MEDIA Watch wrote on Monday that Rodney Eade seemed the only experienced coach left as a realistic contender for Melbourne's senior vacancy.
Although the Western Bulldogs coach may not be available - he remains in ongoing talks with the Bulldogs about a contract extension - other successful long-time coaches such as Paul Roos, Mick Malthouse, Mark Williams and Alastair Clarkson have ruled themselves out of the running to replace Dean Bailey.
Roos' reluctance to return to senior coaching after an eight-year stint at the Sydney Swans that yielded the 2005 premiership has AFL Coaches' Association chief executive Danny Frawley concerned.
Frawley told the Herald Sun the profession's ever-increasing demands seemed to be driving successful coaches such as Roos and two-time Geelong premiership coach Mark Thompson out of senior coaching.
Frawley was concerned the AFL's coaching ranks were losing vital experience and know-how and noted that - with Malthouse set to step into a coaching director role at Collingwood at the end of this season - the AFL would be left with just two active premiership coaches (Clarkson and John Worsfold).
"We've just got to be mindful of the fact these guys are human, have families and need a balance," Frawley said of Roos and Thompson.
"The longer they stay out of it, the more they'll think, 'Do I really want to put myself in the frypan again?'"
But although Roos and Thompson have voluntarily decided - at least for the time being - they've had enough of coaching, that decision is made for most other experienced coaches.
Former Geelong and Adelaide coach Gary Ayres is a good case in point. Since parting company with the Crows late in the 2004 season, the 223-game coach has consistently said he would like another shot at AFL level.
Ayres reiterated this desire had not waned in Thursday's Herald Sun, saying he would welcome the opportunity to apply for the Melbourne job.
However, despite his success coaching VFL club Port Melbourne for the past three and a half seasons - the Borough are currently riding a 15-game winning streak - Ayres is a long-shot to make the Demons' shortlist, let alone win the job itself.
This despite the fact Ayres believes he is coaching better than he ever has in his 17-year career.
Rightly or wrongly, experienced coaches such as Ayres, Denis Pagan and Neale Daniher that have departed their most recent roles in less than ideal circumstances are often seen as 'damaged goods'.
So, although they remained - at least initially - ready and willing to coach again, they were not given the opportunity.
When such coaches are lost to the game, the competition loses yet more experience and know-how.
In most other industries, experience is almost universally looked upon as a good thing. Perhaps clubs should not automatically turn their backs on the likes of Ayres when looking for a new coach. Their experience may be just what's needed.
Milne's feats deserve recognition
If you don't barrack for St Kilda, Stephen Milne can be easy to dismiss as an infuriating little so and so. The opportunism of opposition small forwards can be hard to take at the best of times and Milne is one of the game's biggest 'yappers' too.
However, it's now almost impossible to begrudge Milne's achievements in the game.
This Friday night against Collingwood, he is a good chance to reach two significant milestones. One goal will take him past former Essendon skipper Matthew Lloyd as the all-time leading goalkicker at Etihad Stadium, on 300 goals. Four goals would mean he reaches his fifth season tally of 50 goals.
The Age's Peter Hanlon spoke with one AFL "insider" who was in no doubt about Milne's standing in the game.
"His figures stack up," the insider said. "He's going to be one of the best small forwards ever to play the game."
With 480 goals from 231 games, playing one of the most difficult positions in the game, it's hard to argue.
Cats can't rest easy just yet
There has been a lot of recent speculation about how Collingwood and Geelong will manage their runs to the finals.
Given both are all but certain to finish in the top two, it's commonly accepted they will take advantage of their secure positions to rest players in the lead-in to the finals.
Magpies coach Mick Malthouse has even speculated the teams' round 24 clash might result in "reverse-end" tanking. Malthouse inferred that game would be a meaningless contest and both teams might not necessarily field their strongest teams.
However, The Australian points out the Cats have more to worry about than just fine-tuning their players' finals preparations.
Reporter Greg Denham wrote that Geelong was the prospective finalist most vulnerable to suspensions, with eight of the Cats' senior players carrying demerit point totals that meant they would likely face suspension if charged with further offences.
Captain Cameron Ling and Joel Corey are the most precariously placed, their 93.75 carryover points meaning any further charge would almost certainly tip them over the 100-point threshold that leads to a suspension.
Mathew Stokes (85.63 points), Brad Ottens (82.81), Matthew Scarlett (54.69), Josh Hunt (54.69) and Joel Selwood (25) are the other Cats who will carry demerit points tallies through to next season. Selwood, in particular, will be anxious to avoid scrutiny by the match review panel given he also carries a 40 per cent loading for his four-match suspension in round 12, for striking Hawthorn's Brent Guerra.
Cats spearhead James Podsiadly currently has 32.5 carryover points hovering over his head, but they will expire after this round.
However, the Cats are not the only team with carryover point concerns.
Their main challenger, Collingwood, has three players (Dale Thomas, Cameron Wood and Luke Ball) who will carry existing demerit points for the rest of the season, while top-four challengers Carlton (four - Michael Jamison, David Ellard, Mitch Robinson and Bret Thornton), Hawthorn (three - Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli and Sam Mitchell) and West Coast (six - Nic Naitanui, Luke Shuey, Scott Selwood, Will Schofield, Callum Wilson and Quinten Lynch) all have their concerns.
Likely finalist St Kilda also has eight players (Adam Schneider, Steven Baker, Nick Riewoldt, David Armitage, Brett Peake, Leigh Montagna, Zac Dawson and Justin Koschitzke) who need to be on their best behaviour for the rest of the season.
In short
Simon Goodwin is unlikely to be a candidate for the Adelaide coaching job, the Herald Sun reports. The tabloid wrote the Essendon assistant coach would accompany Bombers senior coach James Hird on a tour of European sporting clubs, such as AC Milan and Bayern Munich, in October to gather ideas for the club's new $30 million headquarters at Tullamarine. Goodwin's commitment to the trip suggested he would not be applying to fill Neil Craig's shoes, the paper concluded.
The Western Bulldogs are resigning themselves to the likelihood they'll lose Callan Ward to Greater Western Sydney at the end of this season, The Australian reports. The paper wrote the Bulldogs' upgraded offer to the 21-year-old last month had drawn nothing but silence, however, the club's negotiations with young defender Easton Wood were closer to a conclusion.
Port Adelaide has received a strong indication it will receive a priority draft pick if it has another dismal season in 2012, The Advertiser reports. Adelaide's daily paper referred to comments from AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou on Tuesday that the league will strongly consider the welfare of struggling clubs when it reviews its priority pick rules at the end of this season.
Collingwood looks to have snaffled another bargain-priced young talent in Jarrod Witts, the Herald Sun reports. The Magpies signed Witts, 18 and 209cm, three years ago under the NSW scholarship program and their national recruiting manager Derek Hine said they would select him in this year's NAB AFL Draft or Rookie Draft. The Herald Sun wrote Witts "would sit comfortably in the top 10 of this year's draft", while Hine said he could play AFL next year.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
