FOR MUCH of the process to replace Leon Cameron at Greater Western Sydney, Alastair Clarkson was the messiah hovering above. Adem Yze was considered the next best bet. Mark McVeigh had the role on an interim basis and couldn't be counted out. And then there was Adam Kingsley.
The 47-year-old might have been the surprise choice from afar, but the man who has built a comprehensive body of work over 16 years as an assistant coach inside three football clubs made him the man for the Giants.
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After featuring in 170 games for Port Adelaide, where he played in the 2004 premiership and won a best and fairest before a knee injury forced him to retire, Kingsley started his coaching apprenticeship at Alberton and spent four years at the club before completing eight years at St Kilda ahead of a move to Punt Road at the end of 2018.
Sunday was a day almost two decades in the making for Richmond's assistant coach, with the call arriving the morning after the Tigers smashed Essendon in their final game of the home and away season.
But it all started after Cameron departed the club following the loss to Carlton in round nine.
GWS chairman Tony Shepherd, CEO Dave Matthews, footy director Jimmy Bartel and head of football Jason McCartney ran a thorough process with four candidates since late May.
While North Melbourne put all its eggs in the Clarkson basket and landed the four-time premiership coach – who was only ever a remote possibility of heading north of the Victorian border – the Giants put Kingsley, Yze and McVeigh through the same process that involved four stages, including informal and formal interviews, psych testing and reference checks.
They wanted someone who best suited their group; a coach who has the gameplan, the values and the ability to get the best out of a list that has gone backwards drastically since reaching the 2019 Grand Final. They needed someone with plenty of experience, although senior coaching experience wasn't essential.
Greater Western Sydney recruiter – and former journalist at The Age – Emma Quayle was involved in researching all the applicants' backgrounds, just like she does with prospective draftees ahead of every draft.
The Giants' process involved up to a dozen conversations with people connected to the applicant. When it came to Kingsley, McCartney spoke to Richmond coach Damien Hardwick and Melbourne head of football Alan Richardson – who worked with Kingsley at St Kilda and also works closely with Yze – at length. Time was on the Giants' side.
The feedback was consistent with what the panel had discovered in the interview process. Kingsley has wanted this opportunity for a very long time and has done the work to put himself in the best possible position to land one of only 18 gigs. He had learned from missing out on other opportunities, improving his weaknesses to ensure that he was always getting better, just like he preaches to his players. That growth mindset and focus on incremental gains stood out to the Giants, as well as his self-awareness.
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Kingsley presented on game style, list structure, leadership and his values, ticking every box in the eyes of Shepherd, Matthews, Bartel and McCartney, who believe they have found a great coach.
It is understood to have been a close call, but the Giants made their decision late last week and told Kingsley of their decision on Sunday, informing Yze and McVeigh today, before the announcement late this afternoon.
With Richmond preparing for an elimination final against Brisbane at the Gabba next Thursday night, the expectation is Kingsley will remain with the Tigers until their campaign is over, whenever that is.
He met with the co-captains – Stephen Coniglio, Toby Greene and Josh Kelly – following the announcement and will be speak to the media tomorrow in Sydney, before heading back to Melbourne.
The Giants always wanted to complete their coaching process by the end of the home and away season and have done that. They have plenty of time between now and the Trade Period where they are set to be key players with Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Tanner Bruhn and Bobby Hill all expected to move to Victorian clubs. Kingsley will obviously be involved in this, but that can wait for now.
The club wants McVeigh to remain but will allow him to make that decision in his own time. He has been linked to a return to Essendon as a package deal with James Hird and Dean Solomon, with the Bombers role the only current vacancy following the departure of Ben Rutten.
McVeigh has been a member of the coaching department at Giants HQ since 2015 but only became senior assistant coach ahead of this season. He wasn't regarded as a potential senior coach in the industry 12 months ago, but after 13 games in the hot seat, those inside the club have seen enough development and commitment to the cause to believe he will run his own program on a full-time basis one day. The 41-year-old was leaving his home on the central coast at 4.45am to get to the club and prepare for the day ahead during his time in charge.
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Kingsley hasn't spent much time in Sydney in his life, but will relocate before the start of pre-season with his wife Nadine and young family. One of his children is about to complete Year 12, while the other two are still at school and set to move to the Harbour City.
Those inside St Kilda and Richmond knew this day was coming. They have observed Kingsley – who former teammates believe is in better shape now than when he was playing – dedicate his life to coaching, building a case like in the NFL where you start as a line assistant, become a quarterbacks coach, then an offensive coordinator before landing a head coaching role.
That day has now arrived.