Dean Laidley on SEN

[Hearts to hearts]

I just caught the last few minutes. Dean said that if he had known then what he knows now, he would have waited longer to take a senior coaching job - it's hard when the opportunity is available to be one of the small number of senior AFL coaches, but he would have been a better coach with more experience.

Then he answered Robbo's questions about the time the fan committed suicide after speaking to him (he didn't walk down the path to and from the ground for years afterwards), the impact of football on his family (I didn't realise his marriage had broken up - he said he tried his best to give the kids time but it does have an effect) and the big family punch up in Bali.

Before closing he told them all that he still hadn't been asked about the Carey game, the McCartney game or lots of other stories, so they said they needed to get him back.

Did anyone else hear the earlier part? Or are we all avoiding the radio today?

Btw when Robbo was asking about the family, he said lots of coaches including Sheedy had said they hadn't been good fathers - then stopped to say he couldn't remember if these were interviews or private conversations, so he hoped it was ok to talk about. They laughed, but he is such a poor excuse for a journalist.

 

[TheMcGrathMan]

What's the story about the fan committing suicide?

 

[Hearts to hearts]

What's the story about the fan committing suicide?

Towards the end of Dean's time coaching us, we were playing (not very well) at Docklands. Every time he ran down between the rows of seats at breaks, one North supporter chipped at him. Eventually he turned around and pointed at him and said something like "back off, we are all hurting, come down to the rooms and see for yourself". That was the end of it but the guy he spoke to committed suicide later that day. It was a bit of a furore for a little while. Dean said today (and I remember this at the time) that the guy's family were wonderful, said that he had existing issues and no-one was in any way to blame. I'd never heard before today that it changed his behaviour so much - he said it really rocked him badly.

 

[danj]

Say what you like about JYD but he got blood out of a stone as far as the team at that time goes, BTW when was the last time we played in a prelim and who coached us?

 

[Gasometer]

...good timing, just writing this morning about how JYD never wrote back to me after I wrote him congratulating him on his career when he resigned.

I will now do the same gag from 2am today.

So I wrote a song and called it 'Dean'....

 

[Rooz90]

Say what you like about JYD but he got blood out of a stone as far as the team at that time goes, BTW when was the last time we played in a prelim and who coached us?

This. I've always been a fan of players who become coaches of the team they played for. Look i don't hate Brad Scott, nor am i calling for his head, but we need North Melbourne people in the club even as a senior coach.

There have countless wins under the Laidley era, that have made me love this club even more so. Archers 250th against the Swanies- 40pts down last quarter come back to win. We had a lot of wins under him when we've been 5-6goals down during games to win.

Scott needs to coach like the way he played- as a hard nut.

 

[Rooz90]

...good timing, just writing this morning about how JYD never wrote back to me after I wrote him congratulating him on his career when he resigned.

I will now do the same gag from 2am today.

So I wrote a song and called it 'Dean'....

Gee, i would of loved to have read that letter, good song. tbh i do miss him, but it is a new era etc

 

[Tiger_4_Life]

Hey Guys,

I think sometimes as fans we forget that this really is just a game, and the people involved are just that...people.

Cheers!

 

[Gasometer]

Gee, i would of loved to have read that letter, good song. tbh i do miss him, but it is a new era etc

Yeh I don't think was anything special...just that I admired how he came back from the suspension in 93 to realise his finals dream in 96...he head-butted some Dogs nuffy in the last Round of 93...I think we lost it IIRC...and Horse may have even done his knee?

Yep
http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/1993/071219930828.html

 

[Rooz90]

Yeh I don't think was anything special...just that I admired how he came back from the suspension in 93 to realise his finals dream in 96...he head-butted some Dogs nuffy in the last Round of 93...I think we lost it IIRC...and Horse may have even done his knee?

Yep
http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/1993/071219930828.html

Far out, don't get score lines like that anymore.

 

[Gasometer]

Far out, don't get score lines like that anymore.

One of the most frustrating games of that year...we were up for so long and then it all came crashing down in one game.

We all ventured out to Waverly the next week all excited to be in finals after a long time and got smashed up big time, by the Eagles.

Still it was the start of an awesome era...one thing about the Angry Budgie was that he turned over that list after 93 to get the mix he wanted...3 years later quite a few who played in 93 missed out. Someone else could take a leaf out of his book....but admittedly it is probably more difficult these days to turn the list.

Anyway, JYD was an awesome player.

 

[SpiderBurton22]

It was a very good interview.

The passion and love for North still runs very deep. Spoke about the frustration of coaching in an era of instability, with half the club trying to whiteant us to the Gold Coast. He is so proud of the club and the position we're in now. Glad the his kids can watch and support us in Melbourne.

 

[DarwinRoo]

Hey Guys,

I think sometimes as fans we forget that this really is just a game, and the people involved are just that...people.

Cheers!

Any fights between he and his wife are no one's business.

 

[TheMcGrathMan]

Towards the end of Dean's time coaching us, we were playing (not very well) at Docklands. Every time he ran down between the rows of seats at breaks, one North supporter chipped at him. Eventually he turned around and pointed at him and said something like "back off, we are all hurting, come down to the rooms and see for yourself". That was the end of it but the guy he spoke to committed suicide later that day. It was a bit of a furore for a little while. Dean said today (and I remember this at the time) that the guy's family were wonderful, said that he had existing issues and no-one was in any way to blame. I'd never heard before today that it changed his behaviour so much - he said it really rocked him badly.

That's horrible - obviously Dean's fault, but so often people think things through too much and it can really affect them - as it did Dean.

Loved the way Dean played, and while wasn't his biggest fan as a coach (gameday good, trading bad) he made some excellent true North memories for all us supporters. Glad to here he's doing well.

 

[True North]

Our 2007 list was great on the park. We won so many games by less than 2 goals. If it was close, I knew we would win. That was our spirit.

He was bagged for our defensive style yet the 3 best key defenders our list had under his tenure were:

J.Hay - that went well, FU Hawthorn liars.
M.Firrito - 2nd in the AFL for goals conceded.
J.Gibson - led the AFL in goals conceded.

We would have been an abortion if we played a free-wheeling style. Right at a time when we were broke and relocation talk was beginning it's build.

Brad Scott doesn't deserve to bathe Dean's feet.

 

[Engimal]

Laidley's a champ. It's easy to forget that he took us to a prelim. One of the last times I've seen anything resemble the Shinboner Spirit. Even if we were 20 or 30 down, you always had a feeling we could still win it.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Any fights between he and his wife are no one's business.

Correct and fixed.

As for the interview, like you H to h I only heard the end. Based purely on that though it was the most chirpy and happy I've ever heard him speak about our, and his, club.

 

[Gasometer]

Correct and fixed.

As for the interview, like you H to h I only heard the end. Based purely on that though it was the most chirpy and happy I've ever heard him speak about our, and his, club.

Gawd can you remember the torturous post match conferences after a loss?

 

[Twinkletoes]

Gawd can you remember the torturous post match conferences after a loss?

Tssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.................>screws up face<..............can I ever!

 

[Gasometer]

Tssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.................>screws up face<..............can I ever!

There's none on YouTube....damn you YouTube....

 

[DJ Dupree]

This. I've always been a fan of players who become coaches of the team they played for. Look i don't hate Brad Scott, nor am i calling for his head, but we need North Melbourne people in the club even as a senior coach.

There have countless wins under the Laidley era, that have made me love this club even more so. Archers 250th against the Swanies- 40pts down last quarter come back to win. We had a lot of wins under him when we've been 5-6goals down during games to win.

Scott needs to coach like the way he played- as a hard nut.

We were making threads about Laidley and how he wasn't going to take us anywhere, how it was blue collar and wouldn't win the big prize. Which given the era in which he coached, is probably true. But I'd have to say now, I'd really like to have seen Laidley given the same resources, footy dept spend, facilities and time as Brad Scott has had, and see where he could have taken us. Huge hypothetical I know, but I think he would have done far better. Light years ahead. He's 200% the match day coach Scott is, and really, if he had the middle-road players he had at his disposal playing regular finals, imagine what he'd do with a supremely talented group?

He certainly wouldn't tolerate this rubbish, and then sit there spouting stats from a laptop and saying they're 'on the right track' 4 years later. He'd be angry and heads would damn well roll.

I think history has been particularly unfair to Dean Laidley, who actually had the testicular fortitude to stick it out during a very tough era when bottoming out wasn't an option and nobody else wanted the job, to make way for someone else to be gifted every resource under the sun and do a worse job than he did, but cop barely the same scrutiny until maybe now (how many years later, and how many years to go??). I would have Dean back with this group in a heartbeat. There I said it.

 

[gokangas]

Odd bloke Dean. Real Jeckyl and Hyde stuff.

 

[Harris 10]

He got a more out of a list that had far less talent than the current one.

 

[Dirty_11]

One of the most frustrating games of that year...we were up for so long and then it all came crashing down in one game.

We all ventured out to Waverly the next week all excited to be in finals after a long time and got smashed up big time, by the Eagles.

Still it was the start of an awesome era...one thing about the Angry Budgie was that he turned over that list after 93 to get the mix he wanted...3 years later quite a few who played in 93 missed out. Someone else could take a leaf out of his book....but admittedly it is probably more difficult these days to turn the list.

Anyway, JYD was an awesome player.

How good was the follow up trip to Waverley the next year against the Hawks. One of my all time favourite games/memories. On the wing with the North faithful. First finals win in a long time in extra time. One of the reasons I will always love the Duck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Gasometer]

How good was the follow up trip to Waverley the next year against the Hawks. One of my all time favourite games/memories. On the wing with the North faithful. First finals win in a long time in extra time. One of the reasons I will always love the Duck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh yeh, I was on that wing about 6 rows back from the boundary.

Probably up there with one of the most exciting afternoons ever at the footy...the first extra time final.

I cant remember that next 1994 final game though....