As the 2026 AFL season comes to a close, we take a moment to reflect on the year and how the coaches have performed.
Some have had a leg up in terms of the strength of their list, while others have surprised the competition as first-timers.
But who ranks in the top five? Speaking on The Outer Wing, hosted by Mark Stevens and Digby Beacham, presented by TAB Touch, Beacham goes through his top five coaches of 2026.
4Dean Cox (Sydney)
"They should be finishing top two. They should be having two home finals at the SCG, and that should propel them, at worst a prelim or even a grand final.
"I think they've done a good job, again. No Errol Gulden for a large chunk of the year, yet they've found a way, with an aging list, it must be said. You've still got the likes of (Dane) Rampe and Jake Lloyd; Brodie Grundy is continuing to play good football.
"So I like the way Sydney has gone about it."
