DEFENSIVE coordinator Jade Rawlings says former Australian cricket coach John Buchanan has been a valuable mentor. 

Buchanan, was who Australian coach during one of the country’s golden era, from 1999-2007, spent a week at Melbourne recently and has been spending time with Rawlings.

Rawlings, who is undertaking the AFL level four coaching course, said Buchanan had made an impact in his coaching.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have John as my mentor in the [level four coaching] course I’ve been doing the past 18 months,” he said on Triple M on Sunday.

“He’s been fantastic – he’s a really good man. He doesn’t understand footy at all, and it’s been interesting to discuss coaching and life and philosophies with him.

“He got an insight into how we prepare for a game, going into Collingwood and how we review it, so he and I have got another catch-up soon to go through all of the things that he saw. I should benefit and also the club as well to have his experience. He’s a really good man, John.”

Meanwhile, Rawlings praised the efforts of defender Neville Jetta this season.

“He used to get in the team and just lock down, but he’s really evolved over the last 40 to 50 games,” he said.

“He was under the pump to be in our best team at the start of the season, as he missed a few weeks of the pre-season and others were starting to take their opportunity. But he got in, in round one, and has probably been one of our most consistent players.

“Last week, he had 10 possessions, but it felt like it was a 25-possession game because of his impact with critical contests and his tackling and his aggression in the air. He’s become a really, really good player for us.”

Rawlings also said Tom Bugg’s pre-match Instagram post to Bulldog Jason Johannisen was in good humour – even though it wasn’t something he would’ve done. Bugg said ‘are you ready’ to Johannisen.

“The respect we have for the Western Bulldogs and Jason Johannisen is very strong,” he said. 

“I don’t condone that sort of stuff, sending out [Instagram posts] – especially on game day, but I’m very different to these young men as well.

“[It was] nothing, I would think, with malicious intent at all.”