The unintentional - but highly entertaining - consequence of having a nonsensical week off before the finals start is that the AFL's silly season has begun much earlier than normal.
Justin Leppitsch is gone at Brisbane and the AFL seems hell bent on replacing him with a coach with level four accreditation, which seems a bit of a contradiction given Brett Montgomery, currently in the process of taking that course, recently got his marching orders from the Western Bulldogs. But hey, maybe that's just me.
There are two clear messages out of the Lions' coaching search: 1) have, or be in the process of getting, your level four and 2) be Victorian.
The AFL website ran a story today identifying 24 possible candidates for the Brisbane gig. You can read it for yourself here but I can tell you one name that isn't in it but should be - and that's Peter Sumich (although, curiously, Justin Longmuir gets a mention).
Sumich should have plenty of boxes ticked for a job like this. He's coached a team in his own right (South Freo, to a grand final). He's been a high-level assistant during very successful eras at two AFL clubs (West Coast and Fremantle). He's doing the level four. And I know for a fact he'd be keen on the job.
But he won't get a look in because, well, he's not in the purple circle. Adam Kingsley, Montgomery, John Barker and John Blakey are all prime candidates while Suma will likely again be left without one of the main seats when the music stops.
We shouldn't be surprised, because this is silly season, where you can get the sack and find another job straight away, complete with a pay rise.
Take Travis Cloke for example. He hasn't played a decent season for Collingwood for about three years. The Western Bulldogs are potentially interested, Richmond have been mentioned in dispatches, Carlton might have a sniff and there's even been talk of him going to North Melbourne (personally, I can't see how this might happen, given North just culled a whole bunch of old blokes).
Cloke might never play at any of these places. He'd effectively be back-up at all of them. But for that he might take home $500,000 a year.
History will show you that if you're of decent size and can get somewhere close to walking and chewing gum at the same time, you'll find an AFL home and a decent pay packet. Mitch Clark and Graham Polak are evidence of that.
Fremantle wants to make Geelong's Shane Kersten a Docker but I'm told the Cats aren't having any of it. Don't believe any of the stories you hear about him being a potential straight-up swap for Hayden Ballantyne because that just isn't happening.
Ballantyne, out of contract at Freo after next season, is in trouble for mine - unless he has a really big 2017. I think he'd like three years at $500k a pop but nobody is going to give him that.
I'm told Alex Silvagni wants out of the Dockers and so does Garrick Ibbottson. One of Tendai Mzungu and Matt de Boer might survive, depending whether Ballantyne stays. But not both. Jesse Hogan, I'm led to believe, is still telling people he's planning on returning to Perth at the end of next year.
But beyond that it will be slim pickings for Fremantle. They had a dip at Marcus Adams from the Bulldogs but won't find any joy there. Kane Mitchell, who has just been delisted from Port Adelaide, is from WA and might be a valuable pick-up for either of the WA clubs (he runs all day and you need only look at what Sam Butler has done the past few weeks to see taggers still have value).
Days for Eric Mackenzie and Mitch Brown at West Coast are pretty obviously numbered. If Nathan Brown ends up at North Melbourne then you wouldn't rule out his twin brother joining him there.
Richmond mystifies me. How in the world Damien Hardwick keeps his job and five assistants gets sacked, including a premiership coach, is beyond me. I think Dustin Martin is the only Tigers player who is totally safe. Jack Riewoldt, Brett Deledio and even Trent Cotchin could all be had if the offer was right. Alex Rance shouldn't be going anywhere but the drums keep beating that he is unhappy.
At Brisbane I suspect Tom Rockliff is headed elsewhere. The most unbelievable story I've been presented with all week is the suggestion that he and Pearce Hanley did something wrong by going out for a beer hours after Leppitsch was sacked. What are they supposed to do the day after their season ends? Sit around the house like monks?
The most interesting fish in all the trade talk might still be Rory Lobb. I reckon both clubs are just about neck-and-neck in the race for him. I'm told GWS wants to sign him to a new contract as it pushes to win a flag in the next couple of years.
But West Coast could sorely do with another ruckman without Nic Naitanui. And Fremantle, taking into account Aaron Sandilands' age, is also minus a long-term big man.
What happens in this space will be fascinating to watch. Even when the finals eventually do start in a fortnight.
Hero of the week:
For a guy who headed west pretty much solely as back-up to Naitanui and Scott Lycett, Jonathan Giles did a pretty good impersonation of a No. 1 ruckman on Friday night against Adelaide. Reward for persistence.
Goat of the week:
He talked a big game but when you're busy heckling fans the way Bernard Tomic was, you're clearly not in the zone. No surprise he lost in the first round of the US Open.
Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm:
It's hard not to look at the revelations about the Lachie Whitfield integrity unit probe and think they weren't leaked in a bid to get at someone. The question then begs which other investigations are now going to see light of day. All of them? None?
Brad Hardie pens a weekly AFL column for WAtoday. You can also hear him on Radio 6PR Sports Today with Karl Langdon on weeknights from 6pm to 8pm
