Episodes
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Sheedy, Clarkson, Malthouse, Pagan, Thomas, Frawley, Blight, Bailey, McCartney, Lyon.
To close out season 5 of Sacked: AFL, we’ve gone back and delved deeper into the 10 greatest modern coach sackings since 2000.
And who better to come on that journey than a pair of esteemed journos who saw it all happen up close, and, at times, were the first to know.
Jon ‘Ando’ Anderson was there at some of the most important sporting events for the Herald Sun over the past four decades and is still a key member of the Sunday Herald Sun team with his weekly Ando’s Shout.
Bruce ‘Beva’ Eva is a Saints tragic and has seen it all since he began on the Herald sports desk in the late ‘80s and has gone on to Inside Football, SEN and now, 3AW.
We share highlights from past episodes across all five seasons of Sacked: AFL.
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Damian Drum spent more time as the next AFL coach in waiting than he did in the hot seat given he was up for roles as coach of the Swans, Demons and almost had the Collingwood job before moving to Fremantle.
In one of the most notorious coach axings in AFL history, Drum learned of his sacking on live TV - just 9 games into his third season in the top job.
And yet, it allowed the former shed builder to embark on his most consequential role yet - two decades as a member of state and federal parliament.
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Missing episodes?
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Damian Drum was a late-bloomer when he was plucked out of bush footy by Geelong at the age of 20 and spent eight frustrating seasons battling to 63 games.
And yet, it was only another injury sustained in the 1989 Preliminary Final that denied him the notorious role on Dermott Brereton eventually performed by Mark Yates in the opening moments of the famous 89 Grand Final.
Drum would eventually become famous as the last one to know he’d been sacked as Fremantle coach, but that journey got its start in Sydney as an assistant at the Swans, as the right-hand of the man who couldn’t lie, Ron Barassi.
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Mal Michael played 238 games including the historic three-peat of premierships with the Brisbane Lions.
But it might never have happened in the first place.
PNG born Michael was brought from his hometown of Brisbane to Collingwood with no promises and very little money but was able to turn himself into the fearsome full-back of the Lions dynasty.
And yet, it is the one that got away - their chance of four in a row in 2004 - that stayed with Michael for years.
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Alastair Lynch played over 300 games for Fitzroy, the Brisbane Bears and then the Brisbane Lions in a career that spanned 16 years.
It was a career that had incredible highs, devastating lows and one five minute brain fade right at the end.
A three time premiership player with the Lions, Lynch spent much of the mid to late 90s in bed with chronic fatigue having previously broken Roys fans hearts by signing a notorious 10 year contract to defect to the Brisbane Bears in 1993.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Nathan Burke has been involved in elite football across five decades and was involved in some of the biggest stories in that time.
Towards the end of his playing career, Burke had a seat at the table for the incredible recruitment of Malcolm Blight as senior Saints coach and he was at the Saints through the tumult that was the Thomas and Lyon eras.
Burke was also at the business end of the early days of the AFLW as coach of the Western Bulldogs.
And don’t forget his role in helping Trent Cotchin to beat a suspension in the lead up to the 2017 Grand Final in his time on the Match Review Panel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Nathan Burke played 323 games with St Kilda across three decades, and took the field with some of the best of the modern era - Lockett, Frawley, Harvey, Winmar, Loewe.
He captained the club and played in a heartbreaking Grand Final loss in 1997 but was in teams that finished in the bottom four as much as they spent in contention.
And when his playing career was over, it was a seat on the Saints board that brought him back to Moorabbin, and a front row seat to the turmoil that was the end of Ross Lyon’s first tenure as Saints coach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Daniel Harford was a top 10 draft pick and Vic Metro under 18 captain when he was taken by the Hawks.
Harford went on to play 153 games in the brown and gold (and nine in a single season with Carlton).
He was cocky and sure of himself with a good dose of self deprecation, that made Harford a favourite of the footy variety shows of the late 90s and early 2000s.
The larrikin nature prepared him perfectly for a life as a breakfast radio host, but it was his footy smarts that gave Harford the edge as senior coach of the Blues AFLW team.
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Paul Roos played 356 AFL games for Fitzroy and Sydney as well as many in the Big V for Victoria across 17 years as a player.
And as a coach he delivered the Swans a 72 year drought-breaking premiership in 2005 and was instrumental in the rebuild of Melbourne that ultimately culminated in the 2021 flag.
In this episode, Roos details his journey from Fitzroy to the Swans and Ralphy’s part in his announcement as saviour of the Demons.
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David Noble played just two games of AFL footy with Fitzroy in the early ‘90s, but it was off the field that he truly made his mark as an assistant coach, recruiter and administrator and finally the monumental task of coaching cellar dwelling North Melbourne.
In this episode, Noble details his football and personal journey from Hobart to Brisbane and the challenges he and his family have faced along the way.
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Tony Jewell commenced his senior football career with Oakleigh, in 1963. He tried out with St Kilda but failed to impress and was turned away. Richmond, however, decided to take a punt on him and he went on to give them good service, mainly as a half back flanker or back pocket, in 80 VFL games between 1964 and 1970.
After a two-year stint as coach of the Richmond reserves, which included overseeing a flag in 1977, he took over as senior coach of the Tigers in 1979. A year later he led them to an emphatic 81-point grand final defeat of Collingwood. Just one season later, however, Jewell was sacked with Francis Bourke being installed as coach in his place. Jewell later had unsuccessful stints as coach of St Kilda (1983-4) and Richmond once more (1986-7).
In this episode Jewell opens up about his brutal sacking at Richmond, recruiting Tony Lockett to St Kilda and how he almost became coach of Collingwood instead of Leigh Matthews.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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As Victorian opposition leader from 1982 to 1989 and then again from 1991 to 1992 before becoming the 43rd Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett has guided and divided many during his time in politics.
Post political life Kennett became the inaugural chairman of Beyond Blue and in December 2005, replaced Ian Dicker as president of Hawthorn.
In this episode Kennett opens about his relationship with 4-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson - and what really happened, his plans to hand the presidency over at the end of 2022 and his secrets to political success.
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Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore Tony Cochrane. As Chairman of the Board Tony Cochrane is best known in his role as boss of the Gold Coast Suns.
A successful businessman who didn't bother to finish school, Cochrane has been involved in event promotion since the 1970s, and has promoted or produced tours for several international and local artists. In March 2014, Cochrane joined the board of the struggling Gold Coast Suns, and then became chairman in March 2016In this episode Cochrane explains how he came to befriend Frank Sinatra and bring him out to Australia, he opens up on the sackings of Guy Mckenna and Rodney Eade, his aim to turn the Gold Coast Suns into a finals contender and why he thinks a 19th franchise in the AFL won't work.
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A powerful forward with an unpredictable streak, Cameron Mooney was a nightmare matchup for backmen during his 221-game career. Drafted to North Melbourne during an era of dominance, Mooney broke into the North side during the 1999 season, where he'd become a premiership player without even touching the ball! Traded to Geelong in the preseason of 2000, Mooney would make his name with the Cats as Geelong would go on a golden run.
In this episode Mooney opens up about the brutal selection battle he endured with John Longmire during the 1999 finals series, his erratic and undisciplined ways through his career and how the Cats built a dynasty.
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Trent Croad had an almost immediate impact when he was recruited to Hawthorn in 1998. At the end of 2001, Hawthorn would shock the football world, trading Croad who was then 21 and one of the Hawk's blue chip youngsters to Fremantle for the number 1 pick which would eventually secure Luke Hodge. After two years at Fremantle, Croad became the Prodigal son of Hawthorn, returning to Glenferrie Oval.
In this episode Croad opens up about the biggest trade shock in AFL history played out between Hawthorn and Fremantle, the creation of Clarko's cluster and the pain of his career ending injury.
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After a decade with the Western Bulldogs, Brian Lake's time at the Whitten oval came to an end. With a new coach appointed and some dissent towards him from the senior playing ranks, the writing was on the wall and Lake was off to Hawthorn.
With the Hawks coming off the 2012 Grand Final loss to Sydney, Lake arrived at Hawthorn at the beginning of a magical era. A premiership and a Norm Smith medal in 2013 was only the start for Lake as he would go on to help Hawthorn take out the 2014 and 2015 deciders.In this episode, Lake opens up about being delisted on the Mad Monday after the 2015 Grand Final, his personal struggles post football and how he has been able to get his life back on track.
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Taken at pick 71 in the 2001 national draft, Brian Harris as he was known as back then arrived at the Whitten Oval and became one of the Bulldogs' favourite sons. Over the course of 197 games in the red, white and blue, Lake developed into one of the competition's leading full backs regularly going toe-to-toe with the champion forwards of the time.
In this episode Lake opens about his formative years at the Western Bulldogs, his relationships with key players at the Bulldogs who wanted him out of the club and changing his name from Harris to Lake.
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A versatile ruckman come full forward, Peter 'Spida' Everitt started his football journey with St Kilda in 1993. With dreadlocks and head bands Spida almost instantaneously became a cult figure.
As Everitt's career was building, so too was the St Kilda Football club as the Saints made a charge to the 1997 Grand Final. A shoulder injury sustained in the Qualifying final against Brisbane would lead Everitt to miss the rest of the season thus making St Kilda's road to the elusive flag all that harder.
After 180 games in the black, red and white of St Kilda, Everitt was on the move to Glenferrie Oval in 2003 where he'd win a best and fairest. After four seasons at Hawthorn, Everitt's final stop would be at the Sydney Swans capping off a 291 game career.
In this episode Everitt opens up about his heat break on missing the 1997 Grand Final, the sacking of Stan Alves, wooing Malcolm Blight St Kilda and his strained relationship with Grant Thomas which would eventually lead to Spida's departure from the Saints.
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Following a decorated career in the VFL, Rodney Eade would make the transition to the coaches box with relative ease. Stints as an assistant coach at Brisbane and North Melbourne would be followed by the senior coaching job at the Sydney Swans in 1996. In his first year at Sydney Eade was able to transform the Swans into a premiership threat, with his side playing off in the '96 Grand Final.
After 152 games at the helm of the Swans, Eade's time in the harbour city came to an end as the axe came swinging his way.With the Western Bulldog searching for a coach at the end of 2004, Eade would find his way to the Whitten Oval where he would lead a talented side to three consecutive preliminary finals.
In late 2014, Eade was appointed coach of the AFL's expansion team on the Gold Coast taking over from Guy McKenna. Eade's time at the Suns was stormy at best and by the end of his third season, his contract would not be renewed.
In this episode Eade opens up about his sackings at Sydney and Gold Coast, coaching the legendary Tony Lockett in Sydney and dealing with Jason Akermanis at the Western Bulldogs
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A legend of the Apple Isle, Rodney Eade was recruited to Hawthorn from Glenorchy in 1975. At Hawthorn Eade established himself as a dashing wingman, playing a part in four VFL Premierships with the Hawks.
After 229 games at Glenferrie Oval, Eade crossed to the Brisbane Bears in 1988 - a move which would be the genesis for Eade's future coaching career.
In this episode Eade opens up about the heartbreak of being dropped for the 1985 Grand FInal, the golden era at Hawthorn under John Kennedy, David Parkin and Allan Jeans and the chaos and challenges faced by the fledgling Brisbane Bears.
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