Geelong list boss Andrew Mackie on the recruiting and coaching philosophies

Geelong list boss Andrew Mackie on the recruiting and coaching philosophies

After losing the 2020 grand final to Richmond, Geelong was at a crossroads. The list choices made then have paid off and now the Cats have no plans to bottom out. Here’s how they do it.

The secret to Geelong’s recruiting pitch is perhaps in Andrew Mackie’s phone.

When the Cats’ list boss sits down with potential recruits they discuss on-field roles and opportunity, game style, and the way Geelong operates.

But for a club which refuses to overpay players or wheel-out seven-year deals, the killer blow could be in Mackie’s contacts.

Rather than take his word for it, Mackie urges prospective recruits to give Tom Stewart a buzz about the club, or phone Patty Dangerfield and Tom Hawkins.

Have a coffee with Mitch Duncan.

For all the talk about the key to Geelong’s recruiting success being the salty elixir of its geographical location close to Bells Beach, the Cats have a different view.

To them, it’s what happens inside the corridors at the Cattery – rather than its proximity to the coastline – which makes all the difference in its mission to stay at the top.

On the last weekend in September, Geelong produced one of the most dominant grand final performances of recent times to win a flag few saw coming two years earlier when Richmond toppled Chris Scott’s men in the 2020 decider at the Gabba.

Back then, the popular view was this mighty Cats’ team was slowing down, if not coming to an end altogether after a remarkable 15-year run.

Amid some robust meetings to determine the club’s next step, the Cats doubled down on their veteran list, albeit with eight changes between the 2020 and 2022 Grand final sides.

What they did – snaring Cairns’ product Jack Bowes plus pick 7, as well as locals Tanner Bruhn and Oliver Henry – sparked fears about the league’s “broken” equalisation system.

But it’s how they do it – without the whopping pay cheques – that continues to confound rivals.

In those meetings with recruiting targets, Mackie says the discussion always comes back to the Cats’ culture, and a coaching philosophy drawn from the top of world tennis.

“We speak about the program a lot and it is all off the back of Scotty’s philosophies and how to get the best out of athletes,” Mackie said.

“So he is in America now talking to some people to build on that because he is a believer that we don’t need the players (at the club) for too long.

“We want to be succinct and sharp when they’re here, and get them to work, but Scotty wants to give them time (outside of the club).

“That has some risk. You definitely want to have some structure around the younger ones. But, really, what we want to do is let the players drive their careers, and empower them.

“Scotty talks about Roger Federer and how he is the one who appoints his staff. They are there for Roger.

“So, what is the opposite to micromanagement?

“The coaches might have a few things to focus on each week, but for the most part they’re saying ‘How can we help you?

“So when we are sitting down with prospective players, we say don’t take my word for it. We say ‘Call the other players and ask them to talk about it’.”

Clearly, the Cats had one eye on Tasmania’s new team when they brought in two second-year players (Oliver and Bruhn), a top-10 pick from 2016 (Bowes) and their highest pick (seven) in the national draft since Joel Selwood in 2006.

They are the first major signs of a youthful replenishment at Geelong after adding veterans Jeremy Cameron, Shaun Higgins and Isaac Smith in addition to Max Holmes in 2020.

After the loss to the Tigers in that year’s grand final at the Gabba, the Cats faced a crossroads of sorts when they sat down for some crucial talks about the list.
RISK OVER REBUILD

What were their biggest problems, and how do they fix them?

The spine was OK, but the Cats decided they needed more run (Holmes and Smith), future replacements for Harry Taylor and Lachie Henderson as backline pillars (Sam De Koning and Zach Guthrie), and a lethal stay-close-to-goal small forward to fill some missing links (Tyson Stengle).

But looking forward, it is clear Geelong does not want to go down the path of a mass rebuild, which can wipe out clubs for years.

For the Cats’ list management committee, calculated risks trump full-on rebuilds.

And if the wheels ever start to wobble, Geelong loads up on player support.

That is how Tim Kelly polled 24 Brownlow Medal votes in his second year at Geelong after his trade request was knocked back and why Stengle went from the AFL scrapheap to All-Australian in one year in the hoops.

While Geelong’s continual success may frustrate rivals, the Cats have no plan to bottom out.

“What we do know is this competition is even, so if you make a binary decision to say, ‘We are rebuilding’ then that is potential pain for a long time,” Mackie said.

“What’s the point of being conservative and safe?

“We could do that. But we are really open and OK to explore outside the norm. We have had to. If we see something like, we aren’t afraid to pull the trigger.”

Clearly, the Cats put a high value on competitiveness and flexibility of their players.

And despite the age profile of the list they still had 10 players aged 21 or under coming into this year – ranked sixth in the league.

Add to that Henry and Oliver (both 20) who step in for Cooper Stephens (traded to Hawthorn).

BALANCING THE BOOKS

Perhaps cheekily, there have been many barbs from onlookers about the Cats testing salary cap rules, as a way to pull off some of these recruiting moves.

The conspiracy theories on social media suggest the Cats fudge the books.

Rather, in contrast, the beauty of the Cats’ payment structure might be the discipline they show, the game’s top managers say.

They are bargain hunters, rather than big spenders.

Under recruiting legend Stephen Wells, chief executive Steve Hocking, football boss Simon Lloyd and Scott and Mackie, the Cats are happier to walk away from a bloated deal than to cave-in.

Mackie says the Cats set firm boundaries, and don’t blink.

“If it is a decision around money we are OK to miss out, and we have shown that before,” he said.

“We have got parameters and boundaries in which we do things.

“If it goes outside of that, we are more than happy to walk away and not be apples for apples (on contract terms) and shake hands and say ‘That’s fine’.

“We don’t get emotional about it.

“The geographical stuff (close to coast) which everyone talks about works for us and against us, because we have had a lot of people say to us as well that ‘The city is more my go’.

‘Then some others say ‘We like the lifestyle down here’.

“What we have been able to show is a consistency in our approach and the way we go about things.

“That I think appeals to players. The program, the environment and culture, it is what we are.

“I have been in it for 20 years, it is the only AFL club I know. I don’t know any other way.

“But we don’t under pay our players.”

That is not to say the internal conversations aren’t testing.
TOUGH TALKS

Mackie, a three-time premiership player and All-Australian who played 280 games, had an interest in list management throughout the early part of his career, often drifting into Wells’ office to talk shop.

Trust built, and in 2021, Mackie helped take over from arguably the game’s greatest recruiter of the modern era.

With 30 minutes remaining before last Wednesday’s trade deadline, Mackie and Collingwood’s Graham Wright began to finally find common ground on the Henry deal, as the Cats handed over pick 25 and inside midfielder Stephens to clinch the deal.

Mackie says tough conversations at the club in list management committee meetings prepared him for negotiations with rival list managers.

“It is not for everyone. I’m still learning but it helps having conviction about why you have landed on a certain judgment or decision you think you want to follow through on,” he said.

“At the club, it has got to be a safe haven for everyone to speak openly (in list meetings).

“We have people with strong opinions and personalities and if you can get through those meetings you are well placed.

“Ultimately, we work well together, we keep each other accountable, and we are going to keep trying to probe what mechanisms the AFL give us to get the best outcomes.”