Guy McKenna simply has to be given the chance to lead the AFL's new Gold Coast club into its debut season in the national competition in 2011.
That is the view of McKenna's mentor - Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse - following McKenna's appointment on Wednesday as the Gold Coast's development coach for the next two years.
The former Eagles' skipper and Collingwood assistant coach will lead the new club in 2009 and 2010, when it plays in firstly Victoria's under 18 competition and then the VFL, although he is not guaranteed to be the club's first AFL coach when the Gold Coast becomes the league's 17th club in 2011.
However Malthouse, who coached McKenna for ten years at West Coast and has had him as his second in charge (2IC) at Collingwood for the past five years, says he has no doubt McKenna is capable of succeeding as a senior coach and says he must be given his opportunity if he does the hard yards of developing the Gold Coast's list over the next two years.
"Does he do all the hard yakka and then finds himself handing the side over (to a higher-profile coach in 2011) - that would be grossly unfair," Malthouse said on Thursday.
But Malthouse said McKenna would back himself to make enough of an impression over
the next two years to be appointed the new club's AFL coach in 2011.
"The opportunity to get your foot in the door is so important," he said.
"He (McKenna) is willing to back himself that he won't become a 2IC two years down the track to someone who is a bigger name."
Malthouse said McKenna, one of the Eagles' greatest ever players, had many strengths as a coach.
"He is an outstanding young bloke and I sincerely hope he has the chance to coach an AFL side," Malthouse said.
"He understands the game and he understands people and I believe some really good player struggle to impart their knowledge to people, who may not be as skilled and I say that because they really don’t understand what natural ability is."
"But Guy is a bloke that understands the game but can impart how to get that across to a young player as opposed to saying he should automatically have it."