Craig Fulton arrived with the Belgian staff already set, McLeod explains, and found his own place alongside two self-confessed control freaks. He started with some work on the strikers, grew close to the players through his personal skills, and then led a 14-man Beyond Tokyo squad as head coach on the Australia trip. Three head coaches makes for funny dynamics, but everyone finds their way. Watch the full masterclass: AMA with Shane McLeod.
Belgian hockey is closing on 55,000 players, up from around 10,000 a decade ago, and McLeod accepts the coaching base is chasing that growth. Overseas coaches currently fill the gap and lift the youth game, as he once did before ending up coaching players he had trained at eight or nine. Talented homegrown coaches, he believes, are nearly ready to take over the reins. Watch the full masterclass: AMA with Shane McLeod.