Following on from the previous article, Part Two of the series takes a look at coaches of Hawthorn, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, St. Kilda, Sydney, West Coast, and the Western Bulldogs. Among these clubs, there are several brand-new coaches, with the Eagles appointing Andrew McQualter at the end of the 2024 season, and Dean Cox, who was named after a short search following John Longmire’s shock exit from the Swans.
In this part, we also see Simon Goodwin, Ken Hinkley, and Luke Beveridge, who have all faced intense job scrutiny in 2024, with Hinkley and Beveridge slightly redeeming themselves with September appearances, while Goodwin may have received a pass largely due to injuries to star players Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca at the end of the season.
Sam Mitchell
Since taking over from former coach Alastair Clarkson, Sam Mitchell has led the Hawks to an incredible turnaround. After a down season in 2023, Mitchell lifted the Hawks back into the finals in 2024, finishing seventh, and had the club playing an exciting brand of football that won the club plenty of followers among neutral supporters.
Hawthorn fans will be hoping for more of the same in 2025, with the team bringing in Tom Barrass and Josh Battle to sure up its defence. The Hawks also managed to avoid losing many key players with Chad Wingard’s retirement being the only big-name departure.
Given his skill in turning Hawthorne back into a dangerous side, even a bad season wouldn’t necessarily turn the pressure up on Mitchell, even if fans’ expectations are raised given their performance in season 2024.
Pressure Rating – 1.5/5
Simon Goodwin
Simon Goodwin might be the most under-pressure coach in the AFL, aside from one other, but we’ll get to him later. Despite taking the Dees to Premiership glory in 2021, the shine from that success has already started fading away for Goodwin, as a lot of his top players are beginning to head to the tail end of their careers.
Last season was rough for Melbourne and Goodwin, missing finals for the first time since 2020. The last time Melbourne missed the finals, Goodwin was able to turn it around in and win the flag the next year. However, that was under significantly different circumstances.
This last off-season hasn’t been ideal for the Demons, after star player Christian Petracca looked to be heading elsewhere only for the trade to be scuppered by the club. Given the reportedly fractured nature of the relationship between Petracca, Goodwin, and troubled gun Clayton Oliver, can Goodwin turn the ship around or will the Demons part ways with their coach by the end of next season?
Pressure Rating – 4.5/5
Alastair Clarkson
Alastair Clarkson came to North Melbourne hoping to right a ship that had been sailing rough seas for quite a while. The club last played finals in 2016 and hasn’t won more than four games in a year since 2019. Clarkson’s tenure at North Melbourne has seemingly been plagued with issues, taking time off in 2023 due to an ongoing racism investigation, and issues with his mental health. Then in 2024, Clarkson was accused of yelling a homophobic slur during North’s game against St. Kilda.
In two seasons under Clarkson, North Melbourne hasn’t improved on their position, winning just six games out of 46, and finishing in 17th both seasons. Clarkson is in his third season of a five-year deal, with the club seemingly keen on holding firm to see how this plays out in the long run.
It remains to be seen, though, how much longer North fans are willing to wait while they go through three-win seasons and remain anchored to the bottom of the table. The club’s resolve will also be tested if they are passed by fellow cellar-dwellers from last season in West Coast and Richmond in their rebuilds.
Pressure Rating – 4/5
Ken Hinkley
Season 2024 was an absolute roller-coaster for Ken Hinkley. Despite the team spending the majority of the season in the top four, and almost all of it in the top eight, the Port coach faced intense scrutiny from Port fans, with some crowds even booing the coach after a 79-point loss to the Lions.
Even after securing second at the end of the home and away season and taking Port to the Preliminary Final, Hinkley will be back under pressure again in 2025 if it looks like Port is in danger of slipping down the table. A large part of the pressure on Hinkley stems from the fact that he has now been at the helm of Port Adelaide for 12 seasons, and the club has very little to show for it.
Port has brought in Gold Coast swingman, Jack Lukosius, in the trade period to replace Charlie Dixon, but they lost Dan Houston to Collingwood in a blockbuster trade which saw the Power receive picks 13,29,36, and 50 alongside Joe Richards, Rory Atkins, and the aforementioned Lukosius.
Pressure Rating – 3.5/5
Adem Yze
It certainly hasn’t been an easy ride for Adem Yze since he took over as Richmond’s head coach in 2024 following the departure of Damien Hardwick. In his first season as coach, Richmond won only two games and was stuck firmly to the bottom of the ladder, a game behind North Melbourne, and three games behind West Coast.
Things only went from bad to worse as several senior players departed the club in a flurry. During the offseason, Richmond lost Dylan Grimes, Dustin Martin, Jack Graham, Liam Baker, Shai Bolton, Marlion Pickett, and Daniel Rioli. That is a lot of senior talent heading out the door.
As a result, there are a lot of early draft picks that are now at the club. This includes three players picked in the top 20 – Sam Lalor, Josh Smilie, and Jonty Faull. Given the young list, Yze will probably be given a pass as long as the Tigers remain competitive. However, the club may suddenly find itself going in a new direction if Yze loses the playing group.
Pressure Rating – 3/5
Ross Lyon
Ross Lyon is now in the third season of his second stint as senior coach at St. Kilda after the club turned back to himafter the 2022 season. After taking the Saints to the finals in 2023, the Saints finished 12th in 2024 after spending the majority of the season in 14th and 15th.
Lyon has also lost a significant chunk of senior talent, with Josh Battle and Tom Campbell leaving the club via free agency while Tim Membrey, Seb Ross, and Brad Crouch also departed after delisting and retirement, respectively.
However, the Saints were able to sign Jack Macrae and Jack Carroll, while drafting two players in the top 10, Alix Tauru and Tobie Travaglia, injecting the club with fresh young talent.
Pressure Rating – 3.5/5
Dean Cox
Dean Cox is the newest coach in the AFL, taking over from John Longmire as the head coach of the Sydney Swans. The announcement came months after the Swans made it to their second Grand Final in three years under the former coach.
Given their recent success, Swans fans will hope that Cox can continue the momentum that Longmire had in the last season and hopefully take the club back to Premiership glory, as opposed to defeats.
During the off-season, the Swans parted ways with veteran Luke Parker but have kept the majority of their midfield together, though the team will face another test as key midfielders Chad and Corey Warner are out of contract at the end of the season.
Pressure Rating – 2/5
Andrew McQualter
On September 30, the West Coast Eagles announced that Andrew McQualter, a former Melbourne assistant coach, would step into the role of senior coach. This decision followed the mid-season departure of Adam Simpson, who was sacked during the 2024 season. McQualter was selected over other candidates, including caretaker coach Jarrad Schofield, Steven King, and Hayden Skipworth. Notably, Ash Hansen and Josh Carr reportedly withdrew themselves from consideration for the position.
Simpson’s dismissal came as little surprise, given the Eagles’ dramatic decline in recent years. Over the past three seasons, the team managed only eight wins from 62 games, highlighting their struggles.
The Eagles have also faced significant roster changes, with key players, Tom Barass and Jack Darling departing via trades, and Andrew Gaff retiring. From the 2018 Premiership-winning defence and forward line, only Tom Cole, Jamie Cripps, and Jeremy McGovern remain, marking a period of substantial transition for the club.
Pressure Rating – 2.5/5
Luke Beveridge
Despite delivering the Bulldogs premiership glory, Luke Beveridge is the most under-pressure coach heading into the 2025 AFL season. This is the case despite taking the Dogs back to finals in 2024 after coming under intense scrutiny. The Dogs spent only eight weeks in the top eight, even though most view the club as having a top four calibre list, with stars like Marcus Bontempelli.
As much as club performance is one thing, another aspect of the rising pressure is going on behind the doors at Western, with a seeming game of musical chairs being played with positions on the board and the football department swinging between a seemingly pro-Beveridge faction and an anti-Beveridge faction.
On the field, though, the Dogs should be able to turn their fortunes around, with the continued development of young stars like Sam Darcy. However, many of the Dogs stars, including Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore, Adam Treloar, Jason Johannisen, James Harmes, and Liam Jones are heading into the twilight of their careers.
Pressure Rating – 5/5
