Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Sack the captain? Eagles warned over Allen's secret meet
SEN • April 2nd, 2025 11:18 am
Amid widespread calls for West Coast’s Oscar Allen to step down from the captaincy role, Melbourne Mavericks coach Tracey Neville has warned of the impact leadership changes can have on a team.
Earlier this week it was revealed that Allen had “secretly” met with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell while he was in WA as speculation over his future in Perth mounts.
An AFL captain meeting with a rival club’s coach has attracted significant criticism prompting SEN’s Garry Lyon and Tim Watson to question whether Allen should step down from his leadership role.
Speaking on SEN Breakfast, Neville was asked if she thought Mavs captain Amy Parmenter could be talking with rival Super Netball clubs and how that would make her feel as a coach.
“(Amy’s) definitely not but it does happen, and I’ve experienced that,” she said. “It would not sit well with me but not I would not sack the captain.
“I’d have to look at the pros and cons of it but to get rid of your captain during a season could be more detrimental to the whole team.
“From my perspective it would hurt particularly when it’s done behind your back and that’s happened to me so it doesn’t sit well. But if that player stays you also have to move on quickly.”
While not concerned about her players talking to rival clubs on the eve of the Mavs' second season in the Super Netball competition, Neville did reveal that earlier in her coaching career she sacked a captain mid-tournament.
“I did get rid of a captain in my international job for a different reason and it was player and coach driven,” she continued.
“Sometimes you have to make those huge decisions.
“As a coach you get a sense of when players want to leave and with a captain that happens early with a coach.
“We have to respect that sometimes players might want a different spark or challenge.
“Life can get mundane in performance, and you have to respect that decision.”
The Mavericks get their 2025 Super Netball campaign underway this weekend against the Sunshine Coast Lightning. Secure your tickets here
