BEFORE the 18 AFL senior coaches first picked up a clipboard and placed a whistle around their necks, they were players.
Some were excellent, and in one case won a Brownlow Medal and a Norm Smith Medal. There were others who were good footballers who enjoyed team success.
Others were what we like to call role players, which might have been the spark that led them down the path to the cherished positions they hold today.
Two of them did not even play AFL football at all; a trend that will surely grow as coaching becomes a more specialised and demanding profession. No surprises that they both came through the Hawthorn system, where a background in education counts as much as football.
But how would you rank them? ASHLEY BROWNE has taken on a task that is purely subjective, but one that will spark plenty of lively discussion over your summer barbecues and Christmas lunches.
18. CHRIS FAGAN
AFL games: -
All Australian: -
Best and fairests: -
Premierships: -
The new coach of the Brisbane Lions played 263 games of Tasmanian state league footy for Hobart, Sandy Bay and Devonport and played for the state 11 times.
He had no standout abilities as a player, but he was super-fit, which led to him getting to more contests than his opponents and he ran games out superbly. And the footy smarts that have served him so well as a coach and football administrator were evident as a player.
"He was honest with himself and knew what his shortfalls were, and then he had the smarts and courage to find a way to be the best that he could be," said one former teammate.
17. BRENDON BOLTON
AFL games: -
All Australian: -
Best and fairests: -
Premierships: -
Neither fast nor a prodigious kick, Bolton overcame these shortfalls to forge a great career in Tasmania, which included winning the Darrel Baldock Medal for best afield in the 1998 TFL Grand Final, aged just 19.
"Considering his size he would take on anyone and never backed down. He was as hard as nails, could run all day and was great leader in terms of actions and also instruction and direction," said one long-time Tasmanian football watcher.
A bit like Chris Fagan, his strength was getting to the football and giving it to teammates who could use it effectively. " He just made players around him better."
16. LUKE BEVERIDGE
Melbourne
42 games (1989-1992)
Western Bulldogs
31 games (1993-1995)
St Kilda
45 games (1996-1999)
All Australian: -
Best and fairests: -
Premierships: -
Luke Beveridge could play a bit. He was a nuggety clearance player, "an old-fashioned rover" as described by a teammate at the Demons, Peter Rohde.
But he also had the misfortune of being at the Demons when their midfield was talented and deep and he found himself competing for regular senior berths with the likes of Todd Viney, Glenn Lovett, Brett Lovett, Steven and Matthew Febey and Stephen Tingay among others.
"He knew the game really well, which comes as no surprise," Rohde added. "He was competitive, trained very hard and was a great in-and-under player. He was popular and a straight shooter."
Luke Beveridge (27) and teammates celebrate a win over Collingwood in 1997. Picture: AFL Photos
15. ALASTAIR CLARKSON
North Melbourne
93 games (1987-1995)
Melbourne
41 games (1996-1997)
All Australian: -
Best and fairests: -
Premierships: -
Alastair Clarkson is Exhibit A for unremarkable players who became remarkable coaches. American sport and European soccer are full of them and Clarkson is following suit.
The diminutive rover might best be known for decking Carlton's Ian Aitken in the infamous 'Battle of Britain' game in London in October 1987. He was 19 at the time.
But his North Melbourne teammates remember him for more than that. "He was very determined and was going to will his way to being successful," Liam Pickering said. "He played some really good roles for the club, mainly as a defensive run-with player but he had a good skill level as well. He was a more than handy player."
14. ALAN RICHARDSON
Collingwood
114 games (1987-1996)
All Australian: -
Best and fairests: -
Premierships: -
His Collingwood teammates still wince at the physical working-over coach Leigh Matthews gave Richardson the Thursday night before the 1990 Grand Final in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to overcome a broken collarbone.
"His appetite to get himself up that week was him in a nutshell," said teammate Mick McGuane. "He prepared well, sacrificed his own game and was the consummate role player."
Richardson played primarily across half-back. "He was a very good short kick," McGuane continued. "He tried to keep possession for the team and his courage in the air could not be questioned. He would often roll off his opponent to be the third man up in a contest."
13. BRAD SCOTT
Hawthorn
22 games (1997)
Brisbane Lions
146 games (1998-2006)
All Australian: -
Best and fairests: -
Premierships: 2001, 2002
Craig McRae changed at the locker next to Brad Scott and got to know one of the most competitive players at the Brisbane Lions during their spectacular three-peat era.
"He was always playing a negating role on the best midfielder," he said. "He was renowned for being hard and tough and for his tackling and competitiveness. He was really hard to play on.
"We had a few who were good at the verbals and he was probably the best at it."
Both the Scott brothers missed the 2003 Grand Final because of injury and McRae believes that by that stage, Brad was among the 10 best players at the Lions.
Brad Scott was one of the Lions' most competitive players in their golden era. Picture: AFL Photos
12. KEN HINKLEY
Fitzroy
11 games (1987-1988)
Geelong
121 games (1989-1995)
All Australian: 1991, 1992
Best and fairests: 1992
Premierships: -
That Hinkley became such a good footballer surprised some of his mates at Geelong, who remember that he didn't seem to work particularly hard in the gym or on the training track.
"He had the arms of an accountant," joked Liam Pickering. "He didn't work hard in the gym or train particularly hard."
"But he was really gifted and very brave. Kenny had good speed and great game awareness. And he was obviously very smart."
11. ROSS LYON
Fitzroy
127 games (1985-1994)
Brisbane Bears
Two games (1995)
All Australian: -
Best and fairests: -
Premierships: -
His Fitzroy teammate and great friend Paul Roos once dubbed Lyon 'Whispering Death' and how true it was.
"He didn't say much but just looked at you," said former Lions coach Robert Shaw. "The toughest player I've ever coached, by a mile, both with and without the ball."
Lyon was a highly skilled half-forward with a flair for the spectacular, but fearsome when he didn't have the ball.
"Highly educated, he understood systems and game plans and when he was fit he was a terrific footballer and highly talented either side of his body," Shaw added.
10. DON PYKE
West Coast
132 games (1989-1996)
All Australian: 1993
Best and fairests: -
Premierships: 1992, 1994
A pure midfielder who was balanced and equally good with both sides of his body, the Adelaide coach is remembered as a smart thinker who kept his cool no matter how pressured the situation was.
"He was really hard on himself and left no stone unturned in becoming the best player he could be. He wasn't a party boy," said West Coast teammate Karl Langdon.
The Eagles of the time remember a cerebral player, a hard-working university student who hit the books rather than the party circuit. "Just a real professional," said Langdon.
9. DAMIEN HARDWICK
Essendon
153 games (1994-2001)
Port Adelaide
54 games (2002-2004)
All Australian: 2000
Best and fairests: 1998
Premierships: 2000, 2004
Hardwick the footballer was never much for training or meetings, but come the opening bounce he was transformed.
"He was our aggressor," said his Essendon teammate Matthew Lloyd. "You loved thinking he was on your team and not against him. He would target individuals."
Hardwick wasn't blessed with the greatest talent. He was good in the air and able to get the ball to players with better skills and in better position, but his aggressiveness and competitiveness was a key ingredient of the 2000 Essendon and 2004 Port Adelaide premiership teams.
He was also considered tactically aware, an area of his game that blossomed under Mark Williams at Port Adelaide and which led him down the path to where he is now.
Damien Hardwick won flags with both Essendon and Port Adelaide. Picture: AFL Photos
8. JOHN LONGMIRE
North Melbourne
200 games (1988-1999)
All Australian: 1990
Best and fairests: 1990
Premierships: 1999
Coleman Medal: 1990
Longmire was on track to becoming one of the truly great full-forwards in the game until 1996 when he underwent his second knee reconstruction.
In 1990, at just 19 years of age, he kicked 98 goals including club record bags of 12 and 14. Over the next four years he kicked 91, 64, 75 and 78 goals.
"He was very good on the lead and very quick for a big bloke. That was his strength," said his former coach Denis Pagan. "He also had a great footy brain. He knew where to position himself."
Longmire reinvented himself as a defender/ruckman after the 1996 reconstruction. "His body started to thicken and he lost some mobility but it was great he could get that premiership in 1999."
7. CHRIS SCOTT
Brisbane Lions
215 games (1994-2007)
All Australian: -
Best and fairests: 1998
Premierships: 2001, 2002
Rising Star: 1994
Chris Scott was a gun. He walked into the Brisbane Bears' best 22 from the start of 1994, parked himself across half-back and walked away six months later with the Rising Star Award.
"He was strong in the air and rarely beaten," said future Lions premiership teammate Craig McRae. "He could play small and tall, and later on we used him as the third tall down back."
Scott cut an intimidating figure on the ground. "He was a hard man to play on, physically and mentally," McRae said. "He went to the tribunal a few times but that was part of the intimidation factor."
6. LEON CAMERON
Western Bulldogs
172 games (1990-1999)
Richmond
84 games (2000-2003)
All Australian: -
Best and fairests: 1993
Premierships: -
Former teammates still laud Leon Cameron's ability to see the game unfolding and to then act accordingly both in play and between quarters.
"He built relationships and wanted to impart his knowledge on people," said Wayne Campbell, who played alongside Cameron at Richmond.
And he did that from across half-back. "I'm not sure he ventured anywhere else," Campbell said with a laugh.
"He had slowed down a touch when he came to us, but he could use the footy well and would go sideways sometimes to make up for lack of pace. That was smart. He was a beautiful user of the footy and a good big-game player."
Leon Cameron was a pacy wingman and half-back with the Bulldogs. Picture: AFL Photos
5. RODNEY EADE
Hawthorn
229 games (1976-1987)
Brisbane Bears
30 games (1988-1990)
All Australian: -
Best and fairests: -
Premierships: 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986
When your teammates during a glorious era at Hawthorn include Leigh Matthews, Peter Knights, Don Scott, Gary Ayres, Dermott Brereton, Jason Dunstall, John Platten and Robert DiPierdomenico, to name just a few, it is easy to fly under the radar.
But make no mistake – Rodney Eade could play. The wingman with the huge footy intellect was a premiership player at 18. "He was a wingman and half-back, a good decision maker and user of the ball with skills on both sides of the body," said Ayres.
"He certainly wasn't slow, but he was a swingman who would get back to help defenders and he had this ability to become a defensive architect and set people up."
Hawthorn people still rave about Eade's complete shutdown of Carlton's dangerous Craig Bradley in the 1986 Grand Final.
4. ADAM SIMPSON
North Melbourne
306 games (1995-2009)
All Australian: 2002
Best and fairests: 2002
Premierships: 1996, 1999
Simpson ticked so many boxes as a player, there is little wonder he has made a decent fist of the coaching caper as well.
This is what his coach at North Melbourne, Denis Pagan, said Simpson offered the side, which was consistently the best in the AFL through the late 1990s.
"He started as a run-with player, but he was versatile, and could pinch-hit up forward because he could jump and mark," Pagan said.
What made him so valuable at North, Pagan added, was that he was equally comfortable through the midfield in attacking and defensive roles.
3. SIMON GOODWIN
Adelaide
275 games (1997-2010)
All Australian: 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2009
Best and fairests: 2000, 2005, 2006
Premierships: 1997, 1998
Gary Ayres coached Simon Goodwin at the Crows and remembers a midfielder who was a deep thinker about football whose preparation for games was outstanding.
"He was extremely fit, had a great football brain and performed at a consistently high level, particularly finals," he said.
Goodwin learned his craft across half-back but played his best football through the midfield. "He became an unbelievable, gut-running midfielder who could work defensively and be in right position with that beautiful left-foot kick."
2. JOHN WORSFOLD
West Coast
209 games (1987-1998)
All Australian: 1988, 1990
Best and fairests: 1988
Premierships: 1992, 1994
The mild-mannered, bespectacled weekday pharmacist morphed into one of the AFL's toughest defenders every weekend and was very much the spiritual leader of a group that won two flags in three years.
"One of the best timers of the bump, but with an incredibly high pain threshold of his own" said fellow Eagle Karl Langdon. "I'm bloody thankful he was on my team."
Worsfold was a prowling half-back who could find the ball and dish it off to attacking teammates such as Chris Waterman, Peter Matera and Chris Mainwaring, but his main brief was to curb the influence of opposition forwards. "He was a non-compromising, hard and accountable player who got the big jobs," Langdon said.
John Worsfold captained the Eagles to two premierships. Picture: AFL Photos 
1. NATHAN BUCKLEY
Brisbane Bears
20 games (1993)
Collingwood
260 games (1994-2007)
All Australian: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003
Best and fairests: 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003
Premierships: -
Brownlow Medal: 2003
Norm Smith Medal: 2002
Rising Star: 1993
Mick McGuane knows a good footballer when he sees one and his former Magpie teammate Nathan Buckley was from the top shelf.
Buckley could do just about anything as a player and had an air of confidence that few players of his time could match. "Some confused that for arrogance," McGuane explained, "But read that as a young player with incredible confidence in the talent he had."
McGuane said reading the play was Buckley's greatest attribute as a player. "He could assess the situation better than most and then he was on his bike while others were ball watching."
