Top 3 coaches in history

[SENsei]

SEN tonight had an interesting topic after the Top 50 players....name the Top 3 coaches of all time.

Flaming hard topic. So many names to choose from McHale, Norm Smith, Barassi, Jeans, Kennedy, Parkin, Whitten, Matthews, Sheedy, Malthouse, Phonse Kyne, Len Smith and many others in history that I don't know.

My Top 3 for discussion are:

1. Norm Smith
2. John Kennedy
3. Allan Jeans

Closely followed by Sheedy, Barassi and probably Matthews.

Anyone else want a crack?

[rexy]

Much like players the hardest thing is rating those you have seen v those you have read about etc. I would say Jeans and Barassi and Matthews are stand outs for me as they won flags at multiple clubs.

[TimeToShineFellas]

Yeah I'll have a go........

(in no particular order)

Norm Smith
Ron Barassi
Tom Hafey

[stinger]

too hard mate.........matthews has to rate a mention.......jeans maybe.........norm smith definitely....phose kyne ....john kennedy......grant thomas.....sheedy.....yep......not malthouse.....

[Enrico_Misso]

Jeans - because he created multiple eras at multiple clubs
Smith - unprecedented era of success
Jock McHale - kept on keeping on, Collingwood were a force under him for 3 decades

[stinger]

Jeans - because he created multiple eras at multiple clubs
Smith - unprecedented era of success
Jock McHale - kept on keeping on, Collingwood were a force under him for 3 decades

i knew there was one i had forgotten.........mchale.....

[TimeToShineFellas]

too hard mate.........matthews has to rate a mention.......jeans maybe.........norm smith definitely....phose kyne ....john kennedy......grant thomas.....sheedy.....yep......not malthouse.....

How's the Tourettes going stinger?

[SENsei]

Damn I forgot to mention T-shirt Tommy...one the best blokes I have ever met....

"How are you Tommy?"

"Million bucks, mate. Million bucks!" Great bloke. Run through brick walls for him.

Didn't Jock McHale coach Collingwood for something like 125 years?? Eight premierships?

I picked Smith because he changed the way football was played, from what I have read.

John Kennedy who seems to be the first coach to focus on fitness....Kennedy's Commandos.

Allan Jeans who did it at two clubs. Barassi would have to be on a par with Jeans you'd think, although couldn't get Melbourne or Sydney up. Jeanesy had Richmond to blot his copy book too.

[Spinner]

SEN tonight had an interesting topic after the Top 50 players....name the Top 3 coaches of all time.

Flaming hard topic. So many names to choose from McHale, Norm Smith, Barassi, Jeans, Kennedy, Parkin, Whitten, Matthews, Sheedy, Malthouse, Phonse Kyne, Len Smith and many others in history that I don't know.

My Top 3 for discussion are:

1. Norm Smith
2. John Kennedy
3. Allan Jeans

Closely followed by Sheedy, Barassi and probably Matthews.

Anyone else want a crack?

Finey stated that A Jeans was definitely NOT in the Top 3 coaches because he believed the team of the 60's should have won more than just one premiership by just one point...

I never thought of it like that...But he does have a point, the quality within that team was unbelievable.

Boldock, Stewart, Smith, Howell, Lawrence, Neale, Breen, Dittrich....

What are peoples thoughts?

[TimeToShineFellas]

Damn I forgot to mention T-shirt Tommy...one the best blokes I have ever met....

Agree on that, I remember walking through the Dome last year and he gave me a pat on the shoulder with a big "Go Saints" yell.

Didn't know me from a bar of soap, but I reckon that's the kind of bloke he is!

[stinger]

too hard mate.........matthews has to rate a mention.......jeans maybe.........norm smith definitely....phose kyne ....john kennedy......grant thomas.....sheedy.....yep......not malthouse.....

How's the Tourettes going stinger?

i love fishing with that particular bait........always catch something......

[SENsei]

SEN tonight had an interesting topic after the Top 50 players....name the Top 3 coaches of all time.

Flaming hard topic. So many names to choose from McHale, Norm Smith, Barassi, Jeans, Kennedy, Parkin, Whitten, Matthews, Sheedy, Malthouse, Phonse Kyne, Len Smith and many others in history that I don't know.

My Top 3 for discussion are:

1. Norm Smith
2. John Kennedy
3. Allan Jeans

Closely followed by Sheedy, Barassi and probably Matthews.

Anyone else want a crack?

Finey stated that A Jeans was definitely NOT in the Top 3 coaches because he believed the team of the 60's should have won more than just one premiership by just one point...

I never thought of it like that...But he does have a point, the quality within that team was unbelievable.

Boldock, Stewart, Smith, Howell, Lawrence, Neale, Breen, Dittrich....

What are peoples thoughts?

I think he was probably a better coach second time around at Hawthorn. Much like Blight at Adelaide after Geelong. Jeanes got the longevity right second time around, although he had pretty good cattle.

Finey has a point, but you can't overlook his Hawthorn record.

If you didn't look at records overall you'd never rate Sheedy (4 flags in 25 years), Malthouse (2 flags in 22 years), McHale (8 flags in 49 years).

It's all subjective anyway, but I thought it was a damn interesting topic.

[stinger]

SEN tonight had an interesting topic after the Top 50 players....name the Top 3 coaches of all time.

Flaming hard topic. So many names to choose from McHale, Norm Smith, Barassi, Jeans, Kennedy, Parkin, Whitten, Matthews, Sheedy, Malthouse, Phonse Kyne, Len Smith and many others in history that I don't know.

My Top 3 for discussion are:

1. Norm Smith
2. John Kennedy
3. Allan Jeans

Closely followed by Sheedy, Barassi and probably Matthews.

Anyone else want a crack?

Finey stated that A Jeans was definitely NOT in the Top 3 coaches because he believed the team of the 60's should have won more than just one premiership by just one point...

I never thought of it like that...But he does have a point, the quality within that team was unbelievable.

Boldock, Stewart, Smith, Howell, Lawrence, Neale, Breen, Dittrich....

What are peoples thoughts?

yep......they were the best team by far in 1965......let a team that just scrapped into the finals win because jeans couldn't find anyone to stop fordham.......should have got cowboy to KO him...like he did to hudson 6 grandfinals latter......should have won in 1971 too.......flower that keddie.......someone should have knocked him out too......or kneed him in the thigh.....

[Enrico_Misso]

Jeanesy had Richmond to blot his copy book too.

I once had the pleasure of having a conversation with Alan Jeans.
Eventually I thought I would be disrespectful enough to ask him "Why did you take on coaching Richmond at a time when they had almost nothing to offer ?".

His reply was
"I did it because I needed the money"

On reflection that is a sad indictment.
Partially on us for not paying him his full dues.

But you would have thought that with all the success he brought to Hawthorn they would have done the right thing by him.
It's not like he is into the big spending high life !
He is a quiet, polite, happily married, tee totaller with a passion for lawn bowls !
Shame Hawthorn Shame.

[stinger]

Jeanesy had Richmond to blot his copy book too.

I once had the pleasure of having a conversation with Alan Jeans.
Eventually I thought I would be disrespectful enough to ask him "Why did you take on coaching Richmond at a time when they had almost nothing to offer ?".

His reply was
"I did it because I needed the money"

On reflection that is a sad indictment.
Partially on us for not paying him his full dues.

But you would have thought that with all the success he brought to Hawthorn they would have done the right thing by him.
It's not like he is into the big spending high life !
He is a quiet, polite, happily married, tee totaller with a passion for lawn bowls !
Shame Hawthorn Shame.

back in his day they weren't full time...or all that well paid.....jeansie was just a copper.....

[barks4eva]

too hard mate.........matthews has to rate a mention.......jeans maybe.........norm smith definitely....phose kyne ....john kennedy......grant thomas.....sheedy.....yep......not malthouse.....

Anyone and I mean anyone who floweringly mentions Grant Thomas and is being floweringly serious and not taking the piss, is a fair dinkum flowering, know nothing, numbnut, flowering nuffie

[Otiman]

Jeans
McHale
Matthews

No particular order.

It's all quite subjective, and depends on the criteria for selection.

Premierships?
Longetivity? (see McHale)
Success at multiple clubs?
Changing the way the game was played? (Sheedy)

[Eastern]

My 3 top coaches IN ORDER would be;

JOCK McHALE

NORM SMITH

LEIGH MATTHEWS

it then be plenty of daylight before the next best !!

[asiu]

i love fishing

you just gotta luv this place !

[riccardo]

Though I detest his commentary, Robert Walls got some very ordinary Fitzroy sides a long way in his time there. They were broke and full og GOPS but nearly made a GF in the late '80s.

But McHale is historys best for longevity, followed by Jeans for success and Barassi for forward thinking.

[ausfatcat]

SEN tonight had an interesting topic after the Top 50 players....name the Top 3 coaches of all time.

Flaming hard topic. So many names to choose from McHale, Norm Smith, Barassi, Jeans, Kennedy, Parkin, Whitten, Matthews, Sheedy, Malthouse, Phonse Kyne, Len Smith and many others in history that I don't know.

My Top 3 for discussion are:

1. Norm Smith
2. John Kennedy
3. Allan Jeans

Closely followed by Sheedy, Barassi and probably Matthews.

Anyone else want a crack?

Finey stated that A Jeans was definitely NOT in the Top 3 coaches because he believed the team of the 60's should have won more than just one premiership by just one point...

I never thought of it like that...But he does have a point, the quality within that team was unbelievable.

Boldock, Stewart, Smith, Howell, Lawrence, Neale, Breen, Dittrich....

What are peoples thoughts?

Can't remember who it was but on foxtel a year or so back they were talking to a young saints player from the the sixties who left for anther club basically because he thought Jeans was a terrible coach. Also went on to say he couldn't believe how much better Jeans was when he went to Hawthorn. It was on grumpy old men I think.

[sainteronline]

coaches i've seen
1.mathews(4 flags in the most competitive era in footy,footballgenius)
2.jeans(revolutionised training)
3.blight(pre st.kilda,4 grannies with pussies,back to back with cows,dont think he had the passion with saints or really any interest)

[Eastern]

coaches i've seen
1.mathews(4 flags in the most competitive era in footy,footballgenius)
2.jeans(revolutionised training)
3.blight,dont think he had the passion with saints or really any interest

Or the required level of sobriety ??? !!

[stinger]

i love fishing

you just gotta luv this place !

reeled him in too.....

[Bernard Shakey]

Len Smith (Norms brother) introduced the flick pass the precursor to the modern handball game.