The Melbourne Demons didn't have to search far when looking for leadership credentials, welcoming NRL great and Melbourne Storm legend Ryan Hoffman to Steven King's coaching mix.
Hoffman, who will work with the Demons at least one day per week as a leadership consultant, brings a wealth of experience from the elite level, having spent 16 years in rugby league.
He'll work closely with the club's senior leaders to "get the best out of them" and offer a "different perspective" to the team.
Hoffman had three stints with the Storm, as well as spells with the New Zealand Warriors and Wigan Warriors, to tally 359 career league games and also represented Australia in six Tests and featured for New South Wales 14 times in the State of Origin arena.
"I'll be working with their senior leadership group," Hoffman told Zero Hanger.
"Basically, facilitating the best way of going about things on and off the field. I've managed to experience leadership groups for a few teams, and what works and what doesn't.
"It's not trying to pick up what the Melbourne Storm did, even though they've been successful for a long time, and dumping it on the Dees, and saying this is the best way to do it.
"It's trying to get the best out of them as leaders and also giving a different perspective and outside-the-box thinking in the approach, both on the field and off it."
The opportunity arose when Melbourne Storm Director of Football Frank Ponissi was appointed as part of the group who elected the new Demons coach following the exit of Simon Goodwin.
Ponissi, along with Alan Richardson, discussed the potential of bringing Hoffman into the Demons' four walls on a part-time basis to assist with "facilitating" leadership on and off the field.
The Storm have long tapped into the AFL code, attracting the likes of Craig McRae, Nick Maxwell and Joel Selwood over the years in various roles.
Hoffman believes that the cross-code switch from an NRL perspective is an untapped market in the AFL, especially in Victoria.
"The idea got floated through Frank Ponissi, who was involved in the selection process for the Dees' new coach," he said.
"He basically asked if I would be interested in that type of role. Alan Richardson got in touch with me and asked how it might be able to work, and they were keen to have someone in that sort of space from a different sporting background.
"Melbourne (Storm) have done it previously with Nick Maxwell and Joel Selwood involved in leadership space. It hadn't really been done from NRL going to AFL in Melbourne.
"Especially in Victoria, there's so many resources within the AFL that they tend to stay within AFL. They don't tend to look outside the box.
"The AFL have looked at defensive (experience) but not really in the leadership space."
In a short space of time, Hoffman has already acknowledged the players' buy-in to the new ideas King has brought to the club, and says that first-class leadership is the key to success.
"I've been really impressed with the way they've embraced what Kingy is about," he added.
"They've really attacked training and been proactive themselves in starting the season off on a good note.
"I've always felt that great leaders are the ones who lead by example. If they're on field performance is fantastic, it means that they're not troubled by other things as well.
"There's also some great young players at Melbourne, and giving them a good example for them to be future leaders of the club, and having the resources for them."
The addition of Hoffman is one of many off-field changes at the Demons, who have secured Matthew Scarlett, Jared Rivers and Rory Atkins, among others, to form King's new-look coaching strikeforce.
