Proud Tasmanian Jade Rawlings would be interested in a job with his home state’s future AFL team but has stopped short of putting his hand up to be the inaugural coach.
Rawlings played 148 games at the highest level for Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne before turning his hand to coaching, including an 11-game stint as Richmond’s caretaker coach in 2009 after Terry Wallace’s resignation.
He also served as an assistant coach at the Tigers, Brisbane Lions, Melbourne and the Kangaroos, while coaching his own side at Coburg, Casey Demons and currently Norwood, who he led to last year’s SANFL premiership.
Jade Rawlings was Richmond’s caretaker coach in 2009.Credit: Sebastian Costanzo
“I’m absolutely rapt for Tassie to have a licence, and if people see my skill set as something they’re interested in I’ll always look for what opportunities there are,” Rawlings told The Age.
“I’m not someone to campaign for myself, but I see myself as a career coach, and I’m a passionate Tasmanian, so I’m happy to entertain discussions if people feel I’m someone they want to talk to.”
Experienced AFL recruiter Neville Stibbard, who put together the GWS Giants’ original list, thinks Rawlings would be an ideal fit for Tasmania, potentially with fellow home-grown coach Chris Fagan or Alastair Clarkson as director of coaching.
Fagan, who was the Tassie Mariners’ first coach in 1995, said in late April he would “love to help Tassie out in some way” if he was not still at the Lions and “not necessarily to be the coach”. There are varying views on the direction the new Tasmanian team should go, with Alastair Lynch telling this masthead that he would prioritise a “Chris Scott-type” coach with plenty of experience who has enjoyed significant success.
That criteria would likely reduce the candidates to Geelong’s Scott, North Melbourne’s Clarkson, Richmond’s Damien Hardwick and Sydney’s John Longmire once Tasmania enters the AFL in, most likely, 2028.
They have all won multiple AFL premierships, or coached teams to at least three grand finals.
Could one or both of Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan work for the Tasmanian team?Credit: Getty Images
Rawlings has eight Tasmanians on his Norwood playing list, including ex-AFL footballers Jackson Callow and Patrick Walker, as well as former Sydney Swan Daryn Cresswell’s son Jake, while his brother-in-law, Brendon Clark, is Devonport’s president.
He will also coach the SANFL’s representative side against the WAFL this month.
The 45-year-old was one of a select group of people the Tasmanian AFL Taskforce presented their vision to about five years ago.
“The work put into this was significant, and people don’t see all of that, but it’s very gratifying for Tasmania to have a team to call their own,” Rawlings said.
“It felt like in the last 12-18 months that the AFL was more inclined to be supportive of it. They need to get the coaching and development going now, from under-12s and under-14s, because it all ties into the bigger picture, but the management positions are the most critical ones – board, CEO, footy manager.
“Contracting players and draft picks are part of it, but getting the right people to develop them and create the vision is crucial.”
