NEARLY 60 per cent of coaches believe today's brand of football most closely resembles soccer – and that Alastair Clarkson, a student of the round-ball game, is the hardest coach to go up against on match day.

In the annual AFL Media coaches' survey, about 10 of the 17 coaches who voted in this category said modern football was played most like soccer, with some 23.6 per cent (four of 17) suggesting the game looked like field hockey, and 17.6 per cent (three of 17) claiming it was like lacrosse.

More than 56 per cent of coaches (or nine of the 16 who voted) said Hawthorn's four-time premiership coach Clarkson was their hardest game-day opponent, with 25 per cent (four of 16) pointing to Adelaide's Don Pyke and 12.5 per cent (two of 16) giving the nod to Fremantle's Ross Lyon. Geelong's Chris Scott received one vote.

More than 55 per cent of the 18 coaches said clubs needed to take "a more lateral-thinking" approach to recruiting coaches, with the remaining 10 split as to whether future coaches should be required to complete the AFL's level four coaching accreditation course.

Around 44 per cent of coaches (eight of 18) agreed that the gap between rich and poor clubs was shrinking, with some 17 per cent (three of 18) ticking the 'Are You Kidding?' option. 

The AFL Media annual coaches' survey, facilitated by the AFL Coaches' Association, was conducted in July. All 18 senior coaches took part in the anonymous online survey, although not all 18 answered every question. 

Full results of the 30-question survey are published in the round 20 edition of the AFL Record, on sale at all venues.