Crows v Eagles

[Riggy1]

Hey look we've got one of the best coaches in the competition who has managed to keep a tired, lacklustre list competitive for half a decade, let's kick him out.

why not lets do it

 

[beartoo]

Pick one from the multiple choice questions and tell me what this thread is about:
1 Where Berri is?
2 Should Dangerfield play or not and if yes or no then why?
3 Should Craig be sacked?
4 Crows Vs Eagles?

 

[WALL-e]

Definately not 4

 

[Mismatched]

Pick one from the multiple choice questions and tell me what this thread is about:
1 Where Berri is?
2 Should Dangerfield play or not and if yes or no then why?
3 Should Craig be sacked?
4 Crows Vs Eagles?

Yeah, I think you need a fifth option:

5 Options 1,2 & 3, but not 4

 

[WALL-e]

On topic, is there any way of watching this game apart from being there?

 

[Porps_is_HOT_loz]

If Dangerfield doesnt even get a game in this match.. I will get angry..

 

[Alex99]

On topic, is there any way of watching this game apart from being there?

No but 95% sure that 5AA will broadcast it on the radio so that's something.

 

[WALL-e]

No but 95% sure that 5AA will broadcast it on the radio so that's something.

When's the game? What day/night?

 

[Alex99]

When's the game? What day/night?

Friday night in Alice Springs (time unconfirmed)

http://www.afc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4417/newsid/72456/default.aspx

 

[WALL-e]

bugger, i'll be dressed as a lion in Tasmania.......

Hopefully we get some nice match reports from the afc.

 

[Alex99]

Ticket information for the Crows game in Berri.

http://afc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4417/newsid/72479/default.aspx

 

[rooboy]

Hey look we've got one of the best coaches in the competition who has managed to keep a tired, lacklustre list competitive for half a decade, let's kick him out.

Agree completely. He has done an amazing job with the players he has had. BUT I do think Buckley would be a good get IF Craig was to go.

 

[The Crows Truth]

why not lets do it

you are such a waste of space

 

[DirrtyBee]

Oh Berri is a little far away isn't it? 3 or so hours by car? or more?

 

[Freddy Bassett]

Eventually you can only tolerate so many finals losses before some has to go well, look this person doesnt have the nouse to take the club to the ultimate goal, Craig doesnt have that nouse and has proven it time and time again, I mean geez the club isnt short of funds and can surround him with all the expertise in thw orld, but if you have a stubborn old mule who wont budge you might aswell have saved the money and not bothered, on Saturday night I was truely amazed at the amount of coaching support staff we have its astounding

not many, if any other coaches would of had the 'nouse' to get us into the 8. Im sure if we had the Hawks, Carlton or Richmonds picks this millenium we would also be in a very strong position. And before you say Geelong, if we had the father sons that we deserve (Gibbs) life would be rosy. I think Craig has done an amazing job, his only fault IMO is sometimes he can be outcoached and is slow to react. Most coaches can be accused of this..

 

[Freddy Bassett]

Hey look we've got one of the best coaches in the competition who has managed to keep a tired, lacklustre list competitive for half a decade, let's kick him out.

Stop talking common sense....

 

[Crow-mo]

The AFC 'boys club' will never part with him though

you do realise, I wasn't agreeing with you?

 

[Crow-mo]

Hey look we've got one of the best coaches in the competition who has managed to keep a tired, lacklustre list competitive for half a decade, let's kick him out.

after a half a decade he doesn't get the luxury of making excuses about the list.
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

he's heading into his 6th season, been there long enough now...

but again, allow me to distance myself from the irrational ravings of a whack job. somewhere between there, and the blind devotion to Craig I think the truth lies.

 

[maccas_no1]

you do realise, I wasn't agreeing with you?

I did I was just pointing the fact out that despite my feelings, he wont go due to the 'boys club'

 

[cmndstab]

I think the "problem" was that he took our list and instantly made it one of the most competitive units in the competition. Which meant that, since we were seriously challenging for a flag for a couple of years there, development went out the window. It's really only the last few years that development has been a serious focus for Craig, and hopefully now is the time we should start to see some results of that.


We'll find out soon enough, I guess.

 

[Crow-mo]

I think the "problem" was that he took our list and instantly made it one of the most competitive units in the competition. Which meant that, since we were seriously challenging for a flag for a couple of years there, development went out the window. It's really only the last few years that development has been a serious focus for Craig, and hopefully now is the time we should start to see some results of that.

I don't think that's true either.

we were a constant finals team, and flag threat with the same team - see 2002, 2003. we had a terrible, terrible year in 2004 with injuries. What Craig did was introduce new ideas, and freshen up our list.

there are 2 myths here:
1. that he took over a no hoper list.
2. that he is still hindered by that same (mythical) no hoper list.

neither is true. what is true, is that his new approach was a breeze of fresh air, rejuvenating our list; introducing tactics that caught the rest oif the league on the back foot. In fact, in 2005 we had a dream run with injuries, which should not be forgotten either.

Neil Craig is obviously a very good coach, and he is one with flaws too. like anyone. However he has had enough time to get the list he wants, and should start to be judged purely on absolute results, not ones with excuse based asterisks.

 

[cmndstab]

Don't get me wrong, I've been one of the biggest advocates for remembering that, hey, at times in 2003 we were in the top 4. However, there is no denying that we were far superior in the 05-06 period than in the 02-03 period. The backbone of that list is now gone, and the new breed is starting to come through. I think that now is about the time that the success or otherwise of Craig's development of our squad will be exposed for all to see.

 

[CrowHop]

Crow-Mo, the list he took over was an ageing list that had no forward structure and was minus Mark Stevens through retirement and Nige had officially retired. Carey also retired in 04.

Rutten was inexperienced and Bock was being trialled as a make shift CHF at the end of 2004. Bassett was too small to be a class FB, although that is where he was being played.

Essentially at that point we were a side capable of making the finals with a small number of great players (Mcleod, Roo, Edwards et al) but we didnt have the overall depth to seriously challenge for the flag.

Not a no hoper list at all, but a list that definitely had been neglected and needed work.

What we have now, is a mixture of kids and experienced folk without any real genuine quality depth between the ages of 22 and 28. If we have, I'd like to know who they are. Craig is still in the process of building a squad and deserves another season or so.

I don't think it is time to judge him solely on absolute results, although, naturally, that should form a large part of it.

I do concede, I am a NC fan, but the excuse based asterisks are indeed getting a bit thin.

 

[Crow-mo]

Crow-Mo, the list he took over was an ageing list that had no forward structure and was minus Mark Stevens through retirement and Nige had officially retired. Carey also retired in 04.

Rutten was inexperienced and Bock was being trialled as a make shift CHF at the end of 2004. Bassett was too small to be a class FB, although that is where he was being played.

Essentially at that point we were a side capable of making the finals with a small number of great players (Mcleod, Roo, Edwards et al) but we didnt have the overall depth to seriously challenge for the flag.

Not a no hoper list at all, but a list that definitely had been neglected and needed work.

do not accept this at all. we entered 2003 and 2004 as flag contenders - but were struck down by injury. the core of our team was the same.

the only thing interupting a constant line of finals appearances was the one year, 2004 - which we entered as one of the flag favourites. we were decimated - and it is worth remembering that NC could do no better in the second half of 2004.

this is a constantly repeated line, but it does not stand up to scrutiny.
put another way, its a myth plain and simple. we contended in 2002, were amongst the favourites in 2003, 2004 and contended again in 2005 2006. the coach who took over midway through 2004, took over a list that was still expected to be up and around the mark. it is only that we want to believe in something being more than it is, that we have created this myth that craig inherited a shitty list.

What we have now, is a mixture of kids and experienced folk without any real genuine quality depth between the ages of 22 and 28. If we have, I'd like to know who they are. Craig is still in the process of building a squad and deserves another season or so.

don't disagree with you at all, but heading into your 6th season you've had plenty of time to get it into shape. I also think there is missing quality.

put another way, if 6 years isn't enough. how long is? 7 years? 8 years? how many coaches get that long?

surely we're not saying, that a coach needs 8 years before they can turn a list around? that's terry wallace type spin.

I don't think it is time to judge him solely on absolute results, although, naturally, that should form a large part of it.

I do concede, I am a NC fan, but the excuse based asterisks are indeed getting a bit thin.

I am a bit of a NC fan too, I think he's done a good job. he certainly turned out to be the right man at the time. I think he has flaws, he's been slow to recognise these, and that we make too many excuses for them.

what I am genuinely worried about is that we have all these kids, some of them who look pretty good - but how many are best in class good? we have promise, but how does it stack up relative to everyone else, our competition.

I don't think where we finish matters that much. for example, in 2007 & 2008 we finished in the same spot. in 2007 it was a close loss, on the front foot; with an ounce of luck we could have gone deep. in 2008, we finished in the same spot, but it felt like we were barely at the races, a bad loss, and it seemed we were slipping behind. we no longer threatened the good teams, and we were holding on by our fingernails.

I can be happy with 10th this year, but I don't want anymore of this feeling that we're slipping backwards. I want to see forward progress, that guys like goodwin do NOT finish 2nd in the B&F. we need to be building momentum this year (even if doesn't look like it on the ladder). if we're not, enough of the excuses, enough of the asterisks.

 

[Crow-mo]

Don't get me wrong, I've been one of the biggest advocates for remembering that, hey, at times in 2003 we were in the top 4. However, there is no denying that we were far superior in the 05-06 period than in the 02-03 period.

we never had quite the same injury run, ever, that we had in 2005. and craig's tactics certainly gave us a boost over the rest of the league that year. we were already slipping by the end of 2006. we had been worked out tactically by that point - amongst other things, and we've never enjoyed that tactical superiority since.

The backbone of that list is now gone, and the new breed is starting to come through. I think that now is about the time that the success or otherwise of Craig's development of our squad will be exposed for all to see.

and that is the point. he's had long enough now, lets see that we are really on the right track that things are going forward. or not. that's all.