Season 2025 was looking like an uneventful year on the coaching front until John Longmire announced his retirement recently. As usual at Sydney the event was managed with as little fuss as possible with long-time assistant coach Dean Cox taking over the helm.
That transition is unusual. Most times, the change of a coach is accompanied by a purge of the assistant coaches handpicked by him to support his method and philosophy of coaching and when it doesn’t achieve the required success (however measured), all key personnel are replaced.
This approach by the Swans suggests that they are rightly aware of Longmire’s contribution to promoting the game in a league-centric city, and their only concern is the disastrous showing of the club in the last three grand finals in which they have participated.
Top 100 Coaches Lost: 2.
From the starting line up at the start of the 2024 season, only John Longmire (Sydney No.22) and Adam Simpson (West Coast Eagles No.37) are missing.
Adam Simpson. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Both these coaches had claimed one premiership during their coaching career and their departure means that only four one-premiership coaches remain, with only three multi-premiership coaches still coaching.
Top 100 Coaches Currently on List: 12.
The two departures means that there are now 12 coaches who have coached enough games to appear on the Top 100 coaches list. Of these 12, six have won premierships and all except one have coached in finals.
Coaches – more so than anyone except umpires – have benefitted from the lengthening of seasons. The desire to ‘lock in’ with longer contracts those coaches who have had recent success or who have been given longer term rebuilding projects have also contributed to the longevity of current coaching careers.
Potential New Top 100 Coaches in 2025: 2.
Unlike players who are susceptible to injury or form lapses, coaches rarely miss games and, depending on finals appearances, can add 23-27 games to their tally each year.
This means both Craig McRae and Sam Mitchell should join the elite by season’s end.
Coaches No Longer Eligible for Top 100 Status: 3.
The elevation of Justin Longmuir (equal No.84) and Matthew Nicks (No. 86) into the Top 100 coaches of all-time led to the demise of three former coaches from the Top 100 list: Herbie Matthews, Ken Sheldon and Graeme Cornes.
Herbie Matthews tied for the Brownlow Medal with Collingwood’s Des Fothergill in 1940 and won five Best and Fairests at the Swans. He was captain/coach in 1939 and came back as non-playing coach from 1954 to 1957.
Ken Sheldon played in three premierships at Carlton in 1979, 1981 and 1982 before moving to St Kilda in 1987 and becoming coach in 1990.
Mitiamo’s most famous footballer, Sheldon took the Saints to the finals in 1991 and 1992 before being axed at the end of 1993.
Graham Cornes career as an AFL footballer consisted of only five games for North Melbourne in 1979, but his status as a footballer and coach in South Australia was legendary.
He was the inaugural coach of the Adelaide Crows in 1991 and held the job until the end of 1994.
Cornes is the father of Chad and Kane who played a combined total of 539 games of AFL football. He is also a Vietnam War veteran.
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Charlie Curnow sits equal 16th, and Harry McKay is equal 20 in the Top 100 Goal Scorers list.
