Troy Chaplin won’t be throwing his hat into the ring for Melbourne’s top job, at least not this time.
The Demons' assistant, who stepped in as caretaker coach after Simon Goodwin’s sacking, has confirmed he won’t apply for the full-time role despite his long-term ambition to be a senior coach.
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Chaplin, who has been part of Melbourne’s coaching setup since 2016, said he had already spoken to the club’s hierarchy and made the call mutually.
‘History says caretaker coaches don’t get that role’
“I have spoken to the club and I won’t be pursuing the role, but I certainly have aspirations to be a senior coach one day,” Chaplin said. “To be able to lead a program with Richo [Alan Richardson] over the next three weeks is a great opportunity; I am looking forward to it.”
Chaplin acknowledged that the search for a “new voice” was already underway, but stressed he remained committed to making the most of his short stint in charge, especially with Melbourne’s finals hopes hanging by a thread.
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“It was both, I went and spoke to them – history says caretaker coaches don’t get that role,” he said. “But they know I’m an aspiring head coach as well, so they gave me the opportunity to lead the program for the next three weeks.”
With clashes against the Bulldogs, Hawthorn and Collingwood still to come, Chaplin said fans could expect “consistency” but hinted at some personnel shake-ups, particularly for younger players knocking on the door.
“We’ll probably maybe throw the magnets around a little bit,” he said. “But in terms of game style, with three weeks to go, it’s very hard to change anything.”