North Melbourne great David King believes Sydney coach John Longmire needs to be in the conversation for the best coach in the AFL.
After being appointed senior coach of the Swans in 2011, Longmire has led the club through an incredibly successful period, winning 62.9 per cent of games and only missing finals twice under his helm.
Now a genuine premiership chance only two seasons removed from a 16th place finish, King believes Longmire should receive consideration as the game’s best coach.
“I want to throw one name at you that never gets mentioned when this comes up, it’s always (Alastair) Clarkson, Chris Scott,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“John Longmire, what he’s been able to do with this Sydney Swans team so fast, they’re ahead of time by, most would say 18 months, this young team rebuilt.”
For King, it’s the effectiveness of Sydney’s simple game plan that impresses him the most.
“Most of (Sydney’s) tactics are pretty basic aren’t they, it’s all referenced from your own opponent,” he said.
“You’ve basically got an opponent and you play goal side, you play ball-use side, play the percentage, where the ball is likely to go, you reference your position off your man.
“In terms of that game in motion, there’s not a lot of tactics required.”
SEN Chief Sports Reporter Sam Edmund agrees with King, crediting Longmire’s pre-game preparation for his success.
“He coaches from the bench John Longmire, now he’s not making the sharpest tactical decisions from the boundary line,” he said.
“So all of that is set up during the week and he defers to others on game day to do that sort of stuff, with his consultation.
“He has to be (in the conversation for best coach), I’m a massive John Longmire fan.”
Despite giving plenty of credit to his tactical mind, Edmund is most impressed by Longmire’s commitment to the club culture.
“When I hear the name John Longmire, there’s a word that comes to mind straight away: culture,” he said.
“It’s been so good for so long at that club, he served under Paul Roos, he took over from Paul Roos, it was seamless.
“Coaching handovers have never worked basically, but they bloody worked up there, and everyone is on the same page.
“The buy-in is incredible, the way he is able to harness all the individuals, there was the famous ‘no dickhead’ policy going back over the journey.
“They are an incredible club off the field the way they are able to tie it all together, I think that’s the art.
“(Culture) is the essence of coaching at the moment.”
John Longmire’s Swans will face their biggest test for the year in Saturday’s Preliminary Final, taking on the Magpies at the SCG.