than for KPPs, this will be a difficult discussion in future. Anyone who's not 6'6" rotates around the park nowadays.

Can I add Ron Fuller to your back pockets, FN9?

And Gary Ayers was BP.
Guy McKenna

Half Backs
Peter Knights (not overly successful)
John Worsfold
Paul Roos

Of the Forwards in contention?
Lee Matthews obviously (although a rover for a lot of his career).
Kevin Bartlett (didn't do much as a coach)
Neither did Jezza
John Longmire

And Rucks
John Nicholls

Maybe need to compile a list for each line on the ground and see who are the best contenders to see which wins.

Something I had previously put together asked why is it that the AFL was so full of tough half-back / midfielders who had made it as coaches.

Scott brothers
Malthouse
Worsfold
Craig and Williams ( at the time )
Hardwick
Voss
Clarkson
Harvey
Roos ( At the time )
Bailey ( At the time )
Sanderson ( now )
Sheedy ( now )

In the SANFL

Bamford ( rover )
Bassett ( halfback )
Laird HB
Francou ( mid )
Collins ( BP )
Maloney ( HB )
Massie ( HB / Mid )
Godden ( BP / Mid )

Really is only Longmire and Primus who break the mould of half back / midfielders.

Quickly put together and open for discussion.

Full back – Hardwick ( Rich ) McKenna ( GC ) Sheedy ( GWS )
Half back – Sanderson ( Ade ) Worsfold ( WCE ) Voss ( Bris.)
Centre – B.Scott ( NM ) Buckley ( Coll ) Francou ( NA )
Half Forward – Lyon ( Freo ) Hird ( Ess )Watters ( St.K )
Full Forward – Neeld ( Mel ) Longmire ( Syd ) Bassett ( Nor )
Ruck – Primus ( Port ) Ratten ( Carl ) C.Scott ( Gee )
Int – Clarkson ( Haw ) Watters ( St.K ) Collins ( WA )

Good work, booney

I'll stick up for Collins and say he'd be an automatic starter in the back pocket.