Behind the scenes: The six key roles that make or break a footy club |
Behind the scenes: The six key roles that make or break a footy club
April 16, 2026 — 11:40am
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With a few clubs going through tough times and pressure mounting on their coaches, the eternal question of where responsibility lies when a club is underperforming has been hotly debated.
Is the talent at the coach’s disposal to blame, or is it his inability to get the maximum out of those players?
I know two things to be true. One, you can’t win without talent, but having talent doesn’t guarantee that you win. Two, it’s never one thing that makes you win or lose; it’s always the sum of the parts.
As a starting point, judging the level of talent in an AFL club to even reach a comparison point is difficult. There are so many players, on the field (23) and on the list (roughly 44). At the extremes, it’s easy. “Snowy on the tram” can tell you the Brisbane Lions’ best 23 right now is better than Essendon’s.
But who can say definitively which list is better out of the Bulldogs and Hawthorn? The Dogs, who have an incredible top six but drop away a bit? Or the Hawks, with a few superstars and a more even spread? Melbourne or Richmond? The Tigers have unbelievable youth; Melbourne have Max Gawn. How many 18-year-old top-10 draft picks is Max worth?
All the Champion Data in........