ADAM Simpson had little idea what he was inspiring when he contacted the AFL Players' Association nine years ago to discuss his post-career opportunities.
Simpson, a 306-game North Melbourne great and dual premiership player, was playing his 16th and final AFL season and wanted to know how to become a coach.
That led to a one-on-one mentorship with David Wheadon, a man who worked alongside some of the VFL/AFL's best coaches: the late Tom Hafey, David Parkin, Kevin Sheedy, Denis Pagan, Ross Lyon and Mark Thompson.
Wheadon has been involved in coaching at the highest level in some shape or form since 1985, so Simpson was in good hands as they discussed, debated and bonded over the role, often upstairs at Pepper Café in Flemington.
FULL FIXTURE Every round, every game
Simpson even began hyper-analysing the Kangaroos' coaches and deciding who he rated, who he didn't, which traits he admired and what sort of coach he would be.
Without knowing it, this was the start of the Next Coach program, which was also a rite of passage for Simon Goodwin and most recently included Brendon Goddard, Jordan Lewis and Ben Rutten.
Simpson was a Hawthorn assistant coach in 2010, part of Alastair Clarkson's 2013 premiership-winning staff, then soon after took over from John Worsfold as West Coast's senior coach.
Remarkably, nine of West Coast's 2018 flag-winning members – Simpson, captain Shannon Hurn, Norm Smith medallist Luke Shuey, list manager Brady Rawlings and assistants Daniel Pratt, Sam Mitchell, Jaymie Graham, Mark Nicoski and Luke Dwyer – completed the program.
"Adam was so enthusiastic about what we were discussing and he got a job out of it at Hawthorn, then word got around and it blossomed," Wheadon told AFL.com.au.
"Nearly 120 people have done it, including two senior coaches (Simpson and Goodwin), and there are over 50 people in the wider AFL coaching system, including TAC Cup and the state leagues, such as Leigh Adams coaching [VFL club] Coburg."
David Wheadon during his time as an assistant coach at Collingwood. Picture: AFL Photos
PROS AND CONS Our verdict on your club's fixture
Strong opinions are encouraged – as long as they are effectively backed up – and debate and engagement are a must, with a key goal of developing individuals' coaching philosophies.
The usual arrangement is one night across 10 weeks, with no more than 15 students – run twice a year – but an intensive three-day program in Melbourne on December 3, 4 and 5 has been added.
"We discuss all sorts of things, study the great coaches around the world and challenge you to think in a different way," Wheadon said.
"We impress upon them that they're all different and you've got to be yourself, but there might be some common things they do.
"We look at how to teach and ask what sort of coach you want to be – a career second banana, like me, or do you want to be a senior coach?"
The AFL Coaches' Association, particularly member services manager Ron Watt, became involved in recent years, and the candidate pool widened to high-level community coaches.
WHO MAKES FINALS? Do the 2019 Ladder Predictor
The decision to open the program to a more varied audience was made to better reflect the AFL coaching landscape, which has dropped from 90 per cent former players a decade ago to about 75 per cent.
The likes of Brendon Bolton, Chris Fagan and Brendan McCartney all became senior coaches without playing at the elite level.
"Part of my role at the AFLCA is to help make sure this program operates and offers opportunities for people to maybe progress into the AFL," Watt said.
"Not everyone is going to make it into the AFL system, but we hope they become better coaches.
"It's probably not for everyone, but it certainly fills a void. There is a lack of programs around that assist a coach to develop his or her own sense of identity."
Jordan Lewis is one current player who has been through the Next Coach program. Picture: AFL Photos
AFLCA chief executive Mark Brayshaw said his organisation had a responsibility to players to ensure coaches weren't "learning on the job".
This sort of intervention and a general shift in thinking have resulted in a 21 per cent increased lifespan for AFL coaches from an average of 4.85 years in 2015 to 5.98 in 2018.
"If you're going to be a coach in the highest-profile game in town, then you need to be in a position to do that properly," Brayshaw said.
"Players get only one chance at a career, so they deserve world-class coaching. In the old days it was straight off playing into coaching, whereas this is a bridge (between the two).
"David Wheadon is an exceptionally experienced person and the coming together of an AFL player, a young AFL coach and a community coach in the same room is the genius of it."
MUST-WATCH GAMES The 22 you won't want to miss
Austin Stubbs is one Next Coach program graduate with aspirations to coach in the AFL without an elite playing background.
The 22-year-old, who has certificates in AFL recruiting, list management and coaching females and is a level-two accredited coach, was twice knocked back before winning over Wheadon and Watt.
Making Stubbs' football achievements, including being a Simon Black Academy skills coach and preparing to coach his own side next year, more impressive is that he is visually impaired.
He's not allowed to drive but uses binoculars to navigate the field during games and has enough sight to play lower-level matches.
TOUGHEST DRAW? Champion Data ranks every club
"The success rate of applicants/students getting jobs as AFL coaches is quite high (out of this program), but another of my big goals was to network," he said.
"I got to meet Dave, learn off Ron and get to know the players in my intake – Jordan Lewis, Luke Shuey, Brendon Goddard and Scott Selwood – and learn their philosophies as coaches, along with NRL coaches.
"It's amazing how you change your mind over the course and I'd recommend it to any aspiring AFL coaches."
- There are limited spots available in the December Next Coach program and interested parties should email Ron Watt at ron.watt@aflca.com.au for more information
