On the back of Fremantle coach Ross Lyon declaring he will rest 11 of his best players this weekend, we take a look at some of the more "creative" strategies employed by senior coaches over the years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
1. Windy Hill windsock wind-up
When the rampaging West Coast Eagles paid a visit to Windy Hill in 1991, Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy ordered the ground's windsock to be tied up in a bid to render the Eagles clueless as to the true nature of the conditions. The tactic almost paid off as the Bombers narrowly lost to the eventual grand finalists by seven points.
The ploy almost paid off for Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy. Photo: Vince Caligiuri
2. 'Pathetic' Pittman
The enigmatic Malcolm Blight was renowned for his left-field and, at times, unpredictable approach in his six seasons in charge of Geelong and it didn't take long for Adelaide to get a taste of his creativity. After just his second game in charge of the Crows in 1997, Blight famously described ruckman David Pittman as "the most pathetic ruckman I have ever seen in my entire life in footy". The spray seemed to serve its purpose as Pittman went on to become a dual premiership player for Adelaide.
Premiership glory: Coach Malcolm Blight and the Crows celebrate their 1998 grand final victory. Photo: Pat Scala
3. 'If it bleeds, we can kill it'
When you're about to face one of the most dominant juggernauts the game has ever seen, you need to reach deep into the bag of tricks to try to secure an unlikely victory. That's exactly what Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews did in the lead-up to his team's engagement with Essendon in round 10, 2001. To that point, the Bombers had won 32 of their previous 34 games – including the 2000 premiership – and the Lions were limping along with a modest 4-5 win-loss record. So how to boost confidence? Quote Arnold Schwarzenegger of course! Matthews said of Essendon, "If it bleeds, we can kill it" – a line Arnie used in the movie Predator. And it did the trick as Brisbane recorded a comfortable 28-point victory. Little did Matthews know that his humble quote would not only spark a 20-game winning streak, but also a historic three-peat of premierships for the club.
Matthews' quote sparked a 20-game winning streak for the Lions. Photo: Paul Harris
4. Here's mud in your eye
The 1989 season coincided with a very wet winter and before North Melbourne's encounter with Fitzroy at a sodden Princes Park in round 11, Kangaroos coach John Kennedy ordered his men to acclimatise to the conditions by rolling around and sliding in the mud before the match. The Roos went on to win a low-scoring affair 6.13 (49) to 1.8 (14) in what was also the great Wayne Carey's debut game.
FSuccessful strategy: John Kennedy.
5. Brisbane Bears boxing barrage
Robert Walls arrived at Carrara as Brisbane coach in 1991 and during his first season in charge of the Bears, the Carlton legend became fed up with the attitude of one of his players, Shane Strempel. Walls wanted to teach Strempel a lesson, so during a training session arranged for eight of his biggest players to take turns at having two-minute boxing rounds with him. The session left Strempel bloodied, bruised and with some chipped teeth.
Robert Walls took a tough approach with Shane Strempel. Photo: Wayne Ludbey
