Malcolm Blight

[Slippery Pete]

Blighty said he wanted to give up after the first premiership. Monkey off his back, nothing else to prove type stuff. He was co-erced to stay on. Then after 98 he definitely wanted to pack it in and again was co-erced to stay on. (Back to back to back). He said he should never have stayed on in 99, and I believe they (AFC) shouldn't have forced him to.

Always fondly remembered by me. But he was no saint, and had as many flaws as the next coach. HATED how he was treated by the Sainters.

That's terrible logic from you Jenny, to say that convincing him to stay in 99 was a mistake. If they coerced him to stay on after 97, and won another flag, why the hell wouldnt they repeat the drill at the end of '98? The AFC was 100% right to convince him to stay on in '99. We were in a position to have a crack at 3 in a row - that's a once in a lifetime opportunity. At least we won't die wondering what would have happened in 99 "if only Blighty had stayed on." Nobody was to know the streak was going to end at two flags.

No, the club absolutely did the right thing.

 

[feenix67]

Funny though, we've had Craig ever since 97/98 in various roles but no Blighty and we haven't achieved the same success.

Maybe said player(s) didn't realise at the time and haven't understood since the positive impact Blight was having?

No that's incorrect I believe. Didn't Neil have a stint exclusively with the cycling team around the time of the 2000 Olympics? Fairly certain he left us after 98.

 

[Slippery Pete]

No that's incorrect I believe. Didn't Neil have a stint exclusively with the cycling team around the time of the 2000 Olympics? Fairly certain he left us after 98.

Think you're right. He returned a few years into the Ayres stint.

Hard to believe he was actually Ayres' assistant coach for so long. They are so different.

 

[srv23]

Blighty was a radical frontrunner. I think you'll find Neil Craig was more instrumental in our 97/98 success than Blight ever was. And that's paraphrasing a player's perspective.

Fair enough - that may well be Jars perspective and while Craig no doubt played a huge part in tailoring our fitness regime to have us up and firing in September and having the endurance to run over sides in the seond half (not sure where that has gone now though) but I think the last 2 years have shown that Craig would not have walked in and cut Jarman, McDemott, McGuinness (3 club champs with plenty of credits in the bank), thrown the responsibility in the finals to a very young and inexpeirienced group in Edwards, Goodwin, Macca (moved on the ball), K Johnson (tagged R Harvey) or got so annoyed with a senior player with plenty of credits/team security for a poor game/attitude in the qualifying final to drop said player for the remainder of the finals series.(Mods) - Do you think that if Burton in his prime had gone out and played as poorly and with as poor an attitude as Mods had in that game, that Craig would have dropped him for the rest of the finals series? Blight was prepared to make the tough calls and that's why he was such a good impact coach. However in many ways that's why he would not be a great long term coach at a club.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Blight was prepared to make the tough calls and that's why he was such a good impact coach. However in many ways that's why he would not be a great long term coach at a club.

Agree. Also, having the status he had in the game made it easier to make those tough calls. Especially in 98, when he already had a flag under his belt.

As much as I loved Modra and think it's a travesty that he didn't play in one of those flags, dropping him after the 98 Qualifying Final was absolutely the right decision.

 

[feenix67]

Fair enough - that may well be Jars perspective and while Craig no doubt played a huge part in tailoring our fitness regime to have us up and firing in September and having the endurance to run over sides in the seond half (not sure where that has gone now though) but I think the last 2 years have shown that Craig would not have walked in and cut Jarman, McDemott, McGuinness (3 club champs with plenty of credits in the bank), thrown the responsibility in the finals to a very young and inexpeirienced group in Edwards, Goodwin, Macca (moved on the ball), K Johnson (tagged R Harvey) or got so annoyed with a senior player with plenty of credits/team security for a poor game/attitude in the qualifying final to drop said player for the remainder of the finals series.(Mods) - Do you think that if Burton in his prime had gone out and played as poorly and with as poor an attitude as Mods had in that game, that Craig would have dropped him for the rest of the finals series? Blight was prepared to make the tough calls and that's why he was such a good impact coach. However in many ways that's why he would not be a great long term coach at a club.

You make some excellent points. The thing is, none of that would have mattered if it wasnt for the fact that we consistently ran over the top of teams late in the season, due to the load and taper fitness program employed at the time.

Im not discounting Malcolm's impact on our club or his influence in our two flags. I just think there's too much emphasis placed on his input, and not enough emphasis placed on the player's efforts (the 98 Sydney final was immense) and the impact of our then radical fitness program. I do believe Malcolm was a frontrunner, or as some here put it, "an impact coach". I think in many respects he was "all about him". I can just imagine him in today's Leading Teams environment:

Matt Connell: You know Malcolm, I think you judge me a little harshly at.....

Mal Blight: I dont give a fat rat's toss bag, you're crap, get out.

In any case, he deserves respect as a two time premiership coach.

 

[srv23]

You make some excellent points. The thing is, none of that would have mattered if it wasnt for the fact that we consistently ran over the top of teams late in the season, due to the load and taper fitness program employed at the time.

Just wonder what has happened to that innovative sports science approach to player fitness that Craig employed. He's gone from being a visionary in this field at AFL level to consistently criticised for the training methods he employs and how that has impacted on injuries as well as player fitness not only going into September but also going into the season and our ability to run our matches in the last year or 2 has been quite worrying at times although it seems to be more mental than physical - when we're on we're on (see vs WC, Carlton Essendon last year) but when we're off we look flat and lethargic as sides run over us.

Matt Connell: You know Malcolm, I think you judge me a little harshly at.....

Mal Blight: I dont give a fat rat's toss bag, you're crap, get out.

Ha ha - like it and I can see it going exactly like that You know I wonder if Connell hates him or is just thankful he as a flag to show for his AFL career.


.

 

[Sekaj]

For an interesting perspective on Blight, read "The Blight Years" from Andrew McLeod's latest biography.

 

[finn]

he helped win two flags in three years.
he helped instil a winning mentality throughout the club - and did what he thought was necessary to do so.
by most criterion, he was adelaide's most successful coach and should be remembered fondly for that.

my opinion is that its a silly thread but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

 

[dbcrow]

Just on the Modra thing - I think Blight learnt that a good full forward doesn't win you a Grand Final. In 3 Grand Finals with Geelong (and G Abblett), they didn't win one.

Then, when Mods did his knee in the '97 Prelim, he had to make some changes for the rest of that game, and then the GF by putting more flexible players in the forward positions (Smart, Ellen and Jars).

Maybe that's one of the reasons he let Mods go.

 

[rooboy]

Malcolm Blight, coached us to two Premierships, played in premierships, kicked 100 goals in VFL, kicked 100 goals in SANFL, won Brownlow, won Magarey, coached Geelong into 3 Grand Finals.

Yes he left us during '99. And if another coach comes along and wins us back to back flags, IMO he can also piss off whenever he wants.

Whatever anyone thinks about Blighty, he got us our only premierships and for that alone, we should be very, very, very appreciative.

 

[dbcrow]

Malcolm Blight, coached us to two Premierships, played in premierships, kicked 100 goals in VFL, kicked 100 goals in SANFL, won Brownlow, won Magarey, coached Geelong into 3 Grand Finals.

Yes he left us during '99. And if another coach comes along and wins us back to back flags, IMO he can also piss off whenever he wants.

Whatever anyone thinks about Blighty, he got us our only premierships and for that alone, we should be very, very, very appreciative.

Quoted for truth.

 

[Smoooothy]

Malcolm Blight, coached us to two Premierships, played in premierships, kicked 100 goals in VFL, kicked 100 goals in SANFL, won Brownlow, won Magarey, coached Geelong into 3 Grand Finals.

Yes he left us during '99. And if another coach comes along and wins us back to back flags, IMO he can also piss off whenever he wants.

Whatever anyone thinks about Blighty, he got us our only premierships and for that alone, we should be very, very, very appreciative.

also quoted for truth

 

[srv23]

Malcolm Blight, coached us to two Premierships, played in premierships, kicked 100 goals in VFL, kicked 100 goals in SANFL, won Brownlow, won Magarey, coached Geelong into 3 Grand Finals.

Yes he left us during '99. And if another coach comes along and wins us back to back flags, IMO he can also piss off whenever he wants.

Whatever anyone thinks about Blighty, he got us our only premierships and for that alone, we should be very, very, very appreciative.

Yep.

In reality the thread could have ended with poster number 2's response to the OP

 

[Vader]

Malcolm Blight, coached us to two Premierships, played in premierships, kicked 100 goals in VFL, kicked 100 goals in SANFL, won Brownlow, won Magarey, coached Geelong into 3 Grand Finals.

And on that basis you can mount a pretty good argument that he's the 2nd greatest Legend of the Game still alive - albeit a long, long way behind Leigh Matthews who stands head and shoulders above everyone else.

 

[Slippery Pete]

albeit a long, long way behind Leigh Matthews who stands head and shoulders above everyone else.

On what grounds? I'd put Malcolm Blight in exactly the same category as Leigh Matthews, if not higher.

 

[FlyingCrow]

On what grounds? I'd put Malcolm Blight in exactly the same category as Leigh Matthews, if not higher.

The way Mods left leaves a sour footnote on Blights career IMO.

But he did bring us two flags, and if we could subcontract him in September, I am sure we would have more. Is the best match day coach ever.

 

[KUNG FU]

Just on the Modra thing - I think Blight learnt that a good full forward doesn't win you a Grand Final. In 3 Grand Finals with Geelong (and G Abblett), they didn't win one.

Then, when Mods did his knee in the '97 Prelim, he had to make some changes for the rest of that game, and then the GF by putting more flexible players in the forward positions (Smart, Ellen and Jars).

Maybe that's one of the reasons he let Mods go.

Ahead of the curve with the decline of the superstar FF.

 

[Vader]

On what grounds? I'd put Malcolm Blight in exactly the same category as Leigh Matthews, if not higher.

As a player, Leigh Matthews is generally rated as the best to have ever played the game:

• 4 premierships as a player (1 as Captain)
• 8x Hawthorn B&F winner in an era when they were dominant
• 6x Hawthorn leading goal scorer
• 915 goals, 8th highest goal scorer of all time.

Compared to Malcolm Blight:

• 2 premierships
• 4x North Melbourne leading goal scorer
• 1x Brownlow Medal
• 1x Magarey Medal
• 1x Coleman Medal

As a coach, Leigh Matthews has 4 premierships (from 5 Grand Finals) to Blight's 2 (also from 5). Matthews has coached 442 games to Blight's 214.

Apart from those individual honours, Matthews has it all over Blight in every regard. That's no slur on Blight - Matthews is in a class all of his own, with Blight the best of the rest.

 

[jenny61_99]

That's terrible logic from you Jenny, to say that convincing him to stay in 99 was a mistake. If they coerced him to stay on after 97, and won another flag, why the hell wouldnt they repeat the drill at the end of '98? The AFC was 100% right to convince him to stay on in '99. We were in a position to have a crack at 3 in a row - that's a once in a lifetime opportunity. At least we won't die wondering what would have happened in 99 "if only Blighty had stayed on." Nobody was to know the streak was going to end at two flags.

No, the club absolutely did the right thing.

At the time, the Club felt they did the right thing I am sure. However, I met up with Blighty in April 99 - very early on in the season, and he had definitely lost the passion to coach. In his mind, he had nothing left to prove. Not even the possibility of winning a (then) unprecedented third flag in a row was fueling his fire. He was absolutely done and dusted.

 

[Slippery Pete]

As a player, Leigh Matthews is generally rated as the best to have ever played the game:

• 4 premierships as a player (1 as Captain)
• 8x Hawthorn B&F winner in an era when they were dominant
• 6x Hawthorn leading goal scorer
• 915 goals, 8th highest goal scorer of all time.

Compared to Malcolm Blight:

• 2 premierships
• 4x North Melbourne leading goal scorer
• 1x Brownlow Medal
• 1x Magarey Medal
• 1x Coleman Medal

As a coach, Leigh Matthews has 4 premierships (from 5 Grand Finals) to Blight's 2 (also from 5). Matthews has coached 442 games to Blight's 214.

Apart from those individual honours, Matthews has it all over Blight in every regard. That's no slur on Blight - Matthews is in a class all of his own, with Blight the best of the rest.

I knew you'd quote the honour rolls!

As far as players go, it's almost like comparing Ricciuto to McLeod. Ricciuto has the unmatched record, but McLeod was the genius. Blighty could do more on a footy field than Leigh could, despite their respective records. The man was a freak. Also, does a Brownlow outweigh Leigh's other achievements? Probably not, but it's still the highest individual honour on offer.

As for their coaching, I'd have them on a par. Blighty left both Adelaide and Geelong on his terms, before his teams detoriorated into ongoing rabbles.

Matthews was sacked from Collingwood, and was pushed very hard from Brisbane, after four consecutive years out of the finals.

The other thing I'd point out is that Brisbane get away with absolute murder up there. There is nowhere near the scrutiny on the coach of Brisbane (or Sydney) that there is in Adelaide. Could you imagine an Adelaide coach having four years out of the finals? He wouldn't see out the second or third year, let alone the fourth.

Leigh also had a bigger salary cap and a better list than Malcolm did. You can't compare coaching Brisbane to Adelaide, it's just not a level playing field. The premierships Blighty coached at Adelaide are worth their weight in gold.

 

[Vader]

Blight is/was an eccentric genius, both as a player and coach. Matthews was the best player that ever lived and has had a coaching career which lasted for twice as many games. He won twice as many flags as Blight, both as player and as coach.

I'd say the comparison is more like Mark Ricciuto vs Andrew Jarman. Roo was the player with the lot. Jarman was the eccentric genius who could do it all, but whose record just doesn't stack up in the longer term.

 

[Slippery Pete]

One other point:

Wayne Carey was approximately double the player Leigh Matthews was.

 

[Slippery Pete]

I'd say the comparison is more like Mark Ricciuto vs Andrew Jarman. Roo was the player with the lot. Jarman was the eccentric genius who could do it all, but whose record just doesn't stack up in the longer term.

That doesnt really work, as Jarman was in his mid 20's by the time he played AFL - and a lot of his best football was in the SANFL in the late 80's. Jarman's SANFL record is a good as anybody's.

Mark Ricciuto v Darren Jarman - now you've got me listening. I would say that's the simialr comparison.

 

[Vader]

One other point:

Wayne Carey was approximately double the player Leigh Matthews was.

No. He wasn't. He's the only player who's ever withstood a comparison with Matthews and not come off severely second best, but the honours still go to Matthews. If Matthews is the benchmark against which all others are judged and given a score of 100, Carey probably scores a 97 or 98 (noting that very few other players in the history of the game would score higher than 90 - Blight would probably score in the low 80s).

FWIW, neither Carey nor Matthews ever won a Brownlow - and rightly so. The Brownlow is awarded to the Fairest and Best player, note the distinction from Best and Fairest. Carey & Matthews were both brilliant players, but neither were ever noted for being particularly "fair".