Development coaches tend to play the long game, looking for little signs and small wins indicating their work is having a genuine impact.
Carlton’s head of development Luke Power is passionate about helping players get the best out of themselves, on and off the field. He is motivated in part by his desire to “pay back” the support and care he received during his own playing career with the Brisbane Lions.
Power, 42, is in his third season with the Blues. He started his coaching career in 2013 as an assistant with the Greater Western Sydney Giants after co-captaining the club in 2012. After four seasons there as an assistant and development coach, the Melbourne-born Power returned home in late 2016, joining the AFL as head of the AFL Academy program, a finishing school of sorts for juniors identified annually for their football skills and leadership qualities. After three years helping mentor the likes of Sam Walsh and Paddy Dow (both now at Carlton), Caleb Serong (Fremantle), Max King (St Kilda) and Luke Jackson (Melbourne), he headed to Carlton to oversee player performance and management.
“Part of my role is being a mentor, listening to players, providing them with advice when appropriate and guiding them through their journeys,” he said.
Power began contemplating a coaching career while in Brisbane. As a star in the Lions’ golden years (282 games including the premiership hat-trick from 2001-03 and two seasons as co-captain), he was also a valuable role model, especially for youngsters.
While at the Giants, encouraged by veteran coach Mark Williams, Power enrolled in the AFL’s level three coaching course. He completed the course but because his application was late, did not officially receive accreditation. Power would do the course again, continuing to absorb information and relishing the opportunity to share ideas with instructors and potential coaches from around the country.
Joining the Lions as a 17-year-old, he had been warmly welcomed by the likes of Craig Lambert and Andy Gowers. Moving north at such a young age wasn’t easy, but the pair helped make Power’s transition smoother by opening their hearts and homes to him, often having him around for dinner and allowing him to be “part of their families”. Lambert, Gowers and other teammates including Shaun Hart, as well as assistant coaches including Mathew Armstrong, Michael McLean and Gary O’Donnell, taught Power how to be a true professional.
At Carlton, Power is passing on the same valuable lessons. He spends time getting to know players, via meetings and interactions at the club or less formal sit-downs over coffee. He’ll regularly send a text here or be involved in a group chat there. He’s all for Zoom and other new technologies that allow for ease of communication and different learning environments. And he enjoys regularly welcoming players over for dinner at his home with wife Anita and their daughters Mae and Edie.
Power learns about his players’ backgrounds and families, their interests and what motivates them, how they think and feel, and how they respond to feedback and advice. An important aspect of what he and fellow coaches do, he said, is ask players questions aimed at making them think critically and allow them to make decisions.
“We can’t be out on the field with them or with them all the time off the field, so it’s important we give them the tools to find their own solutions,” Power said.
“You also want a safe environment that helps players evolve and build self-worth. That also enables you to build connections and trust.”
That sense of trust, he said, is crucial when coaches need to deliver feedback or have tough conversations with players. He said modern coaches need to display “vulnerability” in interactions with players to help further build bonds.
Power is an excellent communicator; he is calm, approachable and consistent in demeanour, characteristics that have won him industry-wide respect. At the end of last season, he was officially recognised by his peers and players alike at the AFLCA awards function.
Some of Power’s role requires him to liaise closely with other coaches and staff, particularly the high-performance and wellbeing teams, to gather intelligence on how players are training or tracking fitness-wise, if they need support refining “their basic fundamentals”, how they’re responding to specific circumstances (being injured or omitted, for example), or if they might be dealing with issues outside of football. He also spends plenty of time with Carlton’s VFL coach Daniel O’Keefe and VFL development coach Torin Baker to ensure the club’s AFL and VFL programs are well connected.
“It’s really important for players to know we’re on the same page when it comes to delivering information and messages,” Power said.
Power doesn’t go about his business by halves. In 2020, he invited midfielder Matt Kennedy (and his Aussie shepherd Toby) to live with his family. The arrangement lasted only a few weeks when the Blues were forced into hubs interstate because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the connection between the Power family and Kennedy – a country lad from the tiny New South Wales town of Collingullie who was only relatively new to Melbourne – continued to grow when Mae and Edie happily agreed to look after Toby while the team was away. Power and Kennedy have continued building their solid bond, and the coach believes the ex-Giant is on the cusp of becoming a consistently good player.
Kennedy said he was thankful for the gesture and for the way Power interacts with people.
“It shows a lot about Luke’s character. He is a real family man. He’s kind to everyone,” he said.
“He’s got time for every player, no matter how you come into the system. He loves to see young people improve and get the best out of themselves, which as a player is a huge support.”
In Power’s eyes, he’s simply doing what he enjoys – and what he’s clearly suited to.
“Getting the best out of players, especially younger ones, is what I’m most passionate about,” Power said. “Working in development allows me to do that.”
