A former AFL coach says setting clear standards is the best way for country sporting clubs to thrive.
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Ex-Gold Coast Suns mentor and two-time West Coast premiership defender Guy McKenna spoke to south-west cricket coaches in Warrnambool on Monday night as part of his role with Cricket Victoria.
McKenna, who coached the Suns for four seasons, said tabling a plan pre-season helped organisations overcome obstacles and incidents smoothly.
"If it's a misdemeanour within the team, the team gets to deal with it, if it's a misdemeanour that is going to affect the club then the club needs to step in and if it's broader than that then the association will step in," he told The Standard.
"That is the level of it: 'understand, boys and girls, if you step across the line in these three regions, this is what it's going to do'.
"Sometimes clubs do it on the run rather than saying 'this is what we stand for, these are our expectations with training and games, after match, pre-match'.
"If you set all that stuff up from day-dot, everyone is aware of it, so when someone does step out of line, you can sit them down and talk through it and educate them if need be."
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McKenna, who crossed to Cricket Victoria in 2017 after a stint at Essendon as an assistant coach, said his 30 years in elite sport had taught him of its complexities.
"I don't ever think there is one right or wrong answer because the scenarios change with players and coaches and scenarios in games," he said.
"I think coaches have to be adaptable to all of those.
"With issues bubbling around in elite sport at the moment, I think it's very important coaches at any level, whether it's cricket, football, netball, or soccer, understand they have to be a good role model to players, supporters and parents."
McKenna said while football and cricket shared some similarities, they were contrasting sports.
The 267-game Eagle believes cricket is starting to understand the importance of fitness and recovery.
"Footy is played within 120 minutes at the elite level and the cricketers are quite unique because they don't have an actual season, off-season, pre-season," he said.
"They go from tournament to tournament and the Australian cricket side, they can tour for nine months of the year and they go from different formats.
"It is unique but I think they are starting to understand that their body is their vessel to get them through a career.
"The 1980s and 1990s' players are understanding that now. If you looked at the body shape of the cricketers of the 1990s and even the early 2000s and compare it to now you can see they're athletes."
McKenna's coaching and talent specialist role with Cricket Victoria has opened his eyes to the resilience of country-based juniors hoping to take their careers to the next level.
He's worked with Vic Country at under 15 and under 19 age groups.
"The fact they get brought up on rougher wickets actually helps them - one to bowl better and for the batters to actually be able to withstand that," he said.
"When they get on a truer deck, their batting is enhanced."
But football remains a constant in McKenna's life.
He pays attention to the trends, saying "the AFL are still leaders in areas of sport whether it's administration, umpiring, coaching or club land".
Geelong is his tip for the 2019 premiership with Greater Western Sydney Giants, with South Warrnambool's Leon Cameron at the helm, his pick for runner-up.
"The Giants haven't clicked fully but I think if they get their tails up and on firm decks later in the year I reckon they can get their game to another level," McKenna said.
"If they stay fit and healthy they probably play in their first grand final."
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