Best Available Coach

[Ripper]

But making the 8 is just the starting point. You can't go further if you're not there, so making the 8 is a good start point from which to take it further... I'm sure their aim wouldn't be to make the 8, then lose...

Agree. Dom really needs to learn CC cryptic speak.

I.E.
"A lot of the younger sides will run out of stream as the season wears on" = We have aimed to have lots of legs in the second half.

"The good thing is we are playing sides who we are competing with for spots in the eight "= We have known that since preseason and are going to really take it up to them.

"There appears to be a spot in the top four up for grabs - there are a couple of stand out sides but after that it is pretty even" = We are going to have it.

 

[ImperialPurple]

Of course, if given the choice, I'd rather have locked away wins against Port at home, and Essendon away when we got ourselves in front, and against Collingwood (damned crooked kicking), and played Brisbane when they were crap instead of during that 3 or 4 weeks when they were "up", but it hasn't happened. But all is not lost. Top 4 looks unlikely, but at least if we are in the 8, we are there or abouts with a chance to keep progressing. Tough, but not impossible.

 

[dominguez]

But making the 8 is just the starting point. You can't go further if you're not there, so making the 8 is a good start point from which to take it further... I'm sure their aim wouldn't be to make the 8, then lose...

Obviously, and if we play in a prelim or a GF from 4th or 8th it's all the same.

But Rick Hart's comment last week was along the lines of if we miss the 8 it will be difficult to retain Chris, if we play finals that decision becomes a lot easier. It was implied that 9th-16th he's gone, 1st to 8th he stays.

 

[dominguez]

Of course, if given the choice, I'd rather have locked away wins against Port at home, and Essendon away when we got ourselves in front, and against Collingwood (damned crooked kicking), and played Brisbane when they were crap instead of during that 3 or 4 weeks when they were "up", but it hasn't happened. But all is not lost. Top 4 looks unlikely, but at least if we are in the 8, we are there or abouts with a chance to keep progressing. Tough, but not impossible.

If we win 7 or 8 of our last 10 our form will be red hot, the team that plays us in the first round will be very nervous.

 

[Ripper]

Obviously, and if we play in a prelim or a GF from 4th or 8th it's all the same.

But Rick Hart's comment last week was along the lines of if we miss the 8 it will be difficult to retain Chris, if we play finals that decision becomes a lot easier. It was implied that 9th-16th he's gone, 1st to 8th he stays.

Rick is just keeping everyone on their toes for the rest of the season as he should.

The coaching and playing group would have been made well aware that it would not be just CC getting the boot.

New coach brings new assistants, may not rate certain players the same as the current match committee, etc etc.

It is all good.

 

[Rob]

Just re-read my post from this morning, it should say that he coached really well in 2002 and 2003, but struggled in 2004 and 2005. I really shouldn't post after working 12 hour nightshifts.

If we don't win a final I certainly wouldn't renew Connolly's contract if I was making the decision. I get your point about a better coach being available, but if Connolly takes us to the finals once in four years with a top four list then the next coach is irrelevant because he quite clearly isn't getting the best from the playing group. A new coach, especially an untried one, would be a gamble, but IMO if we finish outside the top 6 this year Connolly clearly isn't up to the challenge so it would be a gamble worth taking.

Unfortunately the bar seems to have ben lowered by the club, and anywhere in the 8 looks to be acceptable now.

Maybe. But the issue shouldn't be what the finishing position is. Not directly anyway. It should be whether Connolly is the man that can win premierships.

One things for sure though, is that he's been there long enough to be directly accountable for everything that's happened on field. And he certainly can't complain about a lack of resources.

Which is something that would undoubtedly by attractive for someone like Sheedy. He would get a 5 year contract to do what he likes and he would get anything he wanted. Assistant coaches, boot studders, arse scratchers an unlimited supply of coffee chill, etc etc.
I would have thought that would be more attractive than ending up at a basketcase Victorian club and having to wash the jumpers himself because the club can't afford a washing machine.

 

[pistol17]

Dennis Pagan is officially available... Just got sacked

 

[westy1]

pagan please no

i was keen on laidley but the more i think about it , if we keep harvey it will be more like a natural progression than a big shake up,really we havent been that far off this year, just a few minor adjustments e.g get rid of the coach and tweak a few things here and there,which harvs seems to have done and we could beat anyone
i fear that if we get someone completely new then there will be this big shake down which we really dont need
this week is as good as a test as any

 

[ImperialPurple]

Agree. No to Pagan please... No to Daniher. No to Laidley. I reckon stick with Harvey - or chase Sheedy really hard.

 

[dominguez]

Pagan would be fantastic IMO.

 

[theGav56]

The big issue with Pagan is how damaged he is from the pastings the Blues have had this year. His credibility has taken a hammering, and there would be significant doubt in some of the players minds about his ability, which he would have to overcome.

Now that we have an interim coach, if he goes well, then he will etablish himself as frontrunner for any of the vacant coaching positions.

 

[dominguez]

I think that the way things have gone at carlton will make Pagan desperate to coach again. If Carlton had been middle of the road, like we have been under Connolly, I'm sure Pagan could walk away content. The fact that they have been so poor leaves him with something to prove. Very few coaches win premierships at two clubs.