Freshman AFL coaches Alan Richardson, Leon Cameron, Adam Simpson, Justin Leppitsch learn ropes fast The AFL's new coaches (from left) Leon Cameron, Alan Richardson, Adam Simpson and Justin Justin Leppitsch on the Gold Coast for the national draft. LEIGH Matthews, Kevin Sheedy, Robert Walls, Mick Malthouse, Denis Pagan, Alan Joyce and Alastair Clarkson have won 18 of the past 30 AFL premierships. So it is hardly surprising the four freshmen AFL coaches for 2014 - Alan Richardson (St Kilda), Leon Cameron (Greater Western Sydney), Justin Leppitsch (Brisbane Lions) and Adam Simpson (West Coast) - have links to those multiple flag-winning men. Those connections have either been as players or assistant/development coaches under those coaches. Some were able to mentor more than others. Some still do. But while the first-year senior coaches come from different backgrounds and clubs, all have significant links to the different branches of the AFL coaching tree. And their shared grounding as assistant coaches across the AFL system has steeled them for the trials that lie ahead. "I think we've all had really good groundings and have been lucky enough to be surrounding by some wonderful coaches over our journey," Cameron said this week as the four coaches gathered on the Gold Coast. I worked with 'Simmo' at Hawthorn and he's now got his chance. He and 'Leppa' have had quite a few years in the (coaching) system now. I did 10 seasons as an assistant coach and Alan has been working for this chance for 13 or 14 years now. We've all done it differently, but hopefully we are all prepared for what is about to come. Richardson even sat in the coaching hot seat for one senior game last year, when Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was ill. The 48-year-old has only been in the Saints senior job for only 10 days, but he has been working for it for more than a quarter of his life. "I think you become more and more prepared because you have spent a number of years in different programs," Richardson said. You just keep learning. I would have learnt as much this year in my time at Port Adelaide as I have in any of my other roles. Richardson has always sought advice from his former AFL coaches Leigh Matthews and Tony Shaw. And even though Matthews now has a role with Brisbane, he won't rule out the odd call either. Leppitsch had regular Friday coffees with Matthews - who coached him in three flag-winning seasons at Brisbane - when he was an assistant coach at Richmond. "I've always kept in touch with him and that won't change," Leppitsch said. Simpson's pathway to the Eagles' role has come off the back of four seasons as an assistant coach at Hawthorn. But as brief as that has been in comparison with Richardson's pathway, his playing career links to Pagan and his coaching links with Clarkson have been significant. I speak to Denis occasionally. I did speak to him during the (West Coast) process," Simpson said. He has a wealth of knowledge to draw on. It's funny, I reckon I used a lot of the Hawthorn stuff to help me in terms of what I have learnt as a coach. But now that I am in the job, I am finding myself falling back on a lot of the things that have happened at North Melbourne. New St Kilda coach Alan Richardson takes his first training session. Richardson: "The game, your team's performance and the outcome is a direct reflection of your program. Success won't come unless you create an environment where players have an understanding of the role they have to play and clarity of the way they need to go about it. Cameron: "You can't get away from hard work. It doesn't matter if you are a player or a coach, if you don't bring effort and energy, you won't succeed. Leppitsch: "I want to be a commonsense coach. I don't want to create complexity. I want to create an environment in which players do the right thing without fail. I will be taking a hard line on that. Simpson: "Coaching, for me, is teaching. All good coaches are good educators. Leon Cameron will take over from Kevin Sheedy as GWS coach in 2014. Simpson: "When I took over the (North Melbourne) captaincy (in 2004), that's where (the thoughts) started to kick in. I've never been one to declare I am ready to be an AFL coach because a lot of guys can do it, and there are not too many roles. It was about waiting for the right time and the right place. Leppitsch: "I still had a year to go of a playing contract (in 2007) when Leigh (Matthews) said to me 'I want you to be a coach'. I'm not sure he wanted me to be a coach, I think he just wanted some salary cap relief. But about three years into the (assistant coaching) role, I started to take it very seriously. Cameron: "Probably about three years into my role at the Western Bulldogs, I began to think it was an area that I really wanted to head down. After six or seven years I had put a plan in place to try to become a senior coach. Richardson: "In my final year of footy (1996), I predominantly played reserves footy. Danny Frawley was coach of the reserves and he was keen for me to play a significant role in mentoring and teaching, almost being an on-field coach. It probably suited my personality a bit. I went back to my local club East Burwood, where my dad (Stuart) had played in six premierships. We won a couple of flags. My greatest satisfaction (in coaching) has always been seeing people improve. West Coast coach Adam Simpson settles into his new job. Leppitsch: "I do feel like I have stepped into a new club. In the four years since I've been gone, there have been so many different people come into the place. Every now and then 'Browny' (Jonathan Brown) will call me by one of my old nicknames, and that's about the only reference to the past. Richardson: "What struck me walking into St Kilda was what an impressive facility the club has now. I didn't really know what to expect, but was really pleased. There are a lot of good people at this football club. Simpson: "The thing that strikes you is the loyalty of the people. It's a club that has only been going for 26 years, and there are a lot of staff who have been there for 20 years. I can just tell there is a unity in the organisation. They stick fat. Cameron: "We're a club with some high draft picks and some mature-aged players. But we also know that if we don't work hard and bring maximum effort, we can drop away. We have to get over playing two or three quarters, and go the distance over three-and-a-half or four quarters. Justin Leppitsch succeeds former captain Michael Voss as Brisbane Lions coach. Picture: Pohlner Source: News Corp Australia Cameron: "Time management. When a new coach comes in and says he wants to work 80 hours a week, it's not always a good thing. You have to work and work hard. But you also don't want to burn out and you don't want overkill to burn out your players. Simpson: "You have to be yourself, not who people might expect you to be. I am not Denis Pagan. I am not John Worsfold. If you are trying to be someone you are not, it just won't work. Leppitsch: "The biggest challenge is to build the players' consistency. Getting them to understand the plan, to implement the plan and sticking to the plan under pressure. Richardson: "This is just a fantastic opportunity to coach my own team and that will mean helping the St Kilda Football Club to get back on track again."