Indigenous team of the century member Chris Johnson says the AFL is not ready for a "Rooney rule" that would accelerate diversity in elite coaching ranks.
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The triple premiership player and youth team coach who started as AFL Victoria diversity talent manager this month wholeheartedly supports the affirmative action philosophy. But Johnson has told Fairfax Media that Indigenous and multicultural background coaching numbers should be built at junior levels as a priority.
He has warned against major change for change's sake, saying that in order to be meaningful - and lasting – a "Rooney rule" for AFL clubs should follow only after significant and widespread grassroots advancements.
The so-called "Rooney rule" in America's National Football League, named after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, mandates every NFL team interview at least one 'minority' background candidate when recruiting for a coach or senior football operations post.
While Indigenous footballers have been legends of the Australian game, only eight Aborigines have filled senior or assistant coaching positions in VFL/AFL history. Of the AFL's current coaching crop Fremantle assistant Roger Hayden and Andy Lovell at the Gold Coast Suns stand alone as Indigenous faces.
"I don't think AFL clubs or the AFL are ready for the "Rooney rule" at this minute because there's not enough Indigenous coaches at hand at TAC Cup and under-18 level," Johnson said.
"Once we get, say, an Indigenous coach at each TAC Cup side and at a national under-18s level I think we'd be able to do that. But we've got to boost those numbers up first.
"I think what we need to start looking at is retiring players and what the transition is for them going into coaching.
"We need to build a core group, build the knowledge, build the experience; show that it's not so daunting."
Of the AFL setting on coaching recruitment, Johnson said: "Maybe the people hiring don't know we can actually be part of an AFL club like that and that we can do it."
Equally, Johnson said the task of elite AFL coaching needs to be demystified for potential candidates of Indigenous and multicultural backgrounds.
Johnson, with Terry Wallace and Xavier Clarke, has headed the Laguntas team for young Indigenous male players for the past three years.
The football, health, leadership and mentoring program designed to provide a better pathway to TAC Cup clubs for 16-19-year-old Indigenous boys, has groomed the likes of Jay Kennedy-Harris, Daniel Rioli and Jade Gresham who have now all made their senior debuts at AFL clubs.
Johnson is also assistant coach at Vic Metro but as a father of four kids under the age of 14 he has no immediate aims to pursue an elite level post.
"The Indigenous numbers were very, very low at TAC Cup level. That goes back to when I was playing, David Wirrpanda, Justin Murphy, it goes back to then," Johnson said.
"The Laguntas is changing that. It has helped TAC Cup managers understand the challenges that can stand in front of Indigenous players."
Critically, Johnson said the Laguntas program also helps restore the faith of some young Indigenous players - and their families - who had encountered what he called "bad experiences" at TAC Cup clubs.
Johnson said he was not referring to race-related experiences, but explained: "Families have been very gun-shy about getting their kids back involved at TAC Cup level, just because of stories they've heard, bad experiences that a cousin or a friend might have had. That's been the challenge of getting indigenous boys back into the system.
"Just experiences where they may not have been selected, or they might not have understood why, or perhaps where they've given an answer and they might have been laughed at. It's nothing much to do with the colour of the person but more about a football environment."
