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Sport Nation
"Are we too kind?": Schwarz questions mentality of AFL clubs after Port Adelaide's announcement of succession plan
Zac Sharpe • March 9th, 2025 5:59 pm
David Schwarz believes Port Adelaide must be ruthless this season, allowing Josh Carr to take over as head coach earlier then expected if the Power start slow in 2025.
Schwarz doesn’t think today’s game is brutal enough when it comes to these decisions and believes club’s have become too ‘kind’ to their coaches in recent time.
The Melbourne Demons legend would like to see club’s take matters into their own hands more often when things aren’t going according to plan on the field, referring to the ruthlessness that was shown in the past with other legendary coaches as an example of what Port Adelaide should do this year if things start slow for the 2025 season.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to cut it off,” Schwarz said on SEN’S Crunch Time.
“Are clubs too kind now to coaches? So whether it’s John Longmire or it’s now Port Adelaide. Are we too kind?
“Are clubs just more empathetic to coaches then they ever have been?
“Unfortunately, when you’ve got a board that have an opinion of where the playing list is at and they’re not getting to that level, it doesn’t matter. No one is exempt.
“I think today we’re a bit nice, we don’t want to upset the young playing group.”
“It just becomes a big game of chess with footy clubs.
“If they’re 2-6, Ken Hinkley will be marched out the door and Josh Carr will takeover.”
Port Adelaide open their 2025 season away from home against Collingwood on Saturday night, with the side looking to bounce back from last year’s disappointing loss in the Preliminary Final.
