All-Australian selections are judged on performances across the home-and-away season. So should be the game’s top coach. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has taken his team into premiership calculations. Credit:AAP Simpson, Buckley and Clarkson have all taken sides into this season’s final top four against expectations when pre-season projections are further considered. They have also all endured through adversity of losing key components to dreaded injury curses and managed to regenerate their groups to stay firmly in contention for double-chance finals finishes against mounting odds.

Simpson’s coaching performance has further credentials when Eagles travel requirements is factored. He has transformed an Eagles unit from pre-season anticipation of missing finals altogether to claim a critical home-town double chance second finish, while Buckley has survived a whopping succession of injuries to key components to grab third. Simpson has also evolved as head coach from a horrid finals departure last September when West Coast was pummelled by Greater Western Sydney at Spotless by 11 goals a week after his Eagles survived in a historic overtime two-point after-the-siren win over Port Adelaide on the road. This time last year, Buckley was under siege to even hold his spot as head coach. The Pies playing great was extended a two-year coaching contract extension with apparent provision to make finals this season.

Even just making it into the final eight would probably have justified a top mentor of the season qualification and yet Buckley has led his Pies into third and an engagement with West Coast in a bid to snatch a direct passage into a home ground preliminary final. Buckley has had to engineer his Pies into third spot on the back of 15 wins while contending with a succession of injuries to crucial defenders Lynden Dunn, Ben Reid, and Tyson Goldsack, big man Darcy Moore as well as versatile ball-winners and goal-finishers Adam Treloar, Jamie Elliott, Alex Fasolo and Daniel Wells. Clarkson’s accomplishment as the most decorated and respected coach in the business is somewhat as surprising as it is remarkable. Alistair Clarkson has taken his team back into the top eight. The four-time Hawks premiership architect tumbled back out of finals last season for the first time in eight years.

His rejuvenation was not widely tipped to stride straight back into final eight calculations, let alone a snatching fourth spot with 15 wins. In particular, Clarkson’s Hawks surged up the ladder from 10th after a round 15 narrow loss to Greater Western Sydney at Spotless Stadium, to snatch seven wins from their last eight engagements including knocking over powerhouse units Geelong and Sydney in the last month. Clarkson has history on his side as the most decorated coach of the official AFL era. It could be argued that it’s within expectation that the gifted and uncompromising Clarkson should indeed rebuild his impressive Hawks organisation rapidly. That shouldn’t discount his potential for distinct recognition to his achievement.

He thoroughly deserves accolade for his outstanding 2018 season, which includes significant victories in typical Clarkson-coached Hawthorn styles over other flag rivals across the home-and-away series. Buckley’s claims to any top recognition for his coaching achievement suffers slightly through his Pies making third without a qualifying victory over another top eight outfit apart from Melbourne in the traditional Queen’s Birthday lone weekend clash in June. And Simpson’s West Coast staggered straight out of 10 successive wins to sit a game ahead of reigning champions Richmond after round 11 and lost their next three and into five defeats form their last 11 appointments but still held second. Injury losses of superstar Nic Naitanui at the 18 minute mark of the second term in the Eagles impressive MCG victory over the Pies in round 17, powerhouse goal sneak Josh Kennedy being limited to just 11 outings as well as key forward Jack Darling missing four games yet West Coast remain serious flag chances. Simpson’s achievement needs further consideration with the Eagles heavy travel requirements.

As well, he as clearly refined a playing style at a new venue, albeit that the 60,000 season Perth stadium has become an imposing cauldron for the home side in making an unexpected flag tilt. To declare one of these three Coach-of-the-Year candidates is a tough ask. It’s what the All-Australian selectors should have been asked to declare. So, for the sake of this belief that the best coach should be acknowledged along with top team of the year? Simpson is probably marginally in front of Buckley and Clarkson’s achievements this season.