The coaching succession plan is a relatively new concept in the AFL, designed to ensure a smooth transition between coaches without the abrupt announcement that the previous coach has been pushed out.
With Josh Carr set to take over from Ken Hinkley at the end of Port Adelaide's 2025 campaign, let's take a look at the success of similar plans in the past and whether Port has taken the right approach.
One of the first teams to implement a coaching succession plan was the Sydney Swans in 2011 when John Longmire took over from Paul Roos after it was announced 13 months prior that the transition had begun.
Roos worked alongside Longmire in the lead-up to his departure, mentoring him and preparing him for the senior role. The transition was smooth, and Longmire led the team to a premiership in 2012, continuing Roos' successful legacy.
Collingwood followed suit with a two-year coaching succession plan from 2010 to 2012, transitioning from a successful era under Mick Malthouse to Nathan Buckley, who was seen as the future of the club.
However, the transition ran into a number of challenges. Initially, Malthouse was supposed to stay on for three years as the director of coaching after giving up the head coaching job, a role that would have allowed him to oversee the club's coaching department and continue to guide Buckley. However, Malthouse ultimately walked away after the 2011 Grand Final loss.
This sudden departure raised eyebrows, as it was unclear whether Malthouse's exit was truly his decision or if he was pushed out by the club.
Furthermore, there were reportedly tensions between Malthouse and Buckley during the 2011 season. Buckley reportedly considered approaching Malthouse about extending the length of the handover, which suggests that Buckley may have felt uncertain about taking over as senior coach. This lack of clarity and communication between the two coaches may have contributed to the rocky transition and Malthouse's eventual departure.
The eventual outcome of Collingwood's plan comes down to what you'd consider to be successful. The transition was not so smooth, yet the club remained competitive for an extended period, just missing out on premiership glory in 2018. Whether Buckley was the right choice for the succession plan itself is contentious, but it seemed that in theory, the plan worked despite its hiccups.
As for the Roos to Longmire transition, while Longmire's time at the Swans was marked by consistent success, his legacy is mixed due to his team's poor grand final performances.
Longmire's poor record in the big game remains a talking point. While he won the 2012 premiership, his Swans were unable to clinch another flag in his time as head coach. Though this does raise some questions as to his ability to lead in big moments, there is no doubt the succession plan was a resounding success both on the playing field and from a relationship perspective.
Longmire had also clearly been grooming assistant coach Dean Cox for some time and Cox's upcoming inaugural season as head coach will serve as another example of the Swans' continuing use of the strategy.
The next, and one of the more fascinating examples of the succession plan, once again involves Paul Roos. Roos, who had taken the Demons to the brink of a premiership in 2000, was brought back to the club in 2014 to lead the team through what was one of the most difficult periods in the club's history. However, it turned out that his appointment as head coach was part of a broader strategy from the club which aimed to instil a more competitive mindset, rebuild the club's culture and lay the foundations for future success.
At the beginning of his tenure as head coach, Roos even went as far as to say that he would not be staying with the Demons long-term. From the get-go, this was a succession plan and his successor was Simon Goodwin.
Roos spent three seasons mentoring Goodwin, ensuring a smooth transition that would allow Goodwin to take the reins in 2017. Melbourne reached the finals in 2018 and ultimately won the premiership in 2021, marking not only the successful execution of an ambitious coaching succession plan but also a significant overhaul of the club's culture.
Much like Melbourne's approach with Paul Roos, Essendon brought in a highly respected and successful coach in John Worsfold to help stabilise the club and rebuild its reputation following the fallout from the supplements saga. Worsfold, a premiership-winning coach with West Coast, took over the Essendon role in 2016 and under his leadership they made some steady progress.
In 2019 it was announced that Ben Rutten, who had been serving as an assistant coach under Worsfold, would take over as head coach for the 2021 season, marking the beginning of a formal coaching succession plan. Although the move was intended to mirror the successful implementations of the succession plans that other clubs had utilised prior, the transition didn't go as smoothly as expected.
Rutten gradually took on more responsibilities throughout 2020, creating uncertainty about who was truly in charge. By the time Worsfold officially stepped away at the end of the season, the club had reportedly struggled with a lack of clear leadership. Essendon finished 13th in 2020, and Rutten's tenure never gained strong momentum, ultimately leading to his sacking at the end of 2022.
A more recent example of this handover strategy was when former club captain Sam Mitchell took over as Hawthorn's head coach from long-time leader and AFL great Alastair Clarkson. One of the most successful and decorated coaches in AFL history, Clarkson had been with the Hawks since 2005. Under his leadership, the club won four premierships and cemented itself as a powerhouse of the AFL during his 17-year tenure.
Mitchell had long been seen as the club's future leader, especially as Hawthorn's success had declined and a full rebuild was on the horizon. In 2021, it was announced that Clarkson would step down as head coach at the end of the 2022 season and pave the way for Mitchell but the transition had some challenges.
While in the midst of the rebuild and itching to take over, Mitchell reportedly wanted to take the reins one year earlier than scheduled and the pair began to butt heads. Mitchell put all of these rumours to bed and assured that the handover was smooth and all parties were voluntarily taking part. The outcome of the handover is yet to be fully seen as Mitchell is now in his third season as head coach, but the Hawks look like they are flying.
How the Port Adelaide succession plan unfolds will be revealed in the coming season. Whether it resembles more the Roos to Longmire handover or Malthouse to Buckley will determine its perception. Ken Hinkley has led the Power to several preliminary finals, but the elusive premiership has remained just out of reach. With a talented list and continued disappointment, the succession plan had been tipped to come into place at any moment.
Carr was a key part of the Power's 2004 premiership and joined the club as an assistant coach two years ago. He'll take the reins on a three-year contract starting in 2026, tasked with unlocking the team's full potential and bringing long-awaited success to the club.
