THIS time last year, Troy Chaplin was playing for Richmond and part of a side plotting to gain the points over Melbourne.

Fast forward a year on and Chaplin is part of the red and blue team, attempting to notch up its fourth consecutive win over Richmond – and its third on ANZAC Day Eve.

Now in the coaches’ box, the former Port Adelaide and Richmond defender spoke to Matt Burgan about his role as offensive coordinator and what it was like coming up against his former team for the first time, where he played 75 of is 215 AFL games from 2004-16 ...

Coaching

Chaplin joined Melbourne in October 2016, after 13 senior AFL seasons. He was a highly-respected key defender who gave his all for the Power and Tigers.

During his playing days, Chaplin kept an eye on coaching, spending time with Sturt and Oakleigh Chargers. He also assisted Richmond in his last few months at Punt Rd.

Now, he’s in his first full season as an assistant coach and he’s loved the move.

“It’s been a great transition so far. Early days, it was a little bit draining mentally, because I was there doing what the boys were doing only three or four months earlier,” Chaplin told melbournefc.com.au.

“Standing around at training and not being involved, initially, was hard to deal with, but once I got my head around it, it wasn’t too bad.

“Now the season’s started, you’re into it flat out, so it takes your mind off it a bit. The good thing being a coach out of the game is that you can have a bit of fun and a kick around with the boys at training anyway, so it makes up for it.”

The role

Assistant coach. Tick. Looking after the forwards. Tick. Offensive coordinator. Tick.

But just what is the role of an offensive coordinator, particulary on match days?

“The role is offence all over the ground, so anytime we’ve got the footy, it’s not just looking after the forwards,” he said.

“I look after them on game day, but I’ve got to have the same role with the backs and mids on game day as well. If I feel like we’re getting held up, I’ve got to come up with plans in the box, so we can send messages down to the boys to try and improve our ball movement.

“If it’s all going well, we just let it play, so it’s something different, as I’ve been a defender my whole life. I’m really enjoying it and it’s the role Goody (Simon Goodwin) did last year, so he’s been really helpful and I’ve lent on him if there is a little bit of doubt.”

Who’s impressed?

Since joining the club, Chaplin says he’s found an appreciation for several players. And he highlighted a group of youngsters and senior types who had caught his eye. 

“Because I’ve been working with the forwards on game day, I’ve spent a fair bit of time with those guys,” he said.

“I’ve been impressed with some of the younger guys like Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver in the midfield. Sometimes you forget they’re only in their second or third year. You hold them in really high-regard as 50 to 100-game players, when they’re around the 20-game mark. For me, they’re only scratching the surface and have so much improvement. They’ve got the right attitude.

“Then there are the senior guys like Jack Viney, Jordie Lewis, Nathan Jones and Bernie Vince – I’ve been really impressed with them. When you come from a different club, you have perceptions about certain players, but when you get to deal with them one-on-one, it’s really hard to have a judgement.

“But I’ve been really impressed with the guys’ hunger and professionalism, and the amount of work they’re putting in off-field to improve themselves.”

Richmond of 2017

Given Richmond’s flying start to the season – four straight wins – after a frustrating 2016, Chaplin said he had noticed several improvements.

“It’s still early in the season, so it’s a tough one to know exactly where they stand, but you can’t take anything away from the way they’ve performed,” he said.

“They’re moving the ball more directly now. When I was there, it was more about working your way through it and using the ball by foot, whereas they’re leading the league in long kicks, so they’re willing to kick to a contest and get the ball going.

“They’re not mucking around with it as much, but it also brings their smaller, pressure players into the game, like Daniel Rioli, Dan Butler and Jason Castagna. They’ve had an impact and they’ve changed the way they’ve played in the past 12 months and their pressure now is really evident.

“They’ve certainly changed things, but it is hard to assess after four weeks, but you’ve got to give credit where credit is due. The reality is that they’re four [wins] and zero [losses].”

Facing the Tigers

Although he played 140 games with Port Adelaide, Chaplin’s final four seasons were with the yellow and black. And since he was still at the club less than a year ago, he has strong ties at Punt Rd.

Still, even he acknowledged that “so much had changed since I was there”.

“They’re playing a little bit differently and they’ve got some individual players that I know, who weren’t playing last year, but have come in and had an impact,” Chaplin said.

“You know what you’re going to get out of Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt, Shaun Grigg and Alex Rance – the senior guys – but it’s the younger guys who have come in and had a bit of an impact.”

Chaplin was pragmatic about coming up against his former team, but he said he would probably take a moment to soak it in on the night.

“It’s probably not going to hit me until the night of the game until we have our first warm-up and you start to look around. I’m tipping it’s going to be a big crowd and a monumental game,” he said.

“It’s a Richmond home game and they’re in good form as well, and we’ve been playing some good footy, but unfortunately we’ve dropped a couple as well. I think on Monday night, when the game comes around, that’s when it’ll hit me the most.

“But I’ve got a role to do now and I can’t get caught up in all of the emotion and I’ve got to step away from it and just concentrate on what I can do on the night and what I can control.”

ANZAC Day Eve

Although Chaplin was sidelined with a calf injury for the first of the recent ANZAC Day Eve clashes between the two sides, he managed to play in last year’s clash.

He said it was great occasion – despite playing in the loss – and ranked the game among the best on the AFL fixture.   

“Last year was the first and only time I played in it, but I think it’s a great way to recognise what previous people have done for the country,” Chaplin said.  

“It’s like any big game – you look at the Dreamtime at the ‘G, ANZAC Day clash between Collingwood and Essendon and then last week with the Good Friday game – I think they’re great for the game and the general public too.

“It’s an opportunity to acknowledge the people and what they’ve done for us throughout history. But then to be able to represent your club, your family and your supporters – I think it’s great.”

Chaplin said it was hard not to be moved by the occasion.

“The last three times, Melbourne has had the wood over Richmond and hopefully that continues on Monday. For me, it was just an unbelievable experience and a surreal one to play in last year’s game. The Last Post is something that sends tingles down your spine when you’re standing out there,” he said.

“The silence of the crowd, remembering those before us for that minute, certainly sends a shiver down your spine. You count yourself lucky when you get to play in these games.

“For our guys, it’s going to be something completely different – they wouldn’t have played in front of too many big crowds like the one we’re expecting. But I was fortunate to be able to do with Richmond, when we were successful for those years.”