Alex Blackman - Ready to coach a team?
Sean Phillip
The youngest list in the league and one of the most exciting, the TF XVIII, had a blistering start to the season, with a thumping of the Adelaide Crows. However, some cracks have begun to appear in this seemingly formidable new team.
The coach, who also manages to get a game in the centre every week with other players being rated as "better" (by various AFL analysts) failing to challenge him for this spot, is a young man by the name of Alex Blackman. No one doubts his football ability, or his football brains, but is he really ready for the huge position at the head of a football club?
The recent incident at the club, supposedly involving two players, has been shrouded in confusion, where no one truly knows what happened except for the players themselves. Another news report claimed the incident involved a certain "Rob" and "Nick", however a statement by Rob's agent claimed that there was infact a mix-up with the names, but he (Rob) would rather not elaborate.
Now, imagine you are coach of a football club, and there is a supposed "incident" involving two of your starting players. Would you leak a document to the press, and add fuel to the fire, lowering the public opinion of the club and the coach (indeed, unable to run the club effectively)? Or would you do everything in your power to keep this incident internal and keep it under control?
This is the dilemma Alex Blackman faced. It's clear the decision that he made may have moved the club a few steps backwards, and many doubts have arisen over whether Alex is fit to run the club.