Almost a decade gone from the cutthroat business of AFL coaching, Kevin Sheedy has thrown his support behind two Tasmanians in his one-time profession of 29 years.
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But the powerful words of encouragement could not be further apart in a year their fortunes went opposite ways.
For Chris Fagan, it's high praise. For Brendon Bolton, it's genuine empathy.
Sheedy believed Fagan's contribution to Brisbane remains underrated - despite the Queenstown 58-year-old guiding the Lions to the finals this year for the second time since 2004.
In Fagan's third year at the helm, Brisbane went from five victories to 16.
"The coach of Brisbane is one of the greatest stories of AFL right now," Sheedy said.
"I don't think he has been ever written up as the greatest AFL story, but he is.
"He never played a game of AFL either, like Bolton.
"[Fagan] was knocking on the door of a grand final. I mean what a great effort."
Fagan spent nine seasons at Melbourne and a further nine at Hawthorn before the Lions appointed the long-time assistant coach.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT
Sheedy felt Bolton, who is 18 years Fagan's junior, was cast away and doomed to fail in his three-and-a-half years at Carlton before being axed.
"He's a young coach to be discarded," Sheedy said.
"Most coaches in soccer and those NFL in America are in their fifties and sixties. [Alex] Ferguson is a great example - as is the coach of Brisbane."
Bolton has returned to Hawthorn as an assistant to Alastair Clarkson - the job that earned the former North Launceston coach his AFL introduction via Box Hill.
"The best coach at the moment is probably Alastair Clarkson and he started as a runner," Sheedy said. "It's a pretty good place to start."
Sheedy, who had been the assistant in Richmond's 1980 premiership side the season after he quit playing, felt he was a better coach years later.
The Bombers coach won the first two of four flags after just his fourth year.
"You don't learn much early. I made mistakes and you'll make those mistakes, but you'll come back better the next time," Sheedy said.
"I don't believe we should ever place an inexperienced coach in an AFL position unless you've done hard yards."
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