Tim Watson has endorsed Matthew Knights for the vacant position of Gold Coast Suns coach.
The former Essendon skipper says that Knights will have learned plenty since he was sacked as Bombers coach at the end of the 2010 season after three years in the role, having been positioned at Geelong an assistant coach under Chris Scott since 2012.
“I think Matty Knights would very much be somebody that I would be interested in interviewing after the experience he had at Essendon,” Watson said on SEN Breakfast.
“He went back and has done the hard yards coaching in the VFL and now he is one of the assistants at Geelong. The experience he has been able to cobble together over that period of time, I reckon he would be a great candidate.
“He’s been there, he’s smart, he’s intelligent, he’s observed what Scott has done at Geelong and he’s observed what Geelong has done as a football club. He would have to be infinitely better the second time around.”
Knights helmed Geelong's VFL premiership success in his first year at the Cats.
Garry Lyon says that Gold Coast must turn to a “strong and modern” coach for the long-term after their move to lure Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley to the club over the weekend failed.
The former Melbourne forward also touted a coaching succession plan similar to what Melbourne has done with Paul Roos and Simon Goodwin as an option the Suns should strongly consider.
“There’s still pain there. So say if you’ve got a really good young coach, you go ‘if I throw him in there, I could ruin him in two years because there is still pain to be had,” said Lyon.
“They are going to have to strip it back. They are not going to play home games because of the Commonwealth Games.
“If you put the old senior head there to absorb some of that pain and the young coach, as Goodwin did, slowly increase his exposure to the pressures of senior footy, maybe that’s the best formula?
“I seriously think that should be an option.”