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Jon Ralph | May 30, 2009
WELCOME to the new face of AFL headhunting.
For generations football clubs hired their coaches and senior administrators with little more than a wink, a nudge and a firm handshake.
In the past decade, Geoff Slade and Laurie Serafini have helped revolutionise AFL recruitment by head-hunting Andrew Demetriou, Brian Cook, Neil Balme, Cameron Schwab, Steven Icke and James Fantasia.
And with seven senior coaches out of contract at year's end, the pair are already talking with AFL clubs.
Slade, the founder of the Slade Group and former part-owner of the Sydney Swans, has joined former Fitzroy full-back and current Brisbane Lions board member Serafini to form football's leading recruiting partnership.
Slade hired AFL officials Demetriou, Ben Buckley, Ian Anderson and Ross Smith for then chief executive Wayne Jackson almost a decade ago, and the sports sector of his recruiting firm has exploded since.
If a club wants to hire a coach or senior administrator, Slade can have a short list of candidates within 48 hours.
Slade's recruiting department is constantly mapping the progress of many potential candidates, so if they don't already know you, you are probably in trouble.
"I am already in discussions with some of the clubs, the obvious clubs, to try to assist them in that role - to have a tight process, and the independent third party who can provide the interview skills to talk to the parties, and then, upon their direction, go through that process," Serafini said.
Slade said too many clubs fell into the mistake of choosing with only their heart.
"A lot of clubs make mistakes. It is such a passionate business, and clubs tend to hire with passion as well, and we can bring complete objectivity," Slade said.
It was revealed only when Leigh Matthews stepped down after last season that the Lions had met Michael Voss early that year to initiate succession planning. Serafini said clubs with out-of-contract senior coaches were undertaking similar discussions now.
"Privately, there would be a lot going on. It is a vital cog in the machine and you can't leave it until July 1 or after the Grand Final," Serafini said.
"There would be a lot of talking going on at those particular clubs. You are just trying to get your ducks in a row."
Coaches and administrators are increasingly being subjected to a battery of tests as part of the interview process.
"If a club knows they want one of three people, we can provide behavioural testing, personality testing, psychological testing. It's nice to know if a couple of red flags go up," Slade said.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25558636-19742,00.html
