Toast Matthew Knights (and VFL coaching team)

[iameviljez]

After the magoos have won nine on the trot (many in emphatic style), hats off to Matthew Knights & Co on a number of fronts. It's not just that we're winning so often, but also a number a factors which I think has added a little extra to our performance at VFL level;

- For a former AFL coach, he has slotted into a VFL role with grace and humility under a second-year senior coach in Scott. He's also resisted publicly laying the boot into Essendon - whose plight has proven him somewhat right regarding the way in which he managed his players.

- He has had to deal with a lack of continuity in playing personnel as he has constantly been losing his best players to the AFL side

- He's getting the best out of players who are either rookies (Walker, Stringer, Burbury, Simpkin) or recent late picks (Murdoch, Schroder, Hyphen)

In short, he's breeding a batch of players who are starting to look AFL-ready at the right time.

 

[Senatorguesty]

Absolutely full credit to him. Master stroke again from the cats. Hopefully he sticks around for a fair while because I think his real strength is developing young players and not so much a match day tactician, hence his short afl coaching career.
He's coaching them exactly how the cats want him to. Great stuff

 

[iameviljez]

Absolutely full credit to him. Master stroke again from the cats. Hopefully he sticks around for a fair while because I think his real strength is developing young players and not so much a match day tactician, hence his short afl coaching career.
He's coaching them exactly how the cats want him to. Great stuff

Essendon was a no-win job, mind you. And not in the literal sense

 

[supahoops]

Great move again from cookie and balmie, showed a lot more class than all those around him at essendon, particularly the 'supporters', and looks to be heading in the right direction. I don't think his development of young players was ever questioned, and a premiership in his first year is looking a distinct possibility.

Macca was to head up our academy before he left, is that part of knights' brief? Is there even such a role? Would like to see him head up an academy and coach vfl for some time to come, bringing some continuity to he role. Has time on his side and a great footy brain IMO.

 

[thejester]

Great move again from cookie and balmie, showed a lot more class than all those around him at essendon, particularly the 'supporters', and looks to be heading in the right direction. I don't think his development of young players was ever questioned, and a premiership in his first year is looking a distinct possibility.

Macca was to head up our academy before he left, is that part of knights' brief? Is there even such a role? Would like to see him head up an academy and coach vfl for some time to come, bringing some continuity to he role. Has time on his side and a great footy brain IMO.

Paul Hood (ex-Falcons coach) is the current head of the academy.

 

[supahoops]

Paul Hood (ex-Falcons coach) is the current head of the academy.

Yeah well full credit to him as well. Has a teaching background as did macca IIRC. Gotta hand it to the club, they don't get too many things wrong these days..

 

[dazbroncos]

Am really impressed with the way this is going. Saw article that Geelong spend about 500k a year on their VFL team from top to bottom and you can see it shows.

From the drafting by Wells and co from outside the box with Bathie and Blicavs, to the rookie selections of Eardley, Sherringham, Walker, Stringer etc.
To Hypen the cricketer and Burbury the rower, they have done an outstanding job. Not to mention the Bundy, Mitch, Menzel, Kersten, McCarthy, Murdoch, Hamling, Brown, HT, Varcoe and Boak... ( sorry projecting too much)

Knights has also done an outstanding job. For all the reasons mentioned above, (AFL lists, schedules, schemes, rotating players, list management, experience vs rookie availability)its a credit to them all that they have achieved their ladder position. He has got the players buying into what he is selling - the Geelong way -. Think it is a massive advantage that he also has Senior coaching experience because simply he has been there. He knows what it takes to succeed and is doing a marvelous job at getting that information across to the players. Getting the right mix of veterans, local boys, rookies and seniors is also a masterstroke. Hope he stays for a while as there a great things afoot I feel - and after the Essendon debacle I feel this would poetic justice for him.

To me, it shows the professionalism of the club as a whole - not just looking for senior success by trading players to in now - but setting up and realising that future success requires depth and the development from within. Its one thing to bring a player up from any reserves side but completely another to have that player fully versed in the positional structure and player assignments that the team uses. Not to mention the training element of being immersed in the ethos of the senior side.

Try convincing Jordan Murdoch that Chappy's words about Hawthorn don't rub off. Or that Sherringham being around Jimmy Bartel doesn't pay dividends. Tell me Cam Eardley hasn't gotten an attaboy from Max Rooke. That Banjanin hasnt seen Westy's success from patience and got inspired.

There is a culture of success and clearly a plan to develop, maintain and perpetuate success and it isn't just the seniors. It seems across the board at Geelong and it's becoming the fabric of the club. The AFL and those that want parity in the competition had better get used to seeing Geelong in the upper echelons of the league. They have worked extremely hard over the last 12 years and the rewards are still being seen.

Go Catters

 

[Skerret]

GFC is pretty amazing, despite the rubbish we cop from all and sundry.

 

[iameviljez]

Try convincing Jordan Murdoch that Chappy's words about Hawthorn don't rub off.

I tend to find that 'if you lose us the game to those bloody Hawks I will douse your pets in petrol and set them aflame' sticks in the mind rather well, too.

 

[BotsMaster]

GFC is pretty amazing, despite the rubbish we cop from all and sundry.

At least we're not Essendon

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Totally showed his character just before and just after he was sacked. Carried himself with class.

 

[Banj]

Best club on earth

Nice post Daz - I feel warm and fuzzy

 

[Senatorguesty]

Best club on earth

Nice post Daz - I feel warm and fuzzy

They really are.
I think it stems from the Cats philosophy to recruit (not just players but ALL people) good people first and foremost. Skill and talent was a bonus but the idea was to get people with good values, honesty and integrity who worked hard and had passion for the job. They have done that and its paying back 100 fold.
Bomber Thompson deserves more credit here too IMO.

 

[Belisarius]

I have said before (and copped a little criticism for it) that it is important to have a good VFL side.

A well coached and performing VFL side gives depth to a club - and many options when injuries occur. The VFL players are far more likely to fit into the senior side and do a job. They also learn about a winning culture - and it makes the fans/paying public happy - as they can see that there are players coming thru.

2007 was a fantastic year. Went and saw us win the GF in the VFL and watched us break a huge drought and win the AFL Premiership a week later.

Not sure how many teams have won the double but it would not be too many since the AFL cam into being - would it ?

 

[Belisarius]

They really are.

Bomber Thompson deserves more credit here too IMO.

Yes and no. Certainly for the majority of his coaching career at the Cats - he was great. Then he went and soiled his CV by the way he left the club. I am assuming that the book I read about all this (forgotten the name of the book now but you know the one - something about Greatness) is accurate.

 

[Senatorguesty]

Yes and no. Certainly for the majority of his coaching career at the Cats - he was great. Then he went and soiled his CV by the way he left the club. I am assuming that the book I read about all this (forgotten the name of the book now but you know the one - something about Greatness) is accurate.

I know what you mean but I believe him when he said he was burnt out. Sure things could be handled better but thats life.
I dont mean so much his coaching but early on when Cooky, Costa and Bomber got together and nutted out the club they all agreed/spoke about getting the best possible people to the club. I just think most people give credit for that to Cooky and Costa (and rightly so) and think Bomber doesnt get enough for it, should be all 3.
Similar to Wells, the coaches/admin etc get credit for the playing group yet outside of the club Wells is mostly forgotten about.

 

[JUBJUB]

They really are.
I think it stems from the Cats philosophy to recruit (not just players but ALL people) good people first and foremost. Skill and talent was a bonus but the idea was to get people with good values, honesty and integrity who worked hard and had passion for the job. They have done that and its paying back 100 fold.
Bomber Thompson deserves more credit here too IMO.

Sorry,did I read Bomber Thompson and honesty in the same paragraph ?

 

[Senatorguesty]

Sorry,did I read Bomber Thompson and honesty in the same paragraph ?

To RECRUIT
Do as I say and not as I do and all that...

 

[AM]

Knights for Thompson. Think we got the better of the deal.

PS. An inspired choice by Balmy. Matthew had a very good track record at developing players while at Essendon.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Knights for Thompson. Think we got the better of the deal.

PS. An inspired choice by Balmy. Matthew had a very good track record at developing players while at Essendon.

Like how Balmy did it as well just walked around the block knocked on Knights' door and said how about putting your name in for our VFL coaching job.
Could have just stuck his bonce over the back fence and asked him

 

[vinum coupe]

Here is the main board thread from when it was announced he would coach the reserves.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/new-geelong-vfl-coach-matthew-knights.886160/

I loved this comment at the time from a Carlton supporter.

The fact that Geelong, of all clubs, have confidence in him, it makes Essendon look even worse!

 

[AM]

Like how Balmy did it as well just walked around the block knocked on Knights' door and said how about putting your name in for our VFL coaching job.
Could have just stuck his bonce over the back fence and asked him

Get the feeling that although they lived in the same neighbourhood they didn’t know each other that well. Perhaps Knights had just bought in that upmarket suburb with the proceeds from the massive cheque Evans had to sign to settle the contractual commitment.

 

[Strangled Cat]

As many people have probably thought and alluded to, for all of Essendon's raiding of our coaching staff, we got their discard who's now been vindicated by having been given the opportunity to show his worth with us. Geelong and Matty Knights have the last laugh while Essendon go backwards from last year with their multi-million dollar coaching panel.

 

[Turbocat]

Just listening to BThompson about how much they have changed body shapes and therefore the way Ess plays , make me wonder how much influence did Knights have on this while at Ess? Was it a choice and was he simply trying to lighten the load as much as possible to keep the best on the ground? Was it the body type Knights preferred?

Id say at Geelong this would not be Matty's main area of influence. Teaching them how to play and leaving the conditioning and prep for specialists. Maybe , just maybe Knights like BT Pre2007 was asked to do to much@ Ess and being the guy following the legend he had no choice but to try to do it all. Then when he got the broom , Ess go's and spends big time , brings in specialists but due to their poor spending under Knights its a bridge to far to make up in a couple of years? I wonder?

 

[Siamese Cat]

They really are.
I think it stems from the Cats philosophy to recruit (not just players but ALL people) good people first and foremost. Skill and talent was a bonus but the idea was to get people with good values, honesty and integrity who worked hard and had passion for the job. They have done that and its paying back 100 fold.
Bomber Thompson deserves more credit here too IMO.

Bang on. The no dickheads policy has made us a great club.