AFL news: Mick Malthouse on Damien Hardwick, Luke Beveridge and under-pressure coaches

The initial surprise was that he chose to resign at a critical moment in Richmond’s season.

However, it now appears that he had concluded that the Tigers would struggle this year, and perhaps for the next two or three years until they could re-emerge.

And the thought of mounting losses and rebuilding clearly didn’t appeal to him, having already done it at Tigerland.

His early days at Richmond were ones of struggle, where his methods were questioned and there were calls for his demise.

He’s lived through that pain and that innuendo and maybe the mind didn’t want to go there again.

He has the luxury of three premierships under his belt, so he was in high demand.

No one really thought it was going to be anyone other than Hardwick to coach the Suns once Stuart Dew was shown the door.

Hardwick has stated that 80 per cent of the Suns’ current players will play in the club’s first premiership. It’s a big statement but probably true. So, for Hardwick, it seems like he has made the right move.

There are currently six coaches in the league with premierships to their names.

John Longmire and Simon Goodwin are sitting in the eight and will coach finals this season. Alastair Clarkson has had an interrupted season so we can’t form an opinion on the performances of North under him.

By Sunday afternoon the Bulldogs will know their final’s fate.

There’s no doubt that Luke Beveridge wears his heart on his sleeve. Every goal for and against is written on his face. He is passionate and loyal and intense when it comes to his club and his role as coach.

He hasn’t coached the Dogs to the top four in the home-and-away season, but he has won a premiership from seventh.

So, is it fair to judge him on this year’s season proper finish? I don’t think it will be.

He has continually put the Bulldogs in a position to fight for the eight. And that’s no mean feat.

He has worked the team over to play to its strengths.

It is a heavily contested team that has lacked, outside of 2016, top-quality key backs. Aaron Naughton has been a tease for too long as a key forward. Questions were asked about Marcus Bontempelli’s leadership and he has answered them with straight A’s. Tom Liberatore still amazes with his clearance rate, and Tim English may not be the best tap-ruck, but he is possibly one of the best around-the-ground ruckmen in the competition.

And yet this year the Dogs have been highly inconsistent, for a minimum of a quarter, or at best a 10–15-minute period where they lose total control of the game, and it has cost them dearly. Last week they were playing for a spot in the top eight and West Coast was playing for pride.

Somewhere, something is missing. They appear to lack a killer instinct, and to gain it back, Beveridge must find the root cause of the Dog’s inconsistencies.

If he can, then he is invested enough at the Bulldogs to hang in there.

Chris Scott has an outstanding win-loss ratio, the best in the competition by miles.

From his first year of winning a Premiership to the flag last year, Geelong has only missed the finals once.

This year will sting.

After the domination of last season and the recruitment of Jack Bowes, Tanner Bruhn, and Ollie Henry, most thought the Cats would advance again.

But Father Time has certainly caught up with several of Geelong’s players. The club has a history of knowing the right time to retire players, but this year will be a difficult one. Rhys Stanley, Zach Tuohy, Gary Rohan, Jedd Bews, Sam Menegola, and even the great Patrick Dangerfield, have all had an indifferent season littered with some moments of greatness. I’m not suggesting they are all finished, but the Cats’ path to recovery back to Chris Scott greatness, relies on what they do with the draft and free agency.

Many have already written Geelong off for next year. I wouldn’t be that hasty as I cannot see the Cats bottoming out. When they floundered in 2021, Scott altered his game plan to produce more speed, less ball retention, and more productivity.

If he has the stomach for it, Scott could see the club through another era of success.

So, his decision is whether to stay on and rebuild the club beyond his contract of next year. Because there will be plenty of suitors if he decides to leave.

Adam Simpson is interesting.

A premiership in 2018 and then a gradual decline before a dramatic drop.

Some of the Eagles’ superstars have already announced their retirements this year.

Shannon Hurn, Luke Shuey, and Nic Naitanui off the back of Josh Kennedy last year.

There are question marks on Andrew Gaff, Elliot Yeo, Jamie Cripps, Jeremy McGovern, and Jack Darling. Some of these players still have good football left in them, but if Simpson is still there next year, he will need to make some hard decisions for the benefit of the football club’s future.

Some clubs can turn it around very quickly if they have the right structure in place.

You can build a team around Oscar Allen, plus Tom Barrass, Dom Sheed, and Tim Kelly. And some of the kids coming through a good but yet to deliver on the big stage.

So, like Scott and Hardwick, is if it gets too hard does Simpson really want to go through a rebuild? The known losses, unexpected wins, and expected wins which turn into losses. It can be soul destroying. Or it can be energising to know that with the right backing and good recruitment, a second wave will come.

Having coached West Coast for 10 seasons and Collingwood for 12, I know the movement that takes place. One step forward, two steps back sometimes. I coached at least three “teams” within those years at each club.

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It’s enjoyable once you’ve been through it and come out the other side. But working through it is tough.

As much as the board gives you permission to rebuild and understands where you’re coming from, it’s still fraught with danger as there tends to be minor memory lapses with growing expectations. Not only are you fighting off age and class reduction, but also a revolving football environment. The better you are as a team, the more you are hunted by the pack.

The only thing that Scott, Beveridge, and Simpson need to know right now however, is that nothing stays the same.