Can Robert Harvey coach?

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Aug 3, 2020
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I think the club needs new ideas so I agree that we need a new person at the helm next year but this is an unrealistic expectation of a coach. Malthouse gave the media nothing, which is roughly what Lethal gave them.

I was and remain a Buckley fan. He was a great media performer but I'm enjoying the way the team is playing under Harvey infinitely more.

Unlike the follically challenged ottoman I hold no envy for Harvey's hair and strongly feel that a guy living in the 2020s should not have the same hairstyle he had in the 90s.
I always thought Malthouse pressers were as worth watching as the games themselves. Prick was willing to bite anyone's head off, it was great!
 
No, he can’t coach. And that’s a good thing. He’s not really coaching at the moment, he’s just letting them go for it which is exactly what they need at present. A slight change in approach and a freedom to take the game on and take risks. Hopefully our next coach can bottle it develop that properly.

Unfair.

Our defence has held up beautifully and some passages of play have been sublime. We're blooding youngsters and looking promising.

Im sure he's executing to the best of his ability and earning every single one of his dollars (which would be less than Bucks).

Coaching is a task which is both not well understood and thankless.
 

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May 25, 2006
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Unfair.

Our defence has held up beautifully and some passages of play have been sublime. We're blooding youngsters and looking promising.

Im sure he's executing to the best of his ability and earning every single one of his dollars (which would be less than Bucks).

Coaching is a task which is both not well understood and thankless.

Of course it was a bit of a harsh comment but that’s the question in the thread title.

I think some of our young players are benefiting from a less defensive game style that Bucks was playing..., Henry for example ( being our top pick was obviously blessed with some talent) whilst Ruscoe has been a revelation after being moved to defence. The rest of our kids are just paddling along... they’ll come good but there’s very few sudden gems that have appeared due to Harvey taken over. We are still looking for our first Rising Star nominee and likely to miss out completely in 2021 despite playing more youngsters than any other club.

Our defence has been awesome for four years.... not because we replaced the senior coach.

Harvey isn’t cut out to be a senior coach and shouldn’t be on our short list let alone top 10. I don’t think that opinion is unfair.
 
Of course it was a bit of a harsh comment but that’s the question in the thread title.

I think some of our young players are benefiting from a less defensive game style that Bucks was playing..., Henry for example ( being our top pick was obviously blessed with some talent) whilst Ruscoe has been a revelation after being moved to defence. The rest of our kids are just paddling along... they’ll come good but there’s very few sudden gems that have appeared due to Harvey taken over. We are still looking for our first Rising Star nominee and likely to miss out completely in 2021 despite playing more youngsters than any other club.

Our defence has been awesome for four years.... not because we replaced the senior coach.

Harvey isn’t cut out to be a senior coach and shouldn’t be on our short list let alone top 10. I don’t think that opinion is unfair.

I don't predict a high likelihood of Harvs being flooded with offers for next year but he has exceeded my low expectations for this year.

Coaching young guys is just as much about trust and rapport as it is about getting them faster, stronger, and technically more complete. Credit where it's due, he seems to be going OK on that front.

It's probably made easier for him to focus like this because he knows he won't get the gig next year.
 
Aug 29, 2005
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I think the club needs new ideas so I agree that we need a new person at the helm next year but this is an unrealistic expectation of a coach. Malthouse gave the media nothing, which is roughly what Lethal gave them.

I was and remain a Buckley fan. He was a great media performer but I'm enjoying the way the team is playing under Harvey infinitely more.

Unlike the follically challenged ottoman I hold no envy for Harvey's hair and strongly feel that a guy living in the 2020s should not have the same hairstyle he had in the 90s.

It took a few weeks but we are definitely more attacking in ball movement but prob going to take a while to transition to that style and be good at it consistently.
 

Toecrusher

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Aug 31, 2014
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No, he can’t coach. And that’s a good thing. He’s not really coaching at the moment, he’s just letting them go for it which is exactly what they need at present. A slight change in approach and a freedom to take the game on and take risks. Hopefully our next coach can bottle it develop that properly.
Obviously, a bit tongue in cheek answer, but the question I've got is, if he's not a reasonably good coach, why has he been able to hold down an assistant job at our club for close to a decade?

A lack of turnover of the assistants was a factor in Bucks departure due to the lack of fresh ideas. We've got to be smarter than that going forward.
 
May 25, 2006
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Obviously, a bit tongue in cheek answer, but the question I've got is, if he's not a reasonably good coach, why has he been able to hold down an assistant job at our club for close to a decade?

A lack of turnover of the assistants was a factor in Bucks departure due to the lack of fresh ideas. We've got to be smarter than that going forward.

Not sure if you have already answered your own question!

Even if he is a capable assistant coach that doesn’t necessarily mean he can be a good senior coach
 

Countrypie

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Apr 10, 2012
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Just thought I'd bump this with a few thoughts.
I don't know if he can coach. I don't know if coaching elite teams is the sporting equivalent of entrails reading, or a professional crap shoot which is based on a whole lot of luck and expected amounts of "sporting iq"

My cynicism re the coaching position probably extends from the smoke and mirrors that "supercoach" Kevin Sheedy indulged in, which resulted in him getting a lot of plaudits for winning a couple of flags when he had a dynasty level list. BS baffles brains and Sheedy was the master in making the art of leading a team that virtually coached itself to a couple of flags seem like rocket science. I also scratch my head when I think that Barassi is lauded as a supercoach when his main trait was to belittle and abuse players. Again he was the head of wonderful bought lists at North Melb and got very lucky at least once at Carlton. Could Sheedy coach? I don't know - I wonder if the results would have been better if David Parkin was in charge of the bombers or John Cahill for that matter. Could Barassi coach? I don't know - I reckon my grandmother could have coached North Melbourne to a couple of flags with that list. Would Barassi's coaching methods work now? Not a snowflake's chance in hell.

Which brings me back to Harvey. The guy might be able to coach.He might not. But I'm genuinely happy for him and the way he has handled what was a poisoned chalice. He deserves respect and I hope whatever next year brings he enjoys a level of success.

I have no idea if he can coach though.
 

johncitizen

Cancelled
May 22, 2006
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I always thought Malthouse pressers were as worth watching as the games themselves. Prick was willing to bite anyone's head off, it was great!
That's what we need from our next coach. Collingwood hating Journalists deserve it.

Clarko is perfect for this.
 

De Glueie

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Mar 25, 2021
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Can mumbles Harvey coach LOL....?
i agree with Tim From Thomastown that Harvey has lifted the shackles and allowing the group to play full on attacking footy. As soon as Howe came back directing traffic look how good the backline played now drop Magden and add in Moore then look out

We need an experienced Coach with scores on the board......Clarkson is the man
 

Scratchy05

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Sep 16, 2020
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I love what Harvey has done. Gotten so many players to play better. I want to stick with him but with the previous success rate of interim coaches, I can see why the club wouldn't.

If we look externally. I want Mark Williams. Every club he is at seems to get better instantly almost and I'm sure he'd love to coach again.
 
Feb 8, 2007
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I thought Harvs was no chance of coaching this team permanently, but over the past few weeks, l have been thoroughly impressed with him during his press conferences, and of course by our gamestyle, and the way he is bringing on the youngsters by playing them, and giving them a licence to express themselves with an attacking gameplan, this has been excellent.
The best thing in the game against WC, was not only did we play shotgun footy, but our defensive game held up beautifully, so Harvs has the balance right.
I would be very happy if the club appointed him full time coach for the next few years, with maybe an experienced former senior coach as an assistant, like Leppitsch, Pyke or Williams...
 

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Jul 3, 2001
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The game was a walk in the park and I dunno what’s going on with the Weagles.

But I thought our defensive system was absolutely sensational for a lot of the game yesterday. We were playing Kennedy Darling and that other kid after all.
 
Feb 27, 2017
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Just thought I'd bump this with a few thoughts.
I don't know if he can coach. I don't know if coaching elite teams is the sporting equivalent of entrails reading, or a professional crap shoot which is based on a whole lot of luck and expected amounts of "sporting iq"

My cynicism re the coaching position probably extends from the smoke and mirrors that "supercoach" Kevin Sheedy indulged in, which resulted in him getting a lot of plaudits for winning a couple of flags when he had a dynasty level list. BS baffles brains and Sheedy was the master in making the art of leading a team that virtually coached itself to a couple of flags seem like rocket science. I also scratch my head when I think that Barassi is lauded as a supercoach when his main trait was to belittle and abuse players. Again he was the head of wonderful bought lists at North Melb and got very lucky at least once at Carlton. Could Sheedy coach? I don't know - I wonder if the results would have been better if David Parkin was in charge of the bombers or John Cahill for that matter. Could Barassi coach? I don't know - I reckon my grandmother could have coached North Melbourne to a couple of flags with that list. Would Barassi's coaching methods work now? Not a snowflake's chance in hell.

Which brings me back to Harvey. The guy might be able to coach.He might not. But I'm genuinely happy for him and the way he has handled what was a poisoned chalice. He deserves respect and I hope whatever next year brings he enjoys a level of success.

I have no idea if he can coach though.
Barassi was a great leader and motivator, and not stupid. Men would run through walls for him... likewise Parkin. If you ever attended one of his leadership sessions, he had a great aura about him, and thought outside of the square, so was no doubt ahead of his time
 

Countrypie

Premiership Player
Apr 10, 2012
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Rowville
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Barassi was a great leader and motivator, and not stupid. Men would run through walls for him... likewise Parkin. If you ever attended one of his leadership sessions, he had a great aura about him, and thought outside of the square, so was no doubt ahead of his time
I agree 're Parkin .
I had that pleasure as I did with Tommy Hafey.
Although if you contrast Parkins feats with similar lists with that of Robert Walls there's not a whole lot of difference.
As for Barassi.... was he a great leader or was he just a leader that certain types of men responded to.?
I know that I worked with a Barassi type who was my immediate superior. I did what I had to -no more. I found him to be the most demotivating superior that I had the misfortune to work for.
Most footy coaches of that era were very similar. There wasn't a whole lot of science involved.
Barassi's record at Carlton and North on the face of it is outstanding. Yet this great leader went home to Melbourne with a 5 year plan and delivered nothing. Further data that supports my theory that great coaches are myths created by a series of fortunate circumstances.
 
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I wonder if the players will have a say on Harvey? We've seen previously interim coaches seem to have the players backing only for it to go bad the following season. I'm sure the selection panel will make the right decision.
 
I wonder if the players will have a say on Harvey? We've seen previously interim coaches seem to have the players backing only for it to go bad the following season. I'm sure the selection panel will make the right decision.

The way the players seem to have responded to Harvey would be a factor if Harvey was in the running for the job. I doubt the players would have a direct say though.

He has done his future prospects of employment elsehere no harm but it is unlikely that he would be retained by any new coach we bring in. They'd want a clean slate and fair enough.
 
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Countrypie

Premiership Player
Apr 10, 2012
3,852
6,022
Rowville
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Collingwood
The way the players seem to have responded to Harvey would be a factor if Harvey was in the running for the job. I doubt the players would have a direct say though.

He has sone his future prospects of employment ho harm but it is unlikely that he would be retained by any new coach we bring in. They'd want a clean slate and fair enough.
That's been my thinking all along...but..I'm not so sure. The thing that has struck me about Harvey over the past couple of weeks is that his word appears to be his bond. Loyalty is in short supply in this world. Harvey strikes me as being a perfect foil for many coaches. Some assistants are running their own agendas. Harvey seems to focus on doing his job to the best of his ability, perhaps to his detriment as far as public perception is concerned. Not the worst 2IC you could have in as much as he appears to be able to work within a framework
 
That's been my thinking all along...but..I'm not so sure. The thing that has struck me about Harvey over the past couple of weeks is that his word appears to be his bond. Loyalty is in short supply in this world. Harvey strikes me as being a perfect foil for many coaches. Some assistants are running their own agendas. Harvey seems to focus on doing his job to the best of his ability, perhaps to his detriment as far as public perception is concerned. Not the worst 2IC you could have in as much as he appears to be able to work within a framework

You'd hope that the new coach would be comfotable to retain an experienced & loyal assistant that has been at the helm, but it is unlikely. It would be a smart way to build goodwill with the players who like Harvey.
 
He's got a little better in front of the camera.

He has a few more to go
Smooth media performance is a bonus (we were spoiled with Bucks).
I prefer my coaches major skill set to be coaching & tactics.
Clarko had a lot of ums & ahs in his press conferences (Doesn’t detract from his 4 Premierships).
 

manicpie

Brownlow Medallist
Jul 19, 2019
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Too hard to judge Harvey, he isn't coaching for the job and doesn't have the stress that comes with the job permanently. He has pretty much given the side free reign which wouldn't hold up. What he is doing well is giving the young blokes opportunity to express themselves and fast tracking their development which is great for us.
 
Funny how many on here blamed Harv's & other assistants for what we were putting out over the years. Instead of blaming the head coach.
I think we can get a better read on him now & he has done pretty well all things considered.
 

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