Eade candidate for Magpies role: Dare
RESPECTED Queensland football identity Norm Dare says Collingwood should consider Rodney Eade for the potential director of coaching role at the Magpies.
Collingwood are understood to be open to bringing someone in for the position as part of a football department restructure following their decision to re-sign coach Nathan Buckley on a new two-year deal.
Mastercoach Paul Roos has already been linked to the role but Queensland AFL coach of the century Dare believed sacked Suns coach Eade would be the perfect fit.
Eade was Collingwood’s football and coaching strategist in 2012 – Buckley’s first year as coach – and director of football in 2013.
The club made it to a preliminary final (2012) and elimination final (2013) and Eade and Buckley still share a good relationship.
Dare said Eade’s rapport with Buckley and his knowledge of the game made him a perfect candidate.
“The fact he has worked with Buckley before would certainly put him in good stead,” Dare said.
“He knows what Buckley is like and Buckley would know what he is like.
“Certainly his time at Collingwood was pretty well spent and his experience is very hard to come by.
“He would be monitoring all the coaches and helping all of them. I think he would be an ideal candidate for it. I think it would suit him.”
Dare was coach of the Brisbane Bears in 1990 when he convinced Eade he had the makings of a top coach.
Eade and Mark Williams became the club’s reserves coaches that year.
Eade led the Bears reserves to a 1991 flag and became an assistant at North Melbourne a year later before stints as head coach at Sydney and the Bulldogs.
He then took on the Gold Coast role in 2015, where he linked up with Dare again this year when the latter became his matchday assistant.
Eade has voiced his desire to stay involved with the game and it is understood he and wife Wendy are planning on moving back to Melbourne at the end of this year.
Dare said Eade and Buckley could have the same success Carlton’s director of coaching Neil Craig has had with young coach Brendan Bolton at the Blues.
Craig joined Carlton at the end of 2015 when Bolton was named to head up a new coaching panel and the duo have formed a strong partnership at the club.
It’s been three weeks since Eade left Gold Coast but Dare said it wasn’t too soon for the 59-year-old coach to move into another position.
“A job would never be too soon,” Dare said.