Can Chris.C Do It?

[Freo Shark]

Dutch - could not agree with you more. He is a great promoter but hopless as a football coach. We need a real football coach to bring the best out of this squad.

Why the ******** people cant wait and see how we go this year. The ball hasnt even been bounced and ppl are writing him off. Give him a decent go before you crucify him.

We all know 2004 was disappointing and he's certainly upped the anty recruiting the guys he has so. He knows where he sits this year - and hopefully he's learnt something.

 

[theferrett]

He has to convince me, and this will be the year of his redemption. If we dont get in the finals, hang him by his nurries from the Freo Town Hall, and give his missus the key to the city

 

[jarman]

CC was totally out-coached numerous times last year and 2003 preliminary final. I am convinced that with a coach like Woosha, Wallace or Pagan, we would be a top 4 club.

I have been hanging about for 10 years and had enough carp, waiting for this club to really do something. My view CC is now the only thing holding us back.

 

[Freo Shark]

Perhaps you, Tico and Dutchey can sharpen your knives together - Everyone knows that CC made mistakes, the players didnt play up to their best and we blew a near certain top 8 finish.

Criticism is one thing but sheesh he's the coach of your own team, give him a chance before you start calling for blood - As everyone knows 2005 will be better or he can kiss his job goodbye - unless he's already been promised an extension to woo him back from the Hawks last year

 

[Freo Big Fella]

CC was totally out-coached numerous times last year and 2003 preliminary final. I am convinced that with a coach like Woosha, Wallace or Pagan, we would be a top 4 club.

I have been hanging about for 10 years and had enough carp, waiting for this club to really do something. My view CC is now the only thing holding us back.

Woosha? You must like crazy 8's.

 

[Ripper]

State the cold hard facts if you will. Since taking over he has won 34 from 67 at better than 50%. Pre Connolly the club had won 47 from 154 games at 30%. So who is the best coach they have had, quite simple. The club was almost shut down after 2001, losing money and winning 2 games. Now look at them had their best 2 seasons in the AFL the past 2 yrs and making money with 5th-6th best membership. What do you expect a miracle. Port had a base to work around and a lot of history to fall back on, this club is from nothing and being the 2nd side in WA always going to take time. Look out this yr could be the big improver i'm tipping.

Well said. He has done it with one of the more constrained footy dept budgets as well.

 

[masai]

Twelve months is a long time in footy.

This time last year Chocco Williams was almost lynched and "supporters" thought CC was pretty good. Supporters are very fickle.

If CC plus the players learn from their errors, only good things can come out of it. Just remember the players need alot of the blame placed at their feet, sometimes I think they get off very lightly compared with the mud slung at the coach.

Onward and upward.

 

[Snickers]

No.

 

[jarman]

Read the article "Connolly and the Dockers Syndrome" in FootyGoss by George Grljusich.

I did not read the newspaper article or know anything about the CC claim that "he has the best mind in football". If this is correct, then he has gone down even further in my eyes. He would be the bootlaces on some of the other coaches when in comes to a football mind.

I also totally agree with Grljusich - that a team needs key forwards to be successful and this is one thing that is not high in CC football book.

I did not rate him as a coach before 2004 poor season and still do not. He will never get Freo to a GF, let alone win one. We will be lucky to get into the top 8.

 

[purplesoul]

I also totally agree with Grljusich

Well at least now I have a bit of an idea where you coming from.

 

[theGav56]

the past couple of years the club has done a fair bit of work in developing the forward line. We have recruited Murphy and Campbell to develop them and they seem to be coming along nicely. We have tried Snake up there, and even with his limited success the experiment ended up getting him an offer "too good to refuse" and which I am glad the club did not match. This year in the rookies the club has gone for some wildcard talls who might contribute something. The club secured MacPharlap and Croad to cure the problem, one of which was a success for us though not as a forward. They have introduced Polak to the role and they have wangled Tallmuir around up forward.

The thing that I am most optimistic about is the recruitment of Carr and Black, plus the development of other midfielders. Pav becomes more of a weapon, and with the running ability gained from his role in the midfield his move up forward coul be awesome and beautifully timed as a 23 year old.

For mine, keep a mix of Pav, Murphy, Polak and Tallmuir up forward as the talls. Get the delivery to them sorted from the midfield. Give them time.

 

[jarman]

Well at least now I have a bit of an idea where you coming from.

Purplesoul, from your post, I guess you do rate George Grljusich views. I remember Denis Cometti also stating that one of Freo’s main deficiencies, is that it did not have a real key forward.

We do not have to be rocket scientists to know that GF winning teams always have real key forwards (Lloyd, Treadea, Browne, Cary etc etc) and my view Freo’s real priority should have been to go and get a key forward.

Done is done and we have stocked up with some good mid-fielders. If they fire and McPhalin goes to FF, Freo will make the 5 to 8 position but never a GF. 2004 showed how far we were from this dream and CC will never be the man to take us there and is far from the best brain in football.

 

[Ripper]

While a key forward is desirable it was had to get one last trade draft period as the magic wand was in for repairs. One best hope is to develop one of our own.

 

[Kapow!!!]

Does ANYONE have any faith in Polak doing well at Full Forward? Throw Murphy in the Pocket and it could be an alright forward line. Show at least some faith guys!

You may despise Connolly or just think he should get the sack, that's not the way we should be thinking, particularly as a club. He may have made a few stuff-ups last year but in general it was player complacency that really cost us last year and now they have got a kick up the bum because of the matches they lost and now we have an improved structure, we will be competitive this year, and we would have gotten anywhere without Connolly.

I'm still undecided as to if Connolly could lead us to a premiership but I know one thing for, he can take us places where in the past we could have only dreamed about!

 

[voodoo_86]

and my view Freo’s real priority should have been to go and get a key forward.

And how did you suppose we do that?

Only 1 (semi) key forward was traded during this period.

Would you have prefered Thompson to Carr? Because that's what it would have taken to trump the Kangas ridiculous offer.

The key forwards of this league aren't going to be let go by their clubs - they want a key forward just as much as we do.

 

[jarman]

Voodoo, OK not so easy. But we could have tried harder to trade for one. I would have gone for Brendan Lade and stick him in the square. He would have kicked a bag of goals and made a contest. Bradshaw and Hadley were also tradable.

If we are prepared to trade all our draft picks on Josh Carr, so why not do the same with a key forward. I just b****** hope he stands up.

My view, it has not been a club priority to get a key forward. We took Dunn with our first pick last year, we should have gone for the best forward with this pick.

This year we had an opportunity to get Wilkes – 194cm and 94 Kg. He is big, strong, takes a pack mark and likes it tough. Who do we go for first up - Copping - tall defender 191cm and 75 Kg.

Anyway the season this here shortly and all will be revealed. CC may prove to be the savior and no doubt Dutchy and I will pay the consequences for our CC views.

Still looking forward to the day when we are good enough to make a serious run towards the GF. Fremantle will just be one massive party and go nuts for weeks.

I still do not believe it will ever happen under CC. He just does not seem able to get this group of players to play thier best football.

 

[Kenny_01]

Lade and Bradshaw? They will be has-beens in a couple of years. And if either were the number 1 forward in our side, I don't think they will be any better than Pavlich. In fact, I'm confident Pav will do much better than either/both would have. I'd prefer to develop talents like Pavlich, Polak and Murphy then trade for players that will be effective for only another 1-3 years.

There are no decent key forward prospects we could have realistically got.

 

[Freo Shark]

Voodoo, OK not so easy. But we could have tried harder to trade for one. I would have gone for Brendan Lade and stick him in the square. He would have kicked a bag of goals and made a contest. Bradshaw and Hadley were also tradable.

Brendan Lade ? your joking - We've JLo who can kick much better. I'll concede maybe we shoulda gone for another ruckman to give us the flexibility to keep him there or as backup.

Anyway the season this here shortly and all will be revealed. CC may prove to be the savior and no doubt Dutchy and I will pay the consequences for our CC views.

Lets hope we do see you pay the consequences.

Key forwards dont grow on trees and probably are a reason that good ones dont pop up so often and they are chased when they do.

Freo's problems are not so much the key forward prob but indirectness and clearances where we suffered last year. The midfield additions should improve that and release Pav to go forward to CHF which is apparently his natural position - whether it is or not we will see but the logic of Carr\Black\Schofield sees Pav freed up to play there.

McPharlin is arguably best at CHB where he would have been AA 2004 but for his injury. Polly is debateable but we will see - Murphy\Campbell are others that could go there too.

 

[theGav56]

And how did you suppose we do that?

Only 1 (semi) key forward was traded during this period.

Would you have prefered Thompson to Carr? Because that's what it would have taken to trump the Kangas ridiculous offer.

The key forwards of this league aren't going to be let go by their clubs - they want a key forward just as much as we do.

Other key forwards traded were Ottens and Simmonds. I reckon we'd be struggling to be better off with Thompson, Ottens or Simmonds given what it would cost to get them. Simmonds was after way too much and to get Ottens or Thompson to move West would have cost more than Carr IMO, plus I would have doubted whether their hearts would be in it. Croad on the surface would look as good an option at the time we got him, and it did not work. Develop the team from within, and bring in those who want to be here.

I also think an injury free Headland will be a different player this year for those of you who choose to knock the boys who have returned.

 

[pav_is_god]

Lade and Bradshaw? They will be has-beens in a couple of years. And if either were the number 1 forward in our side, I don't think they will be any better than Pavlich. In fact, I'm confident Pav will do much better than either/both would have. I'd prefer to develop talents like Pavlich, Polak and Murphy then trade for players that will be effective for only another 1-3 years.

There are no decent key forward prospects we could have realistically got.

Exactly, the only way we are going to get a decent key forward is by developing one and we've got plenty of tall youngsters to choose from.

 

[pav_is_god]

My view, it has not been a club priority to get a key forward. We took Dunn with our first pick last year, we should have gone for the best forward with this pick.

We had plenty of young developing talls when we picked up Dunn and we didn't need anymore - we needed midfielders.

 

[jarman]

We had plenty of young developing talls when we picked up Dunn and we didn't need anymore - we needed midfielders.

Well we now have the midfield depth and it is a matter of finding the right combination and getting them to fire. Can CC do this?

Agreed we have some young talls and Murphy is possibly the best for a start this year. I hope he is played up forward and not started down the back where CC had him in pre-season games last year.

Still early days on Johnson and Campbell but still would have liked for us to take Wilkes in the draft.

Also still not convinced that Polak/Pav is right combination for FF/CHF. Pav would be good at CHF if our delivery/disposal was better.

 

[pav_is_god]

Well we now have the midfield depth and it is a matter of finding the right combination and getting them to fire. Can CC do this?

Agreed we have some young talls and Murphy is possibly the best for a start this year. I hope he is played up forward and not started down the back where CC had him in pre-season games last year.

Still early days on Johnson and Campbell but still would have liked for us to take Wilkes in the draft.

Also still not convinced that Polak/Pav is right combination for FF/CHF. Pav would be good at CHF if our delivery/disposal was better.

Only time will tell whether our midfield will be able to gel together and deliver the goods to the forward line. I'm pretty confident that moving Pavlich into the forward line is the right move regardless and as for Polak, well he would be better suited replacing McPharlin at CHB, but that would severly weaken the strongest part of our team - the backline.