Melbourne Football Club is currently in search of its next senior coach as the team prepares to finish this season in the bottom half of the ladder. Despite their struggles, former coach Paul Roos believes that with the right leadership, the team has the potential to contend for the premiership as soon as next season. Roos draws parallels between Melbourne’s situation and that of Collingwood before Craig McRae’s successful tenure began.
Collingwood’s quick recovery under McRae should provide a promising blueprint to Melbourne. In his first season, McRae lifted the team from a dismal 17th place to fourth, culminating in a premiership win in his second year. Roos feels that Melbourne has an extraordinary opportunity for rapid, sustainable growth. With dynamic players such as Max Gawn leading the charge, they’re looking to leave a mark.
Coaching Search Heats Up
During the ongoing process of replacing Paul Roos for the Demons, Buckley’s name has cropped up as one of the leading contenders. Buckley just announced his skepticism about accepting the position. In announcing his decision, he said he was “very definitely on the fence” about it. For his part, Roos thinks Buckley should commit to pursuing short-term success if he does accept the post. Most importantly, he cautions against being seduced into a multi-year rebuilding effort.
“If I’m someone like a Nathan Buckley, I’m not taking this job to resurrect this team. I’m taking this job to win a premiership in the next two to three years,” – Paul Roos
Roos underlines that Melbourne has an incredible base to work from. Yet the core of their roster remains 14 to 16 premiership players from their famed 2021 campaign. Smallwood notes that the squad has not aged too much to consider themselves well-poised for a return.
The Path Forward
To this end, Max Gawn is one of the key players in the entire league. Roos insists that with strategic decisions made during the upcoming summer, Gawn could lead the team back to premiership contention. In Thwaites’ eyes, the right coaching appointment would have the potential to start an immediate on-field change in turn – just as Elizabeth McRae did at Collingwood.
As Roos is quick to point out, the climate in Melbourne today is a world away from what Collingwood used to face. While Collingwood certainly did require a full re-build, Melbourne already has a top-tier list. The result is a promising group of young players who just need the right coach to channel this potential.
“They’ve got 14-16 premiership players on their list right now. They won a premiership in 2021, they’re not super old, so I think this is a different one.” – Paul Roos
Balancing Expectations
As the city of Melbourne considered its next coaching move, hope reigned. The club’s new leadership understands that there is no time to waste in making the smart decision. The expected successor will have to mix experience and innovation to lead the squad back into contention quickly.
With Buckley at the forefront of discussions, fans and analysts alike are eager to see how this coaching search unfolds. Should he choose to accept the challenge, he could be at the helm of a team ready to reclaim its status among the AFL elite.
