Rick Hart-Footy Show Interview (Video)

[dominguez]

The CEO is a highly paid full time position. The Chairman/President is a part time unpaid position, requiring 10-15 hours a week. Schwab runs the footy club. Rick Hart has evolved, but Schwabby certainly runs the show.

 

[pants]

We'll be sitting 8 and 10, then win 3 of our last 4 to finish 9th or 10th on 11-11. Then Connolly will be re-signed and we'll have another 2 years of shit, then we'll get a new coach when our window has closed.

If we get a new coach next year the window will definately be closed. Not locked, but certainly closed.

 

[estibador]

If we get a new coach next year the window will definately be closed. Not locked, but certainly closed.

I don't know. If we choose wisely there's plenty of examples of coaches coming in and having an immediate impact. Particularly if we go after a veteran coach.

 

[pants]

I don't know. If we choose wisely there's plenty of examples of coaches coming in and having an immediate impact. Particularly if we go after a veteran coach.

So what do you regard as "immediate impact"? Top four? Grand Final appearance? Premiership?

Let's have a look at all the grand finalists since 99 and you'll see that their coaches were all relatively new. But have a look at their performances in their first three years:

Coach (Club) year commenced - yr1, yr2, yr3
Malthouse (Coll) 00 - 15, 9, 2
Matthews (Bris) 99 - 4, 5, 1
Roos (Syd) 02 - 11, 4, 5
Williams (PA) 99 - 7, 14, 5
Worsfold (WCE) 02 - 8, 8, 8
Daniher (Melb) 98 - 4, 14, 2

Only one (Matthews at Brisbane) got a premiership in their first three years. Two (Melbourne and Collingwood) made a grand final. But both these clubs had a pretty rapid fall from grace after that.

I'm not saying that Connolly is definately the answer. But a new coach is no quick fix either. And I don't think enough of the punters out there can see the reality of the situation.

 

[dominguez]

If we get a new coach next year the window will definately be closed. Not locked, but certainly closed.

Nonsense. Under Sumich or another assistant coach quite possibly, but under Pagan, Sheedy, Laidley or possibly Harvey since he knows the players we can have a crack next year. When most coaches are moved on it's because they are down the bottom and it's time to rebuild. Connolly has to be sacked because he has lost the players and can't motivate them anymore. Our list is laden with quality players in the prime of their careers, a better coach will have instant results.

It's not like Connolly has an elaborate gameplan like Roos or Craig, if someone with experience who can motivate the players takes over in a couple of months we can have a red hot crack at it next year.

Roos, Craig and Worsfold all had winning seasons in their first full year as a rookie coach, and none of them had the talent at their disposal that will be at Fremantle next year (assuming Pav stays). Glass, Cox, Hunter, Judd, Embley, Kerr were teenagers in 2002, now they are their best players. Our best players in a couple of years time will be Pav, Josh, McPharlin, Johnson, Sandilands, Hayden, Hasleby, the guys who are already in our top ten now.

Sheedy showed with the International Rules that he can have an immediate impact, we got belted in Lyon's last year, then smashed the Irish 12 months later under Sheedy.

Saint Kilda have been hammered by injuries, have a rookie coach, and have the same amount of wins as us. And the saint kilda players loved Grant Thomas.

 

[pants]

Roos, Craig and Worsfold all had winning seasons in their first full year as a rookie coach

I purposely left out Neil Craig in my analysis above but he still hasn't made a grand final yet. Is that regarded as success?

 

[estibador]

So what do you regard as "immediate impact"? Top four? Grand Final appearance? Premiership?

Top 4 minimum, which would set us up for a crack at the premiership. Neil Craig was my prime example. Could possibly have had a premiership in his first year (or at least his second) if his team hadn't been cruelled by injuries.

Let's have a look at all the grand finalists since 99 and you'll see that their coaches were all relatively new. But have a look at their performances in their first three years:

Coach (Club) year commenced - yr1, yr2, yr3
Malthouse (Coll) 00 - 15, 9, 2
Matthews (Bris) 99 - 4, 5, 1
Roos (Syd) 02 - 11, 4, 5
Williams (PA) 99 - 7, 14, 5
Worsfold (WCE) 02 - 8, 8, 8
Daniher (Melb) 98 - 4, 14, 2

I'm not sure we're comparable to any of those teams. They were all considered average to poor lists when their coaches took over. (Maybe with the possible exceptions of Port, Brissy and Sydney who coincidently have all won premierships since).

We on the other hand, have a list that was rated as one of the premiership fancies this season. If we can get a coach in who knows his stuff (Sheeds I'm looking at you) they've got a lot of talent to work with and don't have to worry about rebuilding the side before they can have a crack at a premiership.

I'm not saying that Connolly is definately the answer. But a new coach is no quick fix either. And I don't think enough of the punters out there can see the reality of the situation.

While I'm hoping it could be the case, I'm not expecting a new coach to be a quick fix. But the reality as I see it is that CC has had 6 years to put his stamp on the team and just when it looked like we were going somewhere this year, we have slipped back into mid-table mediocrity.

It's not that I've decided I want rid of CC purely based on this year. It's the cumulative evidence of this season plus 04 & 05 which is making me think we may be better off looking for someone who can more consistently get our team playing to their full potential.

 

[pants]

I don't think I am disagreeing with you. I do think our list may be a little overrated. There are deficiencies in the midfield and a new coach would probably think this would best be fixed through the draft. That could mean trading for picks, unless the season goes completely pear-shaped and we snare a top 5 pick. I doubt we would want to give up enough for a top-class midfielder.

 

[dominguez]

I purposely left out Neil Craig in my analysis above but he still hasn't made a grand final yet. Is that regarded as success?

I consider him a very good coach with much less talent at his disposal than Connolly.

Craig has won many more finals in 3(?) years than Connolly has in 5.

 

[dominguez]

I do think our list may be a little overrated.

One positive to come out of trading for Tarrant and Solomon is that no one can say that the fans have over rated our list, because the club traded to win a flag which suggests that we should be in the top 2 or 3 sides. In 2004 and 2005 the Connolly fans regularly said that we over achieved in 2003 as an excuse to explain us failing the next 2 years. That excuse won't hold water this time around.

The problem with our midfield is that Crowley hurt a knee in Ireland, and Peake and Schammer have been out. That doesn't give us an excuse for being 5-7, but it does mean that we have greater midfield options going forward. We should also send Matt Carr to the glue factory and bring Dodd back to the middle.

 

[Ripper]

I consider him a very good coach with much less talent at his disposal than Connolly.

Craig has won many more finals in 3(?) years than Connolly has in 5.

Lol , He took over a list that had made the finals (including a PF) 3 out of the previous four years.

The year they missed they were devastated by injury.

Craig has had the same effect on Adelaide 2005 that Bombre Thompson has had on Geelong 2007.

 

[dominguez]

Lol , He took over a list that had made the finals (including a PF) 3 out of the previous four years.

The year they missed they were devastated by injury.

Craig has had the same effect on Adelaide 2005 that Bombre Thompson has had on Geelong 2007.

Bock, Rutten and McGregor were no names before Craig. He took over a list with some midfield guns but without a spine.

 

[Ripper]

Bock, Rutten and McGregor were no names before Craig. He took over a list with some midfield guns but without a spine.

Bock, Ben Rutten and Martin Mattner were all 2001 rookie list selections (left overs from the super draft where We got Rodger & 211).They were all promoted to the senior list the next year.
McGreger was taken instead of Pav in 1998 as a 17 YO.

You would expect that they would be starting to shine around then.

 

[Belnakor]

We should also send Matt Carr to the glue factory and bring Dodd back to the middle.

Matty Carr is everything that is wrong with Cuddle's coaching. We're keeping a slow, indesisive player with bad disposal on our list because he has a "big body". He should have been put out to pasture 4 weeks ago.