Port Adelaide assistant coach Nathan Bassett has revealed his frustrations with the AFL and the AFL Coaches Association, saying many in the profession feel neglected.
The former Crows star feels coaches are disproportionately blamed for the state of the game given the amount of work they’re asked to do and what they’re paid.
Bassett was among the coaches who wrote to the AFLCA last week to outline their concerns with where the industry is at and where it is going. A letter that has been confirmed by Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley.
“I think the main gripe we’ve felt as a coaching team for a little period of time is almost the lack of respect coaches get in the AFL, not just for the way the game is played and the time we spend with the players, but the amount of support we give them,” Bassett told SEN SA Breakfast.
“I think if you look at the reduction in off-field incidents over the last half a dozen years, a big part of it is the amount of support the players are getting not just from their welfare which is improving all the time at footy clubs, but from their coaches as well.
“I think when you’re getting blamed for the state of the game and a lot of things seem to fall at the coaches’ feet and we’re not exactly the highest paid people in our industry.
“Maybe if we’re supposed to be so good or so important, maybe we should be a little bit more supported and respected.”
Bassett explained what they were seeking clarity with in regards to the letter that was sent.
“I think it’s as much around the Coaches Association. What’s our direction forward?” he added.
“We want to know if we’re a union or if it’s a welfare for coaches. If we’re a union we didn’t have a great negotiation last year compared to some other parts of the industry, but in saying that we’ve still got our jobs and a lot of people have lost theirs and we’re still here which is a good thing.”
The AFL soft cap was slashed by 30 per cent for the 2021 season, greatly impacting the amount of coaches clubs could employ and the amount they could pay them. By comparison, the average player salary only dropped 3.5 per cent.
Bassett confirmed they got a response from the AFLCA.
“We got a response, but we’re still waiting to hear back on some of the questions that we asked,” he said.
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