Assessing Hird

[doug85]

How do people rate Hirds first season as coach?

Obviously the win/loss ratio was an improvement on 2010, but I'm looking for peoples impressions on how he went tactically and in terms of man management.

What did he do well and what does he need to work on?

 

[essendon2008]

New gamestyle is better. Confidence is up over the group. Developing players.

Needs to try to settle the team (injuries permitting).

I don't think there's really a lot he is not doing, just need time.

 

[doug85]

The extent of my football experience is about 7 years of juniors and zero coaching experience, so game plans, defensive and forward structures, center bounce setups (basically the tactical side of football) push the bounds of my knowledge.

The club has put a lot of money into Hird and I want to know whether its been a good investment.

There's a lot of Hirdy love from bombers fans, but I want to cut through that and get a read on how he's doing as a coach.

 

[Tippaz]

exceeded expectation thus far

 

[rawm]

exceeded expectation thus far

Agreed, but imo the next 24mths will define Hird's legacy as a coach. If the team can turn over between 6-8 players for quality trades/drafts you will see Essendon challenge at least top 4 in 2014.

If he retains players like McVeigh, Gumbleton, NLM, Jetta, Neagle, Quinn and Davey for even 1 season too long, the chance of being a contender will pass Essendon by just as Gold Coast and GWS come good in 2015 or thereabouts.

 

[Tassieboy]

I know in this day and age we all want opinions on everything and everything to be analysed and what not. However, it really is just too early to make much of a judgement. By the end of next year we will have more of an idea, of course, and we will be able to pass judgement by the end of 2013. As supporters, then we will be able to judge his matchday coaching and what players ect we have and what we are trying to do to reach the top.

A premiership team is never made in a year and the direction a team is heading usually takes years to see. As with Bomber at Geelong, and even Malthouse at Collingwood. Remember the latter's flack over the Pies' around the boundary style "can never win a premiership" against the more attacing teams. But slowly he built a team capable of playing to that game style and with some rookies from when the plan was concieved coming through (Pendles, Thomas, Cloke) and some slightly older players (Swan and Didak) it was a game plan most teams have attempted to copy.

We can all try and pretend to be experts about how such and such has travelled in a year, but let's be fair, give 'em a fair go. Media/public pressure nearly cost Bomber and Malthouse their jobs before they won a premiership.

 

[essendon2008]

At least we know with Hird he will be given a good crack at it as a coach by the board. He is the 'golden child' and won't be treated as poorly as Knights was.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

At least we know with Hird he will be given a good crack at it as a coach by the board. He is the 'golden child' and won't be treated as poorly as Knights was.

The worst thing ever done to Knights was hiring him in the first place.

The best football clubs are built on continuity at board and senior coaching level. But it would have been crazy to build said continuity around a man who has not, to date, experienced and understood ultimate success in football.

One season is too small a sample size to really register an opinion of a coach, I feel. I don't think we can honestly even say that Chris Scott is a superior coach to Guy McKenna. What is heartening, from a coaching perspective, is that we were only ever "outcoached" in the purest sense three or four times this season, with a lot of the other losses being chiefly down to injuries and in turn, a lack of proper depth, which is to be expected after Hird largely kept the list intact.

We're also in the unique position of our senior coach serving what is, for all intents and purposes, an apprenticeship. So I think in that sense, he's done pretty well. There's enough improvement from enough players to suggest that they're benefiting from the new coaching panel. I think that's really all you can mark him on for the time being. Certainly from a media perspective I think he's been terrific - he hasn't accepted or excused poor performances, he hasn't been satisfied with a 2 quarter effort, and he hasn't unnecessarily talked up the team before a big game. From the POV of a spectator, that's probably the best thing about Hird so far.

 

[helicopter]

If we don't improve next season i won't be happy. Time to clean out the deadwood hirdy. Only mistake he made this year.

 

[doug85]

I think it was fair enough that Hirdy didn't give some of those guys who may have been given the flick (e.g. Neagle, Slattery, Quinn) a chance to show their wares under a new regime.

But in this off-season I think its time to cull a lot of list cloggers.

 

[Air_Chester]

I think an easy pass. The most promising thing for me was the overall confidence and unity of the group. An absolute rabble last year under Knights, alot of players not putting forth the effort required in protest and disrupting the flow. This year, everyone seemed exactly what the slogan suggests: "Proud. United. Excited."

Clearly a group that believed in themselves, wanted to be out there in red and black, and a group obviously intent on making themselves a team others are wary of. Lost their way a bit in that 5 loss streak, but bounced back and really impressed upon everyone that they weren't going to settle for just fading away any more. We did in the end of course, but these weren't baby steps, they were leaps over last year. And hopefully next year improves as well.

The other major positive was the faith he and Thompson and co showed in the playing group. Look at Paddy Ryder. The absolute majority would jave send him off to Bendigo and never looked back for a bit there, but they stuck with him, and some of my favourite moments of the season belong to him. They supported him, stuck with him, and bloody hell he came good in the end. A great effort by Paddy and all down to the coaching panel showing their faith.

The lack of talking down the team after losses, and also not talking up wins, was fantastic. We lost to Richmond and Melbourne in games we should have won, but it's a "rebuilding year". We beat Geelong in a stellar performance and it's "That was a great showing, but calm down, it's a rebuilding year". An excellent steady ship being sailed, and clearly marked improvements expected this year. Very well handled. Though I;d hate to cop the flames of Hird's wrath next year if things go awry.


Next year's focus, I would hope, would be fitness levels across the board, and consistency. The backline still needs to clamp down and reduce our scores against, and I think we'll see an even bigger step up from our younger midfield players.

 

[Stargazer]

If we don't improve next season i won't be happy. Time to clean out the deadwood hirdy. Only mistake he made this year.

I have to agree. Sheedy failed to clean out our list and look what happened ? I would like to see some changes, although I think there will be a bigger change of personnel NEXT season in preparation for what is supposed to be a super draft.
Davies is one who time is about up, as are Spike and Woosha. It will also depend upon when contracts expire. We'll need to make room in the salary cap if we are to afford Hurley. Others who will go over the next 12 months will be Hille, and probably Fletch. Bellchambers needs to be given more games in 2012.

 

[Vass38]

Id give him a 7 out of 10.

Things that didnt go well:

List management - not all Jimmys fault but it remains to be seen wheather or not he has the courage to make some hard calls with the list.

Favourates - Hille & McVeigh probably got games when they shouldnt have, as did Welsh whos selection given his form was very frustrating for many supporters. He cant keep playing these guys if their form doesnt warrant it.

Knees! - Prismall, Winders, Lonergan & Dempsey. 4 senior players with knees in his first year as coach made it a challenge for Jimmy - again this out of his control - but will be interesting to se who these players are managed as they come back into the team

Things that went well:

Got Bombers from down the bottom in 14th position into the final 8

PLayer confidence seems to have increased across the board - players like to play under Hird

Unearted young guns - names like Carlisle, Crameri, Heppell, Hibberd & Hardingham may be players we will be hearing about for some time and will play a big part in the future of the Essendon football club

 

[Slattery_20]

Pretty sure this has been done in one form or another?
Ended up with about a 6/10 for mine.

 

[Howard Moon]

i recall on SEN a few weeks ago Robbo was talking about Hird, he said to Hird "gee your flying under the radar a bit this season arnt you? you havent said anything controversial or anything in the media" Hird replied with "ive only been in the caper for less than a year, i'm here to learn and soak everything up, its not my place to be making waves and controversy, leave that to mick and co' "


This is Hirds first year in a nutshell...

just getting a feel for things, doing all the '1%ers' right, not making any outlandsh statements or anything in the media. I reckon he has set a solid foundation for a coaching career, next year its time to step it up and get his ideas and personality out there, make a hird mark on the team and competition.

 

[jsd09]

I agree with almost everything Hird has said and done this year;

A few people have mentioned that he didn't offload players last year that he should've (i.e Dyson, Welsh, Davey)

But you need to remember that Hird came out last year and said he wasn't going to make drastic list changes as he didn't know what the players were like !

If he had of just swung the axe before learning players strength's , weakness's etc we would've been seeing players like Crameri traded or delisted - We thank him now that he didn't swing that Axe!

This next few month's is where I think the Hard man Hird will be on show.

 

[Tassieboy]

A few people have mentioned that he didn't offload players last year that he should've (i.e Dyson, Welsh, Davey)

Nah, I reckon Hird was perfectly entitled to see how these guys could contribute to a new game plan. If we we can't trade Davey (unlikely) I would keep him again for his pressure we lack. Just me

 

[Heppell21]

I agree with almost everything Hird has said and done this year;

A few people have mentioned that he didn't offload players last year that he should've (i.e Dyson, Welsh, Davey)

But you need to remember that Hird came out last year and said he wasn't going to make drastic list changes as he didn't know what the players were like !

If he had of just swung the axe before learning players strength's , weakness's etc we would've been seeing players like Crameri traded or delisted - We thank him now that he didn't swing that Axe!

This next few month's is where I think the Hard man Hird will be on show.

100% correct. Nicely put

 

[Coopster09]

Great season for a first year coach.. not as good as Chris Scott but thats unfair lol, very good season ... i have a feeling he's doing alot of studying for trade week and the draft, i rekon he will be upgrading picks more then trading in players.

 

[Hurls_18]

If we don't improve next season i won't be happy. Time to clean out the deadwood hirdy. Only mistake he made this year.

I tend to disagree. That is one thing I loved about Hirdy this year. He gave everyone at the club a fresh start and the vibe I got was that he wanted everyone on a level playing field to see who can cut the mustard and then act accordingly. I'm not confident that he will give some blokes the tap on the shoulder, but I hope so. Just my opinion though.

 

[Hurls_18]

I agree with almost everything Hird has said and done this year;

A few people have mentioned that he didn't offload players last year that he should've (i.e Dyson, Welsh, Davey)

But you need to remember that Hird came out last year and said he wasn't going to make drastic list changes as he didn't know what the players were like !

If he had of just swung the axe before learning players strength's , weakness's etc we would've been seeing players like Crameri traded or delisted - We thank him now that he didn't swing that Axe!

This next few month's is where I think the Hard man Hird will be on show.

Yep, great post mate.

 

[The Donners]

I know in this day and age we all want opinions on everything and everything to be analysed and what not. However, it really is just too early to make much of a judgement. By the end of next year we will have more of an idea, of course, and we will be able to pass judgement by the end of 2013. As supporters, then we will be able to judge his matchday coaching and what players ect we have and what we are trying to do to reach the top.

A premiership team is never made in a year and the direction a team is heading usually takes years to see. As with Bomber at Geelong, and even Malthouse at Collingwood. Remember the latter's flack over the Pies' around the boundary style "can never win a premiership" against the more attacing teams. But slowly he built a team capable of playing to that game style and with some rookies from when the plan was concieved coming through (Pendles, Thomas, Cloke) and some slightly older players (Swan and Didak) it was a game plan most teams have attempted to copy.

We can all try and pretend to be experts about how such and such has travelled in a year, but let's be fair, give 'em a fair go. Media/public pressure nearly cost Bomber and Malthouse their jobs before they won a premiership.

Inevitably you're 100% correct. We as passionate supporters don't have the patience... hehehe

WE ARE ESSENDON... and all that other rhetoric.

 

[The Donners]

I tend to disagree. That is one thing I loved about Hirdy this year. He gave everyone at the club a fresh start and the vibe I got was that he wanted everyone on a level playing field to see who can cut the mustard and then act accordingly. I'm not confident that he will give some blokes the tap on the shoulder, but I hope so. Just my opinion though.

Agree 100% and posted as such 12 months ago (or whatever it was).

 

[stugots]

a pass mark for year one despite the disappointing finish to the season, happy to blame it on injury & suspension but certainly dont want to see a repeat next year.

theres a few too many players I really dont want to see at the club next year despite their reps - i hope Hirdy can make the tough calls that if not made will see this club stagnate next season.

not too fussed if we dont make the finals in 2012 but anymore noncompetitive crap football will have me seeing red - fairly confident that wont happen if the right list calls are made now.

 

[m7jebus]

Easily exceeded expectations, even though the media had us as top-four certainties after round 1.

He did exactly what he set out to do: give the list a chance to show what it can do, identify strengths and weaknesses within the club and the playing group, and all the while learn how to be a senior coach. The fact we managed a top-eight finish, in what was a year with no real focus on results, is a huge plus.