Guy McKenna sacked as Gold Coast coach

[clogged]

One horse race, Bomber has said categorically that he won't go to Crows as great mates with Sando and isn't going to replace him.

McKenna is gone. He was almost gone 2 years ago, they then appointed Blight to mentor him which saved his backside at the time. Two years on and the problem with no GAJ have been seen all to well, which means the squad haven't developed anywhere near the way the club wants.

Yeah, their poor form once Ablett went down should have rung alarm bells. They were 8th at the time and the remainder of their draw saw them face only sides below them aside from Port. The only side they beat was St Kilda, at home.

 

[clogged]

I don't understand why McKenna is in any danger. What were people expecting so far?

Not winning 1 from 7 after one player went down I'd imagine.

 

[Farang83150]

100% safe for another year, guaranteed.

 

[Bazza37]

just simply from the outside the 4 things I'd judge a coach on:
Team develop - steady in the right direction
2011 : Last, 2012 : 17th (GWS), 2013 : 14th, 2014 : 12th
Individual player development - developing some stars
Singles out players with personal attacks, Players have left, players won't sign if he is coach next year, players unhappy with skill development & education, player managers are very concerned
Game plan - seems to be the right mix of attack and defending, hard at it team
Absolutely no forward line structure whatsoever game plan ultra defensive, slow, negative, risk free, very predictable & the suns never use corridor.

 

[slimdusty4]

had a chat to someone i know at the club before, and i actually asked about the mckenna / harbrow incident, and the source replied, "yeah it was something along those lines, mate he's a ruthless ****", i said "blood in the water down here, reckon he's gone" the answer was as cold and deliberate as you'll here.

according to this one source, he is gone. waiting to hear back from more.

 

[Underarm]

Didn't we have like 5 coaches sacked last year? Buckle up!

Which is why no sackings could have been expected. Adelaide must be worried they'd lost Goodwin to the bombers. Bluey will survive.

 

[Underarm]

Didn't we have like 5 coaches sacked last year? Buckle up!

Which is why no sackings could have been expected. Adelaide must be worried they'd lost Goodwin to the bombers. Bluey will survive.

 

[Tas]

Once there is blood in the water the shivs come out thick and fast. All we need to hear now is the board is right behind the coach, naturally behind is the best position to shiv someone.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Will need to come top 6 next year, but come on, there are other coaches in the firing lane. Hardwick is very lucky that Richmond decided to give a toss for 9 weeks otherwise he would be joining Sanderson!

 

[Tas]

Exactly that, Finals next year is a must

Was more than just Ablett, they lost a few players and Prestia's form was going into decline while Ablett was still playing. The problem for McKenna is he has a very talented list and would be expected to hold up better than they did without Ablett.

If he is going to keep his job I am sure the GC board wants to know how he plans to win games in case Ablett does his knee in the pre-season.

 

[Yellow Feathers]

What would be the point of sacking him?
Whoever takes over would inherit a list that is improving every year anyway.

Not sure what people expect from a list that young?

 

[Tas]

What would be the point of sacking him?
Whoever takes over would inherit a list that is improving every year anyway.

Not sure what people expect from a list that young?

Some coaches are good developers of kids, others are deemed to have what it takes to turn a promising list into a contender, those kind of coaches have strict structures, more advanced on tactics, strategies, have strict defensively ideologies, etc.

Not saying McKenna is just a developing coach, but the vast majority of coaches who have overseen a list rebuild haven't been around long enough to see success with that list. If GC board don't think McKenna has the tools to take the team from developing to premiership they then they have to decide when the best time is to change.

That can come earlier than expected if a coach deemed a good premiership candidate coach has become available.

 

[SUNS]

Yes, Ablett was gone. We all know that and it is no surprise that losing the greatest player in the game is going to have a negative reaction to any team.

But how many armchair experts actually realise he was not the only key player out at pretty much the same time of the year. Missing our key defenders, no recognised rucks, no experience running through the middle . . .

By the end of the season, due to injury and inexperience in the kids replacing our older players we were fielding sides that were MUCH YOUNGER then our 2011 side. Both in average age and games experience.

Has anyone actually taken a step back and looked at this fact?

Tell me what coach in the AFL would make a difference to a side so young? Most of the games after Ablett went down we were playing 2 to 3 players with 100 games or more experience only.

Harbrow
Rischitelli
Broughton

Good, serviceable players the three of them, but maybe with the slight exception of Rischitelli there is not much in the way of inspiring leadership there.

You only have to look at the top 3 of our best and fairest, all of who were no older than 21, to see where our leadership has had to come from this year. You can't put the blame for this all on Guy McKenna.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

No unproven coach is safe these days, todays events were evidence of that

 

[1980GFVideo]

Probably would have made finals this season if not for a popped shoulder, so probably not. If they don't make finals next season then yes, under threat.

Ablett is not someone he can take credit for. That is the boards coup. With him missing, Blueys achievements were on raw on display. They were not fantastic and without Ablett they looked like they would still be in the bottom four.

 

[TheSunGod]

Yes, Ablett was gone. We all know that and it is no surprise that losing the greatest player in the game is going to have a negative reaction to any team.

But how many armchair experts actually realise he was not the only key player out at pretty much the same time of the year. Missing our key defenders, no recognised rucks, no experience running through the middle . . .

By the end of the season, due to injury and inexperience in the kids replacing our older players we were fielding sides that were MUCH YOUNGER then our 2011 side. Both in average age and games experience.

Has anyone actually taken a step back and looked at this fact?

Tell me what coach in the AFL would make a difference to a side so young? Most of the games after Ablett went down we were playing 2 to 3 players with 100 games or more experience only.

Harbrow
Rischitelli
Broughton

Good, serviceable players the three of them, but maybe with the slight exception of Rischitelli there is not much in the way of inspiring leadership there.

You only have to look at the top 3 of our best and fairest, all of who were no older than 21, to see where our leadership has had to come from this year. You can't put the blame for this all on Guy McKenna.

Add to this I think it was mentioned that only 11 of our top 25 players were able to complete more than 60% of their pre-seasons and it's surprising we didn't drop off earlier.

 

[SUNS]

Add to this I think it was mentioned that only 11 of our top 25 players were able to complete more than 60% of their pre-seasons and it's surprising we didn't drop off earlier.

I honestly wonder, if we had a similar form slump and Ablett DIDN'T get injured whether or not people would be questioning Bluey? The convenient excuse of blaming one players injury would not be tehre so people would have to use some effort to dig a little deeper for the real answers

 

[tigers_of_old_08]

I honestly wonder, if we had a similar form slump and Ablett DIDN'T get injured whether or not people would be questioning Bluey? The convenient excuse of blaming one players injury would not be tehre so people would have to use some effort to dig a little deeper for the real answers

As an outsider, he always struck me as an average coach, and that was before before Ablett went down. Not a coach that could take them to finals let alone a premiership. I also believe that Ablett and then later Blight's presence may have masked Bluey's actual abilities to get the most out of his list.

 

[Kram]

He has the full support of the board, right up until the day they sack him.

 

[Connoisseur]

I honestly wonder, if we had a similar form slump and Ablett DIDN'T get injured whether or not people would be questioning Bluey? The convenient excuse of blaming one players injury would not be tehre so people would have to use some effort to dig a little deeper for the real answers

I agree with this. Besides the obviouis it is a shame that gaj got injured because it is now been used as further evidence of his 'greatness'. Give me a break. lol

In fact anybody that knows a modicum about footy would never be as idiotic as to argue that 1 PLAYER (no matter how great he supposedly is) can make that much difference in a team that is comprised of 18 players at any one time.

This isn't basketball (i.e Jordan) where a superstar can put his authoritative stamp on the team of just 5 players carrying his supporting cast along with him or soccer where one or two moments of brilliance from a great player can make all the difference in the game.

I'm 99.99% that with or without gaj the Suns would've struggled in the latter part of the season anyway. Nobody, no matter how awesome they are, can cover for 17 under performing players out on the ground it is massively obtuse to think that.

 

[Catastic82]

had a chat to someone i know at the club before, and i actually asked about the mckenna / harbrow incident, and the source replied, "yeah it was something along those lines, mate he's a ruthless ****", i said "blood in the water down here, reckon he's gone" the answer was as cold and deliberate as you'll here.

according to this one source, he is gone. waiting to hear back from more.

Will Ablett stay there and sign a new contract?

 

[Catastic82]

Yes, Ablett was gone. We all know that and it is no surprise that losing the greatest player in the game is going to have a negative reaction to any team.
.

So how does that explain 2011 then?

 

[SUNS]

So how does that explain 2011 then?

Geelong were fortunate enough to have more than 3 players with 100 games to replace him I guess

 

[worthy]

Who would replace him that would bring an immediate improvement?

Ross Lyon is like a coiled spring waiting for this job to become available.

 

[Slax]

100% safe for another year, guaranteed.

Are you willing to bet on that?