Neil Craig

[Stiffy_18]

While I am not sure he is the right man for the job, I am willing to keep an open mind and see what happens over the next 9 weeks. My question is what does Neil Craig have to do to get the coaching job next year??????

Lets talk hypothetically. If Watts, Schuback, Reilly and Jericho start playing consistent footy and all get rising star nominations, and if other youngsters like Hentschel, Rutten, Bock, Mattner and Skipworth happen to flourish under Craig. Senior player pull their finger out and start playing to their potential. We get a good game plan and see a demonstration of strong tactical knowledge and match day coaching would you all be happy is the club appoints Neil Craig as our coach for the next 3 years??????

 

[panthers]

Originally posted by Stiffy_18
While I am not sure he is the right man for the job, I am willing to keep an open mind and see what happens over the next 9 weeks.


Very gracious of you stiffy but dont forget Guy Mckenna

 

[jc67]

Originally posted by Stiffy_18
While I am not sure he is the right man for the job, I am willing to keep an open mind and see what happens over the next 9 weeks. My question is what does Neil Craig have to do to get the coaching job next year??????

Lets talk hypothetically. If Watts, Schuback, Reilly and Jericho start playing consistent footy and all get rising star nominations, and if other youngsters like Hentschel, Rutten, Bock, Mattner and Skipworth happen to flourish under Craig. Senior player pull their finger out and start playing to their potential. We get a good game plan and see a demonstration of strong tactical knowledge and match day coaching would you all be happy is the club appoints Neil Craig as our coach for the next 3 years??????

Yep I would be ok with that. But a 2 year contract.
2 RSN's would do.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

I honestly dont care who takes charge as long as it is a coach with some ANGER in them that when the team put up a pathetic effort the coach will stick a proverbial rocket up their butt. Had it easy too long some players on our list

 

[DaveW]

Pretty much agree with most of whats been said.

If Craig proves himself a worthy coach in these remaining 9 weeks then we should sign him up to a two year contract.

A three year contract is probably overdoing it for an inexperienced coach.

That said, my feeling is that he's not the number one choice of the heirachy right now.

 

[macca23]

Neil Craig was part of the previous coaching team, and an important part of it.

That coaching team was a failure, particularly on match day.

He's not coaching the squad for the last 9 games by choice. He's doing it by default because Ayres quit before year end.

They weren't going to bring a stranger in for 9 games.

We need the big broom through the club at year end and that includes Neil Craig.

I would be bitterly disappointed if the AFC appointed Craig.

 

[Mitch Power]

Originally posted by Punchy Bassett
I honestly dont care who takes charge as long as it is a coach with some ANGER in them that when the team put up a pathetic effort the coach will stick a proverbial rocket up their butt. Had it easy too long some players on our list

Punchy, if its a coach with anger that you want, Craigy is not your man. He was fair and very skillful as a player and a very understanding coach when he was at Norwood for five years. Outside of football, he is a perfect gentleman. Angry and aggresive he is not unless he has had a huge change in his make up in last few years.

 

[Ghostwriter]

Allow an outsider to offer an opinion on Craig.
I think he is hugely unpopular with the players, when they have been asked about him they haven't really embraced him at all.
There was a highlight on the tv news the other night and the players were running thru and he was hitting them with a bag or something and Kris Massie shirtfronted him and you could hear the players cheer.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Originally posted by macca23
Neil Craig was part of the previous coaching team, and an important part of it.

That coaching team was a failure, particularly on match day.

He's not coaching the squad for the last 9 games by choice. He's doing it by default because Ayres quit before year end.

They weren't going to bring a stranger in for 9 games.

We need the big broom through the club at year end and that includes Neil Craig.

I would be bitterly disappointed if the AFC appointed Craig.

Same can be said of Terry Wallace and how he started with Bulldogs and Paul Roos and how he started with Sydney.

The point is Craig wouln't have had as much input as he will now that he is the senior coach for the remainder of the year.

So what you are saying is that no matter what Craig does for the rest of the year you wouldn't appoint him?????? If thats the case then I don't think you are being open minded about this.

I repeat, I am sceptical about Craig being given the job next year BUT if he puts the runs on the board I don't think we can ignore that just because he was part of the coaching staff under Gary Ayres.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Originally posted by jozeph
There was a highlight on the tv news the other night and the players were running thru and he was hitting them with a bag or something and Kris Massie shirtfronted him and you could hear the players cheer.

You can't read too much into that. They cheered because it was a bit funny and I must admit I had a bit of a laugh myself.

I have heard players speking of Craig in glowing terms.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Originally posted by Mitch Power
Punchy, if its a coach with anger that you want, Craigy is not your man. He was fair and very skillful as a player and a very understanding coach when he was at Norwood for five years. Outside of football, he is a perfect gentleman. Angry and aggresive he is not unless he has had a huge change in his make up in last few years.

Hence why I said I don't care which name it is as long as they have an angry streak

 

[McAlmanac]

Originally posted by Stiffy_18
I have heard players speking of Craig in glowing terms.

Players ae hardly going to tell their supporters that their assistant coach is a clown (not that I'm saying he is).

 

[macca23]

Originally posted by Stiffy_18

So what you are saying is that no matter what Craig does for the rest of the year you wouldn't appoint him?????? If thats the case then I don't think you are being open minded about this.

That's exactly what I'm saying, because I'm not open-minded about it.

The big broom has to go through to give the club a new clean start.

He's part of the past.

 

[kirky]

His coaching record at Norwood 1991-1995 - 60 wins, 56 losses and 1 draw.

The bloke is generally disliked by the playing group as a whole (and this is from a source at the Advertiser and no is not Rucci) and has less respect than Ayres.

 

[kirky]

Originally posted by macca23
Neil Craig was part of the previous coaching team, and an important part of it.

That coaching team was a failure, particularly on match day.

He's not coaching the squad for the last 9 games by choice. He's doing it by default because Ayres quit before year end.

They weren't going to bring a stranger in for 9 games.

We need the big broom through the club at year end and that includes Neil Craig.

I would be bitterly disappointed if the AFC appointed Craig.

Agree totally. What options were available to the club if Ayres was going to resign? None, so Craig is it.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Originally posted by kirky
His coaching record at Norwood 1991-1995 - 60 wins, 56 losses and 1 draw.

The bloke is generally disliked by the playing group as a whole (and this is from a source at the Advertiser and no is not Rucci) and has less respect than Ayres.

I reckon your right Kirky. No arguement about Craig's fitness background, etc - but IMO, he is not the type of personality that suits being a head coach.

 

[McAlmanac]

As a Michael Nunan disciple, you'd get the impression that Craig would take himself pretty seriously, a la Darel Hart.

 

[kirky]

Originally posted by McAlmanac
As a Michael Nunan disciple, you'd get the impression that Craig would take himself pretty seriously, a la Darel Hart.

Nunan, Craig and Hart - we will be up to our heads in cow dung if that ever happens all at once.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Originally posted by macca23
Neil Craig was part of the previous coaching team, and an important part of it.

That coaching team was a failure, particularly on match day.

He's not coaching the squad for the last 9 games by choice. He's doing it by default because Ayres quit before year end.

They weren't going to bring a stranger in for 9 games.

We need the big broom through the club at year end and that includes Neil Craig.

I would be bitterly disappointed if the AFC appointed Craig.

My gut feels says your right.
My impression of craigy is nice guy, innovative ideas, but lacks that bit of mongel that the great coaches have ie Malthouse, Mathews, Sheedy...

Makes a great 2ic but think there should be a new broom, that I think the incoming coach would insist upon.

The melbourne media is really playing up the "hes got to be Sth Aust to be accepted"

I really hope this is wrong, because if its correct it is a small minded, country town, stupid outlook.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Originally posted by Wayne's-World
The melbourne media is really playing up the "hes got to be Sth Aust to be accepted"

I really hope this is wrong, because if its correct it is a small minded, country town, stupid outlook.

Take no notice of the Melbourne media, as most of the crap on Ayres during his time at AFC came from across the boarder, rather than from SA. Ayres mentioned this numerous times & that he got good support in this state. Robert Shaw, well that's another story...

 

[noddy]

Originally posted by Stiffy_18
While I am not sure he is the right man for the job, I am willing to keep an open mind and see what happens over the next 9 weeks. My question is what does Neil Craig have to do to get the coaching job next year??????

Lets talk hypothetically. If Watts, Schuback, Reilly and Jericho start playing consistent footy and all get rising star nominations, and if other youngsters like Hentschel, Rutten, Bock, Mattner and Skipworth happen to flourish under Craig. Senior player pull their finger out and start playing to their potential. We get a good game plan and see a demonstration of strong tactical knowledge and match day coaching would you all be happy is the club appoints Neil Craig as our coach for the next 3 years??????

Stiffy i 'm on the side of a clean sweep through out the coaching panel & i don't really care if we even win most of our remaining games as that would just mean a releasing of pressure among the playing group.

Would be very surprised if Neil Craig was made senior coach for next year & beyond.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Originally posted by Kane McGoodwin
Take no notice of the Melbourne media, as most of the crap on Ayres during his time at AFC came from across the boarder, rather than from SA. Ayres mentioned this numerous times & that he got good support in this state. Robert Shaw, well that's another story...

Strange you say that, because it we he who raised it as a major part of any decision process - being accepted by the public that is.

 

[maccas_no1]

Originally posted by Stiffy_18
While I am not sure he is the right man for the job, I am willing to keep an open mind and see what happens over the next 9 weeks. My question is what does Neil Craig have to do to get the coaching job next year??????

Lets talk hypothetically. If Watts, Schuback, Reilly and Jericho start playing consistent footy and all get rising star nominations, and if other youngsters like Hentschel, Rutten, Bock, Mattner and Skipworth happen to flourish under Craig. Senior player pull their finger out and start playing to their potential. We get a good game plan and see a demonstration of strong tactical knowledge and match day coaching would you all be happy is the club appoints Neil Craig as our coach for the next 3 years??????

What the AFC have to be careful of is to not become another Richmond,St Kilda or Hawthorn and just go through coach after coach and still end up with nothing, I dont think anybody will benefit out of it, we want a coach that can deliver Premierships I know that I dont want to be waiting another 20+ yrs for another Premiership This is our wibndow of opportunity we need to find the very best available who is going to help develop the youngsters, get the senior players playing with confidence,which Mcleod isnt and hasnt done so for a few years.

 

[Bockchoy67]

I have no real problem with Craig coaching for the remainder of season 2004.

However, I will have a problem with it if he feels like he is under pressure and plays senior plays to get some wins on the board.

If I look at our team next week and find anyone under 21 years old that has been dropped, I will be very angry.

Looking at his press conference today, it seems he wants to create a "balance" in the list.

I just hope he doesn't drop Watts/Reilly/Bock/Rutten/Jericho every second week if their performance is not consistent.

Craig needs to look into 2005. However, in doing so, it could cost him his job. I hope he does the honorable thing and plays the kids.

 

[tribey]

Originally posted by Bockchoy67
If I look at our team next week and find anyone under 21 years old that has been dropped, I will be very angry.

Agreed.

The scary thing about Craig's appointment as caretaker coach until the end of the season will be if we fly home like Hawthorn did last year and just miss the eight - and inspired by these results and the obvious lower wage-demands that Craig would make compared to someone like Wallace, the club decides to hand him a three year contract.