If you were starting a team from scratch with a good mix of established senior players and talented youth, which coach would you go after?
Dwayne Russell put forward such names as Ross Lyon, Mark Williams, Damien Hardwick, Alastair Clarkson, Don Pyke and Michael Voss as those who might be at the forefront if a 19th AFL licence were to be granted.
In response, Matt Rendell has floated four different coaches who could be a good option for a new club like prospective licensees Tasmania or the Northern Territory.
Melbourne midfield coach Adem Yze, Sydney assistant Ben Mathews and Richmond’s Adam Kingsley are the ones Rendell would consider providing an opportunity for if he happened to be in charge.
“I hear really good things about Yze,” he said on SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“I’m prepared to give a new bloke a go, especially a new bloke who has a good affinity with kids which he supposedly has.
“I’m also hearing good things about Ben Mathews. ‘Roosy’ (Paul Roos) pumped him up to me last Sunday on our weekly walk.
“Adam Kingsley’s the one who has been there a long time. I know he’s been interviewed for a couple of jobs.
“Im not au fait with the young blokes and their coaching, I just know when a couple are pumped up to me and ‘Roosy’, and a lot of people, has pumped up Yze and Benny Mathews.”
Port Adelaide premiership coach Mark Williams’ name continues to be mentioned in senior coaching circles.
He is doing some great work as head of development at the Demons and Rendell believes he would be a great fit for a fledgling club.
“He’s great with the kids. You know he’s full on,” he added.
“If he can coach and take a back seat to all the other stuff, because at Port Adelaide he tried to do everyone’s job basically or told them how to do their job.
“His go was dealing with the kids. He had a lot of senior players there too by the time they won the flag, but he’s very good with the kids.
“We’ve seen that at Richmond before and Melbourne now. He might be great for someone like Tassie, he’d love to do it I reckon.”