The coaching caper in the AFL is no easy feat, and has seen some of the most revered figures in the sport depart on disappointing terms.
In the wake of Melbourne's sacking of Simon Goodwin, the club has appointed long-time assistant coach Troy Chaplin as the caretaker for the final three games.
Chaplin's brief tenure at the helm could be leveraged to advance his own ambition of becoming a senior coach in the league, with the upcoming matches serving as an audition for the Demons or rival clubs.
It could also, however, merely act as a stopgap, providing a familiar face for Demons players who this week saw their long-time coach depart in difficult circumstances.
Since the turn of the century, all but three (Geelong, Hawthorn and Sydney) clubs have hired an interim coach after a head coach has walked out the door mid-season.
Understandably, the perpetual success of the Cats, Hawks and Swans has seen long-term coaches Mark Thompson and Chris Scott monopolise Kardinia Park; Alastair Clarkson's four premierships were spread across 16 years, as Paul Roos and John Longmire were the pair that put the Swans firmly on the map in the AFL.
Which brings up the next point: What is the definition of a caretaker coach?
In this exercise, a caretaker coach will be defined as someone who stepped into the role during a season following the sacking of a senior coach.
Let's delve in.
Melbourne
By this weekend, Melbourne will have had four caretaker coaches this century as Troy Chaplin makes his way into the hot seat following Goodwin's departure.
But the first began in 2007 when Mark Riley took over from Neale Daniher, winning three of nine clashes before Dean Bailey stepped into the role.
Bailey's time at the Demons didn't last, and he was shown the door by 2011, which saw club icon Todd Viney fill the void for five weeks, claiming only one victory.
Mark Neeld succeeded Viney but failed to make it to the end of year two, and was replaced by former Adelaide coach Neil Craig for the final 11 weeks of the 2013 season.
Craig would only win one match in his second stint as senior coach, which ultimately ended when the grand succession plan of Paul Roos and Goodwin was unveiled.
