Brendan McCartney

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Footy Smarts

Brownlow Medallist
10k Posts Veteran
Jun 19, 2006
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Looking at the Bulldogs team that beat Sydney on the weekend and virtually every player was either recruited while McCartney was coach or developed massively during his time at the club. The team was also conspicuously absent of guys like Minson, Griffen, Cooney, Jones, Tutt and Higgins who were the most obvious leaders of the revolt against McCartney last year. Not to play down what Beveridge has been able to achieve but he's been handed one of the best, most committed young groups of players you'll ever find.

Given he was a key man in developing Geelong's great era and the Bulldogs look like they could be anything, surely he gets another crack at a senior coaching gig. Could Carlton do any better for their rebuild than a guy who has twice done it unbelievably well? What about a team like Richmond if they bite the bullet on Hardwick? The way I see it there's no other assistant coach out there with anything like the history of success and for a team looking to rebuild he'd be a no-brainer choice. Thoughts?
 

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When a team improves post sacking a coach the obvious conclusion is the coach was holding them back. But at the same time you have to say the coach was developing the players and list the right way.

It's kind of the direct opposite to Gold Coast where they looked better on field last year but the playing list was very shallow.

Probably like a lot of coaches McCartney would do things differently a second time round. He'd keep his focus on developing younger players but probably get an assistant who was well versed in ball movement.
 
brmi said:
McCartney had absolutely no game plan other than winning contested footy. After we got the ball we had no plan with McCartney.
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While I don't agree, even if you're correct...who cares? So you put up with 3 years of s**t football. And the end result is you've got a group of young players the envy of the competition. He completely changed the way scouting and recruitment was done and he shaped those players into what they are today. Even if you need to switch to a different coach to finish the job (again I don't agree) then it makes complete sense for a team rebuilding to get him in for a few years before replacing him.
 
I don't think you'll find a Bulldogs fan that would disagree with the idea that McCartney was a quality development coach.

His problems stemmed from match day and seemingly playing favourites. Look at the way Michael Talia has been performing this year, couldn't get a game to save his life last season.
 
brmi said:
McCartney had absolutely no game plan other than winning contested footy. After we got the ball we had no plan with McCartney.
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kick it to a contest?
 
Developed massively, like Talia and Roberts rotting in the VFL while he played superstars like Mark Austin and Tom young as KPPs at AFL?

Don't get me started on his game day coaching either. Drafting Improved 10fold under McCartney, but not too much more

Does Primus get any credit for Ports form?
 
Struggle said:
Developed massively, like Talia and Roberts rotting in the VFL while he played superstars like Mark Austin and Tom young as KPPs at AFL?

Don't get me started on his game day coaching either. Drafting Improved 10fold under McCartney, but not too much more
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I'm very interested to hear this and happy to stand corrected. I would still argue he was stiff given the sheer youthfulness of your improvement (we will never know if they could have kicked on in the same manner under McCartney) but I guess you guys know better than most other footy followers.
 
Think people being very biased towards Brendan. Even on AFL 360 they said he established the framework in which Dogs are playing their brand of footy, Luke is switching few things around like all new coaches do but the framework is there

You can't just take over and have immediate success unless the list, fundamentals and basics in which they play are in place or least most of it
 

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Bunk Moreland said:
McCartney was very highly rated at Geelong and Essendon and I'm sure he'll find work in other roles. Some people just aren't natural leaders, doesn't mean he doesn't have a lot to offer.
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Already has.

Saw him on Melbourne's bench a couple of week's back and seemingly will be working with Goodwin from next year.
 
hes a great developer of talent has the runs on the board.

He made Beveridges job a lot easier for him.
 
I don't think anyone will give him a senior role again, but he will continue to find roles like he has a Melbourne.

From all accounts and stories you hear, he turned out to be a pretty bad senior coach. Took the fun out of football, lack of communication, held players back, no viable game plan or tactics, terrible on match day etc.

He is what he is, an excellent development coach that can do wonders in that role, but as a senior coach he has too many limitations to be successful.
 
Golden_6 said:
I don't think anyone will give him a senior role again, but he will continue to find roles like he has a Melbourne.

From all accounts and stories you hear, he turned out to be a pretty bad senior coach. Took the fun out of football, lack of communication, held players back, no viable game plan or tactics, terrible on match day etc.

He is what he is, an excellent development coach that can do wonders in that role, but as a senior coach he has too many limitations to be successful.
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My view is he was happy to lose in order to learn. But there comes a time when that needs to end, and you need to focus on winning.
 
The 747 said:
My view is he was happy to lose in order to learn. But there comes a time when that needs to end, and you need to focus on winning.
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Exactly. You could tell last year he had just lost the players. They weren't playing for each other or for the coach and were instead just going through the motions of being an AFL footballer.
 
I think he set an excellent foundation at the Dogs, but they clearly had some issues last year that Beveridge has rectified.

Just a quick one (Bit off topic), why is Cordy getting a game over Campbell in the ruck? Thought Campbell showed a bit last year, whereas Cordy is a dud.
 
SBYM said:
Yeah, pretty bloody stiff if you ask me.

Good teams take time to build and anyone saying McCartney didn't have a big hand in Footscray's current success is an idiot.
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Same with Matthew Knights at Essendon, despite what the JiHirdists tell you.
 
Great Development coach but just not a senior coach. His match day tactics and team selection left a lot to be desired.

In the perfect role at the moment with the Dees.
 
Footy Smarts said:
Minson, Griffen, Cooney, Jones, Tutt and Higgins who were the most obvious leaders of the revolt against McCartney last year.
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I can see why they wanted to get to Carlton so badly then. It's the promised land for players who want to be lazy, underachieve and whine about the coach.
 
BorisDawg said:
I don't think you'll find a Bulldogs fan that would disagree with the idea that McCartney was a quality development coach.

His problems stemmed from match day and seemingly playing favourites. Look at the way Michael Talia has been performing this year, couldn't get a game to save his life last season.
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I recall Talia being pretty poor last season in his three games, but some talls just take longer than others. Odds are that the extra year of development under a coach who believed in him was the catalyst for his improvement, rather than being frozen out.

Happy to have McCartney at the Demons because he'a a great development coach, but he really shouldn't be a senior coach.
 
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