Observations on internal issues?

[Agenda 21]

Call me crazy, but does anybody else get a sense that the Majak Daw situation has had a significant impact on not only the playing group, but the entire club, not necessarily in a good way?
Right through the back end of the pre-season and the JLT, they just looked as flat as a tack.
Sure, other clubs and players have had their fair share of off-field setbacks to deal with over the years, but who knows how challenging something like that is for our group, obviously including the coaching staff?

Or is there a bigger conspiracy going on?
Turn the team/club to absolute trash at the worst possible time, so that members drop off and we become almost irrelevant.......but not irrelevant enough to permanently shift to Tasmania?
They're not going to shift a winning team down there, right?
End of 2016 could've been the writing on the wall. Although It was probably in the works long before then, assuming it was true.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Don't stop there, and he is a board appointment anyhow, so let's get on to them.

Carl Dilena - Has VFL/AFL football experience, and business acumen, but I highly suspect he is a Peter Scanlon crony.
Julie Laycock - Marketing with 7-11. No football prowess, and I wouldn't claim our marketing is any great shakes either.
Geoff Lewis - An I.T. consultant.
Brady Scanlon - A rich kid carrying on his old mans work as a director of the Scanlon Foundation.
Brian Walsh - A spin doctor. The Managing Director of "Bastion Reputation Management", former AFL employee, and a former Hun editor.

Why is this collection of people in charge of our football club?

I know Julie Laycock first hand. She is an extremely good operater.

 

[hilly]

I know Julie Laycock first hand. She is an extremely good operater.

Ask ger how she thinks the season is going.

On SM-G950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[giantroo]

Robbo's piece.

DISLIKES
1. North Melbourne

COACH Brad Scott has called on fans to support the players. But who will support the coach? Chairman Ben Buckley, who rarely hits the hustings, might want to talk to the North Melbourne electorate this week because it is angry. The players are accused of embarrassing the jumper, the club is said to have no playing identity, and the fans are asking questions of the coach. It adds up to an early-season crisis at the Kangas. They can get out of it by starting with consistent effort and then winning games. If that doesn’t happen it will become a full-blown crisis. A game always comes along that is defining — if it’s not next week against Port Adelaide, it’s definitely the week after against Carlton.

2. What to do with Ziebell?

JACK Ziebell was solid the week before but disappointing on Friday as commentators wondered why he wasn’t deployed in the midfield. If Jed Anderson, Jared Polec, Aaron Hall and Shaun Higgins couldn’t catch the zippy Bombers, Ziebell had little hope. Maybe his aggression could have helped. His ability to find the ball certainly would have. His six possessions playing forward were his fewest in a full match since Round 18, 2014. I think forward is his go, as his lack of pace might be exposed in the middle, and it hasn’t worked when he has been tried in the back half.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Robbo's piece.

If that doesn’t happen it will become a full-blown crisis.

"will become"?

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

He lives in Sydney?


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Snake_Baker]

Time for some tough calls, Kangas

NORTH Melbourne's deficit to Essendon in its Good Friday match was 58 points. It could have, and probably should have, been 100.

The Roos are a mess, on so many levels. Questionable recruits and recruiting, under-performing residents, lacklustre game style, no energy.

Don't confuse North Melbourne's exclusive rights to the Good Friday timeslot with its unmitigated failure to perform against Essendon in that slot this round. North will again play on this day in 2020, and then beyond.

The coach now is in no-man's land, and Brad Scott has another year to run on his contract. This is his 10th season at North. He will almost certainly get another senior job in the AFL system, but continuing at North is looming as futile unless a miracle occurs from here.

North Melbourne has become too comfortable with itself. Hard decisions have not been made.

Ben Cunnington is North's best player by a mile, and without him, its problems are even more pronounced. Although the stats look impressive for Shaun Higgins, he is having nowhere near the influence that he had in his All Australian year of 2018.

Robbie Tarrant is a star. And that's about it. The recruits this year have not worked, and they were never going to.

 

[Friday Night Lights]

Complete ramble on Ziebell. Says he should have gone into the midfield but also that he’s too slow and he belong up forward now. Groundbreaking stuff.

 

[SpiderBurton22]

Robbo's piece.

DISLIKES
1. North Melbourne

COACH Brad Scott has called on fans to support the players. But who will support the coach? Chairman Ben Buckley, who rarely hits the hustings, might want to talk to the North Melbourne electorate this week because it is angry. The players are accused of embarrassing the jumper, the club is said to have no playing identity, and the fans are asking questions of the coach. It adds up to an early-season crisis at the Kangas. They can get out of it by starting with consistent effort and then winning games. If that doesn’t happen it will become a full-blown crisis. A game always comes along that is defining — if it’s not next week against Port Adelaide, it’s definitely the week after against Carlton.

2. What to do with Ziebell?

JACK Ziebell was solid the week before but disappointing on Friday as commentators wondered why he wasn’t deployed in the midfield. If Jed Anderson, Jared Polec, Aaron Hall and Shaun Higgins couldn’t catch the zippy Bombers, Ziebell had little hope. Maybe his aggression could have helped. His ability to find the ball certainly would have. His six possessions playing forward were his fewest in a full match since Round 18, 2014. I think forward is his go, as his lack of pace might be exposed in the middle, and it hasn’t worked when he has been tried in the back half.

View attachment 659462

The Tony Sheehan tweet is ridiculous. Club powerbrokers have always know that Buckley lives in Sydney. He's been there since he took over.

 

[Snake_Baker]

The Tony Sheehan tweet is ridiculous. Club powerbrokers have always know that Buckley lives in Sydney. He's been there since he took over.

The Chairman is a non issue. The board is the problem. Everything else flows from there.

 

[KingKongBundy]

Robbo a mouth breathing moron of the highest order. It is a shame some of the more credible analysts seem to have been given the Easter break off so aren’t available to weigh in.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Only Forwards]

Complete ramble on Ziebell. Says he should have gone into the midfield but also that he’s too slow and he belong up forward now. Groundbreaking stuff.

Jack did go into the middle.

Was ineffectual.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Jack did go into the middle.

Was ineffectual.

I don't reckon he's fit.

 

[Only Forwards]

I don't reckon he's fit.

It's a $1.000001 bet mate.

We're so far off with everything it's not funny.

 

[Devil Fish]

Call me crazy, but does anybody else get a sense that the Majak Daw situation has had a significant impact on not only the playing group, but the entire club, not necessarily in a good way?
.

So because of the Majak incident, our playing list is ordinary and our game plan is EDFL under 14's standard?

You're CRAZY.

 

[Massive Unit]

Not sure that's entirely correct.
There is some serious money in the coterie groups, particularly the Match Committee members.

If there's one thing the NMFC needs to do, it's look after its strong financial members, hence influence if they are disgruntled.

Absolutely no influence at all

 

[Marstermind]

Call me crazy, but does anybody else get a sense that the Majak Daw situation has had a significant impact on not only the playing group, but the entire club, not necessarily in a good way?
Right through the back end of the pre-season and the JLT, they just looked as flat as a tack.
Sure, other clubs and players have had their fair share of off-field setbacks to deal with over the years, but who knows how challenging something like that is for our group, obviously including the coaching staff?

Or is there a bigger conspiracy going on?
Turn the team/club to absolute trash at the worst possible time, so that members drop off and we become almost irrelevant.......but not irrelevant enough to permanently shift to Tasmania?
They're not going to shift a winning team down there, right?
End of 2016 could've been the writing on the wall. Although It was probably in the works long before then, assuming it was true.

I don't think anyone's had any sense of that at all. It's an incredibly long bow.

 

[Marstermind]

Time for some tough calls, Kangas

NORTH Melbourne's deficit to Essendon in its Good Friday match was 58 points. It could have, and probably should have, been 100.

The Roos are a mess, on so many levels. Questionable recruits and recruiting, under-performing residents, lacklustre game style, no energy.

Don't confuse North Melbourne's exclusive rights to the Good Friday timeslot with its unmitigated failure to perform against Essendon in that slot this round. North will again play on this day in 2020, and then beyond.

The coach now is in no-man's land, and Brad Scott has another year to run on his contract. This is his 10th season at North. He will almost certainly get another senior job in the AFL system, but continuing at North is looming as futile unless a miracle occurs from here.

North Melbourne has become too comfortable with itself. Hard decisions have not been made.

Ben Cunnington is North's best player by a mile, and without him, its problems are even more pronounced. Although the stats look impressive for Shaun Higgins, he is having nowhere near the influence that he had in his All Australian year of 2018.

Robbie Tarrant is a star. And that's about it. The recruits this year have not worked, and they were never going to.

Who wrote this? I doubt Brad is certain to find another senior coaching job in the AFL. Where? When? Based on what?

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Who wrote this? I doubt Brad is certain to find another senior coaching job in the AFL. Where? When? Based on what?

Barrett. Not on great terms with Bard, so Bard has an out on that one.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Who wrote this? I doubt Brad is certain to find another senior coaching job in the AFL. Where? When? Based on what?

Correct, Barrett.

 

[sbdan]

Brad Scott's stocks are crumbling. The main thing he has always had is media presentation and a strong relationship with the players. He looks shabby on both now.

 

[Marstermind]

Correct, Barrett.

No wonder there's some bullshit in there. Still, the general gist of it is right and what's needed to force some action so play on.

 

[see see]

Who wrote this? I doubt Brad is certain to find another senior coaching job in the AFL. Where? When? Based on what?

Agreed.

At best, he'd get a gig as a senior assistant. I reckon longer term he'll end up in some AFL- funded role with a suitably nebulous title which includes the words "strategic" or "special projects".

 

[Snake_Baker]

Agreed.

At best, he'd get a gig as a senior assistant. I reckon longer term he'll end up in some AFL- funded role with a suitably nebulous title which includes the words "strategic" or "special projects".

He's top shelf bureaucrat material.

Straight to AFL house for him.

 

[sbdan]

Longtime lurker, first time poster. Not sure if this is right thread to post this in - after all, there are more or less four threads devoted to the removal of the head coach - but just wanted to start us thinking about the means by which he is replaced.

I think we've moved on from the whether and the why he should be replaced, so some thoughts on best way to achieve it in a practical way.

As our chairman and board are comparatively low profile, lack gravitas in the public sphere and have said nothing so far on these issues, I think rather than just bunkering down until they bow to the inevitable and firing him without warning, there is a better approach. One that enhances their leadership credentials and reputations, pressures Scott to walk, maintains our financial position and doesn't set the new guy up to fail.

I think they should commission a formal review of the football department led by someone with impeccable credentials who is not a NM person - ie Paul Roos or similar. The review should be the full 360 degree review - taking into account the views or players, supporters, staff and any other stakeholders deemed important enough.

This will send the right message to supporters and create at least the appearance of due process towards the current coaching staff. This could be announced post the Carlton game. My assumption is we lose to Port relatively badly and probably lose to Carlton. I think the timing of this announcement is still OK if we beat Carlton - let's face it, it won't be by much if that occurs.

We give Roos or whoever two months or so to come back, which takes us into early July. Of course it will come back with negative findings towards Scott. By this time the board will be in self preservation mode with possible rumblings of a reform ticket far from a distant possibility. The most negative parts of the review can be selectively leaked to various journos (How much would Caro love to receive them?) ramping up the pressure for Scott to go. Short of a dramatic on-field reversal of fortune, his position would then become pretty much untenable. Board members can conduct meetings with potential replacements in highly public cafes to increase pressure if needed tipping off media in advance. The end game, of course, is that he walks ... then the rest of the football department fall like dominos. Ultimately, the findings of the review could be used to formally sack him, but that carries with it financial issues that we all want to avoid.

We then move to appoint an interim coach for rest of season, if that's the route we want to take, or a caretaker and appoint permanent replacement for 2020 season. I will leave it to those who know more about the game and potential candidates to opine on the best choice.

Having at least provided a semblance of due process and leveraging the reputation of a Roos or someone similar, the new guy can at least breathe easy that this is not a Mickey Mouse outfit that fires people on a whim (not that any of us would describe acting after the past 10 years as a "whim").

Bring it on I say. I think it is pretty binary now - the Board follows a process pretty much like this or there will be a member-led revolt aimed at their replacement or a supporters strike or something similarly messy and destructive. I think the current board has done a great job off-field, so that's not my preferred option. We don't need to risk destroying the club to get rid of Scott when there is a far easier way.

Let's get this done.

This is brilliant and slightly terrifying. Are you Kevin Rudd?