Opinion Are you happy to have a new coach?

[Marlin01]

Yes, I know our new coach hasn't lead us in a single match yet, but I wanted to gauge popular opinion on the wisdom of changing coaches.

Let us assume, for the sake of this discussion, that it was the club's decision to change coaches and that Worsfold would gladly have coached to the best of his abilities, had he been given the chance.

Do you think we are better placed going into the 2014 season with a new coach than with Worsfold?

I think we are. I think Worsfold was a very competent coach, but I think after so many years he'd become a bit stale. I remember he did an interview in around March last year and he was discussing how he'd improved as a coach. He basically said, when he started coaching, he made a lot of decisions based on gut-feel, whereas now he made his decisions based on data gathered. I wonder if this philosophy had permeated the playing department as a whole and everything had become a bit sterile and lacking in flair.

What do you think?

 

[lmach]

I think we're undoubtedly better for it.

 

[nameless]

My friends and I would often comment watching the game, at how many goals were conceded by what looked like (from our probably uneducated opinion) poor structure. We used to count the amount of easy goals the opposition scored from having 1 or 2 players over the back of our defence and seeing them counter and walk in to an open goal with ease.

Now obviously this set up was a press that should have held the ball in our forward line, but it was constantly exposed. We didn't lock the ball in as much as previous years and opposition clubs worked us out, yet we persisted.

Now the best way to learn is obviously to practice and perhaps Worsfold was holding firm with his structure and tactics thinking a little hurt now would be worth it later when we got this new press down pat. But it just didn't seem to work, and there looked like there was very little gameday thinking if something wasn't going well.

I love Woosh and am so glad that the B+F is named after him, he deserves a lot, for what he's given to the club is currently unmatched by anyone else.

But I think the team is better with a new coach, essentially we are a new group, so many young player, it'd be great for them to have a head coach who will see them through the majority of their career as they start to peak.

It was a big clean out, both coaching and player-wise, but I think while it wasn't exactly NEEDED, I still think it's a good thing that it's happened.

 

[Marlin01]

I think we're undoubtedly better for it

 

[PRANKSTER666]

I think early we may be all over the shop gameplan and structure wise but that will be countered with an increased desire by the players given they will be rejunivnated by a new environment and will need to prove themselves to a new coach and earn their position in the 22.

Freo started under Lyon a little all over the place but once the gameplan came together they quickly improved because Lyon is obviosuly a great person motivator also, lets hope our players want to play for Simpson, that he is a leader of men, because that is just as important as structures.

 

[Marlin01]

My friends and I would often comment watching the game, at how many goals were conceded by what looked like (from our probably uneducated opinion) poor structure. We used to count the amount of easy goals the opposition scored from having 1 or 2 players over the back of our defence and seeing them counter and walk in to an open goal with ease.

Yeah the Carlton game was the one that stands in my mind as the clear example of this. The whole time I was thinking Malthouse must be loving this.

 

[UpForGrabs]

Definitely happy.

One man isn't bigger than the club and Woosh made the right decision to step down.

Needed a fresh injection. Our game plan last year didn't suit our players, and Woosha seemed unable/unwilling to try something different.

New coach/new ideas revitalises the team (hopefully). Turnover of some of our older players helps as well. Sentimental/favouritism selections hopefully out the window.

 

[Marlin01]

"We work really hard to win it so we want to make sure when the chance is there that we maintain possession and we use it as well as we can," Rawlings told AFL.com.au.

"That has probably been a little bit different in some regards to what some players are used to."

I wonder what this means. I can imagine Worsfold would have been keen to teach the players to win possession of the ball first and then progress to ball movement. Was this going to be Woosha's next step on evolution of the team's game plan anyway or is this something totally new, that wasn't going to happen with Worsfold as coach?

 

[lmach]

For the same reasons you've given - the whole club had become stale from the outside looking in. Our game plan wasn't working, which was obvious from as early as the first NAB Cup match. Teams had worked us out and Woosha did nothing to fix it. He persisted with the same game plan, refused to move players around (other than moving Schoey forward and Hurn to midfield a couple of times) or try anything new (throw Darling in the midfield for just 5 minutes at least).

Then there's the constant selection of Priddis and dropping of Hutchings, who IMO showed more than Priddis in the few games that he played, which I know is the MC's fault as much as it is Woosha's. Something else that bugged me was playing Morton for a quarter (which he didn't play that bad in) then dropping him, not to mention not even giving Dick one game after performing well in the WAFL when we were crying out for a nimble small forward.

Simpson just seems like the right man for the job. He's coming from a very successful club in Hawthorn and has a smart footy brain, which I'm not overly convinced Woosha had. Woosha was a terrific coach and a amazing servant for the club, who's achievements are matched by no other, but he wasn't the best game day coach. Simpson has something about him that tells me he'll make the right moves and try new things when something isn't working. He's put emphasis on players being able to adapt to multiple positions and I'm hoping we see a lot of that under Simpson. This isn't the 90's, you have to be able to play more than one position and adapt to different roles or you're going to get left behind.

12 years under the same coach is a lot of time in footy and we needed something to reinvigorate the entire club. A new coach has done exactly that.

 

[Doughboy]

There is nothing quite like having a change of the guard so to speak

It can inject new life into the playing group with new ideas and new ways of doing things. From what I have seen so far, the boys look to be switched on, however the best gauge will be when the NAB cup starts and then season proper

All I can say is, bring on 2014!

 

[nameless]

Yeah the Carlton game was the one that stands in my mind as the clear example of this. The whole time I was thinking Malthouse must be loving this.

Yeah that's the obvious one because of Yarran, truth be told we lost that due to inaccuracy, not tactics.

Being in Melb I only view live games here, and this is where we see it a lot, I think the change in ground dimensions hurts us, we seem to fall down structurally.
I think it was games against Ess and Hawthorn where opposition players would be able to walk it in - seems to be Etihad a lot.

 

[nameless]

Then there's the constant selection of Priddis and dropping of Hutchings, who IMO showed more than Priddis in the few games that he played, which I know is the MC's fault as much as it is Woosha's. .

So if Hutchings was given a full season he'd have won our B&F?

 

[Marlin01]

Yeah, I noticed that lmach. Do you think it's deliberate?

 

[lmach]

Yeah, I noticed that lmach. Do you think it's deliberate?

I deleted it, sorry. I thought I was in the 'Eagles are focusing on improving skills for 2014 season' thread.

 

[Suma Magic]

I think we would have improved regardless of who was coaching (injuries were horrible last year etc.), but I think a new approach is definitely a good thing. Will have to wait and see how it goes, but unless his strategies are poor, or the players aren't buying in (both unlikely IMO), I think Simpson's appointment is definitely a good thing, and I'm definitely happy.

 

[lmach]

So if Hutchings was given a full season he'd have won our B&F?

No. I probably didn't phrase that right. Hutchings showed more potential than Priddis and I think we should've persisted with him more last year. With Priddis, we already know what we're going to get, so I don't see much point continually playing ahead of guys like Hutchings when it was obvious we weren't going to go deep into finals, let alone make them. I'm not saying play Hutchings ahead of Priddis the entire season, but at least change things when they aren't working.

 

[Marlin01]

I think we would have improved regardless of who was coaching (injuries were horrible last year etc.).

This is a very valid point. It doesn't matter who the coach is, if you have Smith doing your kick-ins instead of Hurn, the team will suffer as a result.

At the risk of derailing my own thread... anyone remember this:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...epartment-review/story-fni5faul-1226703394703

There certainly wasn't much discussion about the findings.

 

[nameless]

No. I probably didn't phrase that right. Hutchings showed more potential than Priddis and I think we should've persisted with him more last year. With Priddis, we already know what we're going to get, so I don't see much point continually playing ahead of guys like Hutchings when it was obvious we weren't going to go deep into finals, let alone make them. I'm not saying play Hutchings ahead of Priddis the entire season, but at least change things when they aren't working.

Ok yeah, I like Hutchings, but Priddis definitely has his place and should be played.

 

[mick06]

Being in Melb I only view live games here, and this is where we see it a lot, I think the change in ground dimensions hurts us, we seem to fall down structurally.
I think it was games against Ess and Hawthorn where opposition players would be able to walk it in - seems to be Etihad a lot.

You mean the Essendon game when we beat them comfortably? Or the Hawthorn game where we won 3 of the 4 quarters? Etihad was far from one of our problems last year. We played some of the worst football i have seen us play at Subi period.

 

[INSANE]

Happy. He appeared to lose something (passion, motivitation etc) and it seemed to spread through the playing group, the assistant coaches, the board, the match committee, the strength and conditions coaches, the volunteers, the game day runners, the trainers and the fans.

 

[Marlin01]

Happy. He appeared to lose something (passion, motivitation etc) and it seemed to spread through the playing group, the assistant coaches, the board, the match committee, the strength and conditions coaches, the volunteers, the game day runners, the trainers and the fans.

Yeah, by the end, the poems on the banners didn't even rhyme.

 

[the harry]

We are better placed because we have an almost totaly fit list and a bit of the "fat" from previous years have been cut.

I'm a defender of Woosh, so while I'm happy with Simpson I'm cautious to declare we will be better off for reasons other than less injuries and a change of scene.

Woosh gave a lot of responsibilities to the players themselves, having faith in their abilities. In good times this results in grinding the opponent into the ground and eventually beating them, in bad times it results in claims of lack of match day imagination. But really, what could you do with Razzle, Hams (other than move him up the ground), ASel, Embers, Schoey (who had a poor year) and a clearly restricted NicNat/rookie ruck? Four of these players were probably in the side every week and generally they had ordinary years.

As for the "teams had worked us out" Re the press, I don't think it was ever an area of confusion for the opposition, we just implemented it better because we previously had a capable team. The teams getting clear over the back and running into open goals was happening previously (vs North in 2012 maybe, Wells killed it by running the ball from wing/hbf for goals twice), that's just the logical result of having 18 players in the forward half, if it gets over the back it's a score. Having said that, we still would have beaten Port and Carlton last year if we could have kicked straight.

I don't think we are worse of at this point because of a change of coach, but if it was Suma instead of Simpson I'm not sure we'd be any worse/better off either.

I agree a change can be good (and is good after 12 years), but so can a fit NicNat and 37 players at training.

Burns leaving is good though, I'm happy about that.

 

[INSANE]

Yeah, by the end, the poems on the banners didn't even rhyme.

Yeah, I forgot to mention the banner makers in my list.

 

[UpForGrabs]

For the same reasons you've given - the whole club had become stale from the outside looking in. Our game plan wasn't working, which was obvious from as early as the first NAB Cup match. Teams had worked us out and Woosha did nothing to fix it. He persisted with the same game plan, refused to move players around (other than moving Schoey forward and Hurn to midfield a couple of times) or try anything new (throw Darling in the midfield for just 5 minutes at least).

So much this.

That match versus the Pies at Subi was appalling. The amount of times Paul Seedsman put on the afterburners and just flew by our players was disheartening.

Nothing was done to fix that throughout the early part of the season, culminating in the Carlton match when Woosh somehow thought Adam Selwood could run with Chris Yarran. He was close though... he ended up running behind him the whole night.

 

[Chris_6678]

Woosha was a champ and he did great things for the club as a coach and a player but i think the time was right to move on and i am glad he got to do it on his own terms.

I am also happy we chose Simpson over Suma too.

Got a really good feeling about this year....