THE AFL Coaches Association supports the idea of an accreditation system that would require coaching candidates to have a licence before being appointed to a senior role.

But its CEO Danny Frawley said what experience and qualification might be required to earn such a licence is yet to be debated.

He indicated that the idea, proposed by Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson when he fronted the AFL Commission in Sydney on Monday, was a long-term project that was already being discussed among coaches.

"We just want to make sure that in time, we have come up with some form of accreditation," Frawley told AFL.com.au.

Clarkson's proposal was presented at a meeting between the League and the AFLCA in November last season.





The AFLCA has been meeting with coaches since December to discuss ways to improve the process of appointing senior coaches. The matter will be discussed further at the association's annual general meeting in Adelaide on March 5.

It has been on the association's agenda for some time but has gained urgency in light of the Essendon's supplements saga that led to James Hird being suspended for 12 months.





Three coaches were dismissed during 2013, one resigned and another handed over the job to a successor. Six new coaches will be in place in the opening round of 2014.

Many in the industry have also expressed concern at the significant amount of money paid out to sacked coaches. Conservative estimates suggest that $5 million has been lost to the game as clubs pay out contracts for those dismissed before their tenure is over.

Between Matthew Knights' sacking on August 29, 2010 and the dismissal of Scott Watters in November last year, a coach was sacked on average, every 129 days.

Clarkson is the only current coach from 2009 who remains at the club he was coaching that season.

AFL.com.au understands that more than one coach shares Clarkson's concern and are worried about the methodology clubs use to make appointments.

One prominent coach believes boosting funding to enable better pay for TAC Cup and state league coaches would encourage former players to begin coaching at that level rather than at an AFL club.

Frawley said the association had been aware for some time that a more robust system of selecting coaches was needed and "getting an iconic figure to come and lead you to the 'promised land' is just about a thing of the past."

The issue is not only causing concern because of the potential damage being done to the game but also the negative impact on the brand of those people appointed before they are ready.

Frawley said that appointing people to the position of senior coach before they had gained the experience necessary to do the job "put them in a position to fail".

He said the association hoped a working party could be put in place to see what pathways could be set up for coaches, one that limited the risk of people being overwhelmed by the job.



An AFL spokesperson said the League believed the [licence] idea had merit and will continue initial discussions with the AFLCA.



Frawley also said the culture at some clubs needed to change, with successful clubs supporting coaches with an experienced football manager, board representative and CEO.

However he said there was no set formula on what a coach needed to do before becoming a coach and that several successful senior coaches followed different paths. It meant developing a licence was complex.

"We don't want a birthdate on when you should coach," Frawley said.

The average age of coaches has risen from 38 to 44 in the past four seasons as more clubs recognise the value of experience in coaching and the number of staff and players coaches are responsible for managing.