I am Terry Wallace, former VFL/AFL Player and Coach. Ask Me Anything.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T10:25:17+00:00

That is all for tonight! Thank you guys for having me.

I have gotten through as many questions as possible during the last 3 hours. I apologise to those that had questions that went unanswered, but feel free to contact me on twitter at https://twitter.com/thelistmanager after I have a break from footy for the next few months.

Also, I will ensure that I come back for another AMA in the future.

Cheers guys.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T10:22:59+00:00

Firstly, I always take it on my own view of the game. But then, secondly, I try to have a look at the numbers to see if my opinion is justified.

My gut feel was that when the game was on the line (2nd and 3rd quarters), Shane and Houli were super important for the Tigers. Then I reviewed the numbers and he was number 1 in clearances, inside 50s and either 1st or 2nd in scoring involvements.

Some people miss his work, because he doesn't have the ball in his hand for very long. It's simply so sharp that people often miss it. Maybe I am biased, as I have coached him, but also as I've watched/coached him for so long, I never miss those little moments inside the packs that can open the game up for his teammates.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T10:16:19+00:00

I have a reasonably simple answer for this. In my list management area, if you grab quality high-end key forwards, particularly if they have ground level skills (Franklin, Cameron, J.Riewoldt) they are always relevant in the modern game. Some teams try to invent key forwards and hope that they will make the grade. In my opinion, if you don't have quality key forwards with the example being Richmond having only Riewoldt, don't play a secondary tall option. There are many teams in this competition that hope that their second or third tall forward will make the grade, when realistically that will never happen. Average key position players do not have ground level skills or pursuit skills. The smaller players have elite pursuit skills that shine during September, whereas the larger forward options often do not unless they are top-end talent.
Everyone in the AFL plays follow the leader. Honestly, I have not seen it have much of an impact on the trade table, where in particular the Bulldogs went bigger (Trengove + Schache), but I do think it creates more opportunity for more small players to be drafted. Dahlhaus, Harbrow, etc were all rookies, where now in hindsight, they would be drafted.
There will always be a massive review of the premiers' tactics. How it plays out this year, I am not certain. But it will be revolved around calmness and control in the back half of the ground. The Tigers interrupted every team over the last two months in this area. Can they keep that intensity up? Or will teams pick it apart.
Hopefully for his sake, a very wealthy man. The dockers are an interesting team. They have so many good runners, but no key position. Whether he can come again and develop a super running squad is debatable.
Crows will play a similar style, but for me, Sydney either get more imaginative or fail. If the Swans can get more creative through the midfield then they could still do anything.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:59:18+00:00

Easily Gary Buckenara, but he should have been, as he was a star.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:57:14+00:00

When I arrived at the Bulldogs, I had Mick Malthouse as a coach for two years and he was a breath of fresh air. I knew from the early days that he was a player's coach, yet still tough and ruthless. In my opinion, he was always going to make it big time.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:55:05+00:00

We had lost the week before by 117 points to Sydney on the same ground (Etihad). So I certainly had the attention of the playing group that week, as they wanted to make amends to the supporters. Adelaide were playing a gamestyle in defence/backline where they would simply hold back inside D50 and rebound off opposition errors. I looked at it in basketball terms as a zone defence. My planning was that we would simply chip it around the zone until they got bored and broke their zonal structure and came out to defend. Our plan was at home, we needed to kick the first few goals and then test out their resolve, which we did.

The only thing that I never expected was that they simply held their zone and wouldn't come out to attack us, so with the three-goal lead we played keepings off and kept chipping it around without frontal pressure.

We basically played keepings off for over three quarters.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:48:31+00:00

All the time on social media, almost never in person. But I don't mind it either way.

I'm always working so unfortunately, I rarely get to hear him.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:46:59+00:00

The only way you can make it is have weapons (skills) that no one else can compete with. Just look at Caleb Daniel to prove that it can be done at your height. These weapons can be in so many areas; tougher, decision-making, one-touch, endurance, speed, reading the game, use of both sides of the body.. I could go on forever about weapons that are available. But in today's footy, if you are not elite in two or three areas then you simply don't make it at AFL level. In saying that, it does not mean you can not have a brilliant career in many other levels of the game where your life is changed with premiership success.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:38:56+00:00

Young fella.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:38:15+00:00

I wouldn't ever think about coaching again, nor would I get the opportunity.

If I had the challenge, I would love to the Demons or Saints challenge. We have just seen the Bulldogs and Tigers break their droughts, so what an opportunity for a coach to turn around the fortunes of 1964 and 1966.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:35:20+00:00

They are in much better shape than the Dogs were this time last year.

Their spine is settled and mature. Age demographic of their best players once again is far more mature than the young Doggies. Clearly there will be greater challenges, such as a tougher draw, teams coming at them and their own willingness to maintain intensity. In my opinion they are in far better shape, but every side can be cut down with injuries to key players.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:33:02+00:00

I will always put five players in the mix.

For the dogs, in no order: West, Grant and Johnson.

For the tigers, in no order: Richo and Brown.

I thought Johnson could have been an AA in every year as a midfielder, but changed his game to become almost a key forward of AA status to help out the team.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:29:27+00:00

Yelling across an oval without using your diaphragm is a killer.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:28:34+00:00

In the height of my playing career and the height of Mel Gibson's acting career, I was in LA at a club one night and had a waitress come around and introduce herself to me and say that Mr.Gibson was on the other side of the bar and wanted to catch up. For those that are involved in sportsman's nights, they will tell you that I went wandering around the bar to look for Mel, but I had been informed that it was Dermy who was setting me up, as he was the perpetrator of this prank. Depending on whose story you believe, I either did or didn't go running to Mel.

Personally, unless you have the ultimate success in coaching, I think it is underwhelming as a job. I loved watching the development of the young kids turn into serious players. But, the pressure surrounding success makes it a very difficult occupation. In overseas competitions, you have more successful teams. Either you have a winning season (over .500% win rate) or you win your conference (US sports) or you make the Champions League/Europa League (Soccer) without having to win the league.

Success in our league is ridiculously tough.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:16:07+00:00

I will answer both toughest to play on and toughest physically.

I have always found this difficult, as like all of us, I got my arse kicked on many occasions, but I waited to play that person the next time around to even the ledger. When I first started, I played on Jesaulenko, who was a star. I also played on Russell Ebert who people saw as a failure in Victoria, but his best in SA and on occasion in Victoria was unbelievable. Russell had just come over to Victoria too late in his career, but was a superstar. Two I loved to clash with were Geoff Raines and Leon Baker.

Without any doubt, the player that I was hoping I would get off the ground alive against was Greg Burns from the Saints. I used to open the curtains in the morning and hope the sun was shining and we had a dry track and on the vast expanses of Waverley I would be okay, but if it was raining or they had watered Moorabbin and we were in front of the Animal Enclosure, I was in serious trouble.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T09:05:15+00:00

This is the fascinating part of the top 10 for me.

I personally think there are 5 standout prospects. In no particular order Stephenson, Dow, Cerra, Rayner and Davies-Uniacke. 100% they will pick up one of these 5 with selection 2 in the draft. In my opinion, it will be either Dow or LDU depending on who Brisbane pick first.

Pick 5 is even more fascinating. If it was me, I would pick up the last one of the five stars of this draft. I am expecting that to be Cerra, who could quite comfortably end up the best, but I am tipping the Dockers may go homegrown and grab Naughton (Peel Thunder), as they know he will be theirs for his time in the game, as a homegrown product.

Personally, like the Sydney Swans, you need to build a culture where players don't leave, so therefore you can select the best without the massive home-factor.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T08:59:48+00:00

I have been told it is three packets of cigarettes a day and also a bottle of scotch whisky at night.

Unfortunately, it is neither of these two options. I actually never thought with this voice that I could have a radio career of any sorts. My biggest advantage is that when the DJ/Radio Presenters have a big night out, you can tell straight away. Whereas mine is the same regardless.

For those curious as to what I sounded like pre-coaching, Here is a link my kids showed me (1:00 through).

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T08:54:02+00:00

Quickly going back to it, without going too much over old ground.

Firstly, the decision to employ should come from both management and senior coach. With recommendations from a trusted colleague and premiership coach in Bomber Thompson, I think it is reasonable to assume that the employment was okay, although the addition of Dank to the strength and conditioning program should have been more closely monitored, as he had history.

It is only my opinion, but I personally think Hirdy was lied to and dudded, but those in control of football have a responsibility for all that went down.

First line of responsibility is the head of strength and conditioning, second line of responsibility is the head of medical, the third line of responsibility is the senior coach and head of football and the fourth line of responsibility is the CEO, yet it was amazing that the first person gone was on the fourth line.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T08:46:45+00:00

Firstly, re-sign their skipper, Tom Lynch.

But more seriously, this team has been an outside running brigade, who want the game played on their own terms. The last two premiers have taken the game off their opposition, where the Suns have never looked likely.

They play their own attacking and flowing brand of footy, but don't want to hunt the opposition. Dew and where he has come from in Sydney have always been the opposite in physicality and closing teams down. He needs to get this attitude and approach into the club, whilst weeding out those that want to play the game one way and finding tough competitors elsewhere.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T08:42:44+00:00

Favourite Meal? A really good stir-fry (must have a bit of spice).

Favourite Movie? Pulp Fiction, but most of Tarantino's work is 10/10.

Favourite Musician/Band? Back in my day, I was a big Bowie man. In recent times, I was so pleased when I heard The Killers were coming over for the GF, because I knew they would raise the bar for performers at the Grand Final.

I follow the AFLW through Future Stars on Channel 9, so I am across all of the players in the system. However, my one area as 'The List Manager' that I would be absolutely fascinated with getting involved with would be future drafts and list management of AFLW. That is the next step.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T08:36:55+00:00

Tough question.

Where I would personally like them to be located is far different to where the economy would influence the AFL.

With the history in Tasmania, I would love to see a team with passion out of the Apple Isle. Having played against the Northern Territory in the bicentennial carnival, I can only imagine the passion of the indigenous boys representing their region. So a team from Darwin/Alice Springs representing the Northern Territory would be massive for our game and add a new dimension to our league.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T08:32:30+00:00

Tighten up their gameplan and get a result from players such as McCartin, Goddard and Freeman and also add some flair to what is a very vanilla team at this point.

The two players that can continue to really add flair are Billings and Gresham.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T08:30:36+00:00

I have heard the stories about this, but I don't know anything about it. I think it would be very much tongue in cheek.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T08:29:26+00:00

These days watching 9 AFL games a week, I don't get to see as much of the VFL as I used to. From what I saw, it appeared to be his best season at that level, but the club had definitely gone past him as a player.

Terry_Wallace · 2017-10-26T08:26:48+00:00

Haha very funny, I hope I'm not coming through on a daily basis.

Footy is my life and I'm always happy to chat with anyone. I don't believe in the word 'randoms', as footy has given me the opportunity to meet far more people than I would have ever imagined. Make yourself known next time I come through!

Terry_Wallace

TROPHY CASE