Eagles’ football analyst Mark Stone has also moved states in a bid to further his coaching career.
Whereas Judd picked the Blues as his chosen destination, Stone has chosen one of the Eagles’ biggest rivals as his new base – the Sydney Swans.
Having tactically plotted the downfall of the Bloods for five seasons, two of which culminated in Grand Final showdowns, it has taken a while for Stone to get used to the fact his new uniform is now red and white.
“I’d like to think that now I’ve left all the blue and gold behind,” Stone said. “When I first came over here, I kept saying ‘us’, meaning 'them'.”
While Stone insists he left the West “on very good terms”, he wasn’t required to serve out notice after he announced his intentions to depart for the Harbour City.
“I understand the way things work in footy and I knew that would happen, so I was quite prepared that once I’d actually handed in the letter of resignation and spoken to the powers that be, straight away you may as well clear out your desk and move on because there’s no point in me being there…Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity they gave me to work for them,” he said.
Being on the wrong end of the Grand Final result in 2005, while employed by the Eagles, and then sharing the celebrations of the 2006 Grand Final victory in the West, Stone now looks back on the two occasions with a new perspective.
“What’s strange is when I see photos around the building here (SCG) of premiership celebrations and I think how differently I would have looked at those six months ago,” he said. “I’m looking at the same pictures as I did before but from a totally different viewpoint.”
However, it’s not just the photos on the wall that are different in Sydney. Stone has noticed a vast difference in the cultures of the two clubs.
“I have noticed a massive difference in the saturation and exposure that the players do have here as opposed to there (West Coast) where the media attention on the club is massive,” he said. “It’s every day and every training session. The thing I’ve noticed most is that it reflects on the player group. The player group here is very grounded and has a very strong culture and I think the fact that there’s less media has a bearing on that.
“A lot of the young kids in the West, not just at the Eagles, but at Fremantle as well, have this overnight change of life where they’re under-18 footballers one minute, and then six months later they’re superstars of the AFL where they’re noticed in the street, they get more money and fame. It is only natural it changes them a little bit.”
Stone, who’s a long time friend of Brett Kirk, and was put forward for the job by the co-captain, says the different culture in Sydney makes for a player group that is great to deal with.
Stone secured the post with a CV, which although doesn’t include playing AFL, boasts coaching positions starting in his early days at Wagga Tigers, where he worked with Terry Daniher, then at South Fremantle under Peter Sumich, which ultimately led to his appointment at West Coast.
“Coming from a background of not playing AFL myself, there’s always, I suppose in some parts of this game, there can be a credibility issue with that but I don’t feel it at all with these guys,” Stone said. “But I expected them to be that way having known Brett (Kirk) for so long. He’s never changed as a guy and I know that the culture side of things within the player group is a big thing for them, to keep things that way.”
Stone admits that being at a club where off-field issues have not lead to journalists beating down the club doors is also pleasant.
“It’s great to be at a football club that has a strong healthy culture, not just within the player group but throughout the entire club,” he said.
“It’s good to be in a football club which is recognised for its football and its achievements on the field and not for other things that have happened off the field. That’s the best part about it.”
