sacking a coach mid season - is it ever a good move?

[Gavin Excell]

Do you think sacking a coach mid season can ever be a good move?

A lot of people will tell ou that its pointles and reactive and does no good purpose.

I beg to differ.

To me the real tragedy of last years clearly woeful decision to keep thompson on was that it effectively wasted yet another year in the bid to return GCF to the top. It was obvious to all (except the board) that there would be bu..ger all improvment under him - why would there be when after 8 years things are going backwards and have been heading south now for 3 years.

Sacking him now and giving a new coach the imprimatur to rebuild means we fast track that development. Thompson now will all be about himself - coaching to keep his position and selecting sides which may give an immediate result but not worrying about the future of the team.

Making the change now makes sense.

 

[Tonycam*]

Do you think sacking a coach mid season can ever be a good move?

A lot of people will tell ou that its pointles and reactive and does no good purpose.

I beg to differ.

To me the real tragedy of last years clearly woeful decision to keep thompson on was that it effectively wasted yet another year in the bid to return GCF to the top. It was obvious to all (except the board) that there would be bu..ger all improvment under him - why would there be when after 8 years things are going backwards and have been heading south now for 3 years.

Sacking him now and giving a new coach the imprimatur to rebuild means we fast track that development. Thompson now will all be about himself - coaching to keep his position and selecting sides which may give an immediate result but not worrying about the future of the team.

Making the change now makes sense.

Love to see it happen , but if they were going to get rid of him, it would have been done after the review at the end of last season.
A loss to Richmond could just change there mind though.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Love to see it happen , but if they were going to get rid of him, it would have been done after the review at the end of last season.
A loss to Richmond could just change there mind though.

Like to think so but doubt they (board) have the courage even though them members are crying out for that.. Also BT's a nice bloke and all...................

 

[CF]

persoanally I'd wait until the end of the season to see what talent is available unless some potential super coach is sitting out there waiting for a gig. Then it might be worth it to snap him up before other clubs come sniffing in Sept/Oct.

But one thing is for sure if we sacked Bomber mid season then you'd have to write this year off as far as finals go IMO.

 

[thegerman]

persoanally I'd wait until the end of the season to see what talent is available unless some potential super coach is sitting out there waiting for a gig. Then it might be worth it to snap him up before other clubs come sniffing in Sept/Oct.

But one thing is for sure if we sacked Bomber mid season then you'd have to write this year off as far as finals go IMO.

CF also totally agree here, if Bomber is sacked mid season, we will have no one to grab to take over and also we will have no chance for a finals berth whatsoever.

So the board is pretty anxious about that for sure, plus I'd suggest they'd also wait until the membership door closes before they do anything.

 

[Herbs]

I think we'll know after round 11 against the Crows after the series of games against good sides.

 

[sarah.13]

What if after 15rounds we were 5-10? That would mean no hope of making finals,no hope of Bomber being there next year.But Bomber being who he is is still picking favorite players not picking unliked players,not coming up with any new plans, player experiments. Why would you keep him on,because he's a nice guy, I think not. Yes, I can see a time when you must sack the coach during the season and that happens to be this season.

 

[catman2006]

It's a good move to sack mid season puts the players on notice.

 

[CF]

What if after 15rounds we were 5-10? That would mean no hope of making finals,no hope of Bomber being there next year.But Bomber being who he is is still picking favorite players not picking unliked players,not coming up with any new plans, player experiments. Why would you keep him on,because he's a nice guy, I think not. Yes, I can see a time when you must sack the coach during the season and that happens to be this season.

I think in this case it could be announced that Bombers contact is finished as off the end of round 22 and this gives the club the ability to start looking and sounding out potential candidates with Bomber still coaching to the seasons end. But I don't think Costa would do that personally.


If we are looking for a new coach later this year I am so happy Neil Balme will be involved.

 

[Selwood07]

"I think in this case it could be announced that Bombers contact is finished as off the end of round 22 and this gives the club the ability to start looking and sounding out potential candidates with Bomber still coaching to the seasons end. But I don't think Costa would do that personally.
If we are looking for a new coach later this year I am so happy Neil Balme will be involved"

Isn't Bomber on his way after Round 22 anyway? I have little doubt that we'll miss the finals and a good deal of humiliation in the meantime. No point really in sacking him - if the playing group is as disunited as it was last year, sacking the coach is unlikely to solve anything - and ther simply are no genuine alternatives.
And agree that Balme is a real plus for us. Can we have some more of the same please!

 

[Gavin Excell]

Isn't Bomber on his way after Round 22 anyway? I have little doubt that we'll miss the finals and a good deal of humiliation in the meantime. No point really in sacking him - if the playing group is as disunited as it was last year, sacking the coach is unlikely to solve anything - and ther simply are no genuine alternatives.
And agree that Balme is a real plus for us. Can we have some more of the same please![/quote]

When people say we are lucky to have Balme are you being sarcastic? Can't identify your tone. Or do I take that comment purely on face value?

 

[Selwood07]

When people say we are lucky to have Balme are you being sarcastic? Can't identify your tone. Or do I take that comment purely on face value?

No - I'm not being cynical in this instance. I used to think he was a smoothie until I met him. He actually enjoys doing his job and handles PR better than has been the case at GFC for years. He is cautious in what he says but I think he is the out of town sort of character who has not emerged from our club "culture" - who sees things differently - and that is what we need.

 

[CF]

agreed, Balmey is a plus to the whole scenario because he is respected in Football circles, he knows our list well and should be able to (hopefully) sell the idea of coming to Skilled Stadium to a candidate who may otherwise be hesitant.

 

[G.F.C]

If the side is going nowhere mid season, and the administration has already decided that Thompson won't be back, i see no harm in dismissing him and installing a new coach.

If they sacked Thompson, and brought in Grant Thomas for the last 10 games this year, he would have a much better base to launch a successful 2008, than taking over in Pre-Season. It's all relative i guess.

 

[cat in sydney]

If the side is going nowhere mid season, and the administration has already decided that Thompson won't be back, i see no harm in dismissing him and installing a new coach.

If they sacked Thompson, and brought in Grant Thomas for the last 10 games this year, he would have a much better base to launch a successful 2008, than taking over in Pre-Season. It's all relative i guess.

In my opinion, I don't think Grant Thomas brings anything different to the table than Mark Thompson. Don't know why we would replace Bomber with him?

 

[Solstice Raver]

Thomas is not the answer. However...

Every assistant coach in the league is available and ready to go next week if need be. They would all have clauses in their current contracts that if a head coach possi came up they are releasable.

The Cats list is not motivated. A new coach(ing staff) would lift the determination of the boys. You see it time and time again with other clubs when they replace coaches mid-season. The difference between the past replacement coaches is they were taking over underdone lists for rebuilding purposes. The Cats have a prime list ready to be taken in the right direction.

The earlier this is done, the more salvagable the season can be IMO. If we wait until we are 3-8 again the season will be lost. 2-4 given this week the Tigers will win, and there is still (a little) hope.

I simply don't want to be discussing the same thing this time next year. Hell, twice is already enough.

 

[hoogs]

Thomas is not the answer. However...

Every assistant coach in the league is available and ready to go next week if need be. They would all have clauses in their current contracts that if a head coach possi came up they are releasable.

The Cats list is not motivated. A new coach(ing staff) would lift the determination of the boys. You see it time and time again with other clubs when they replace coaches mid-season. The difference between the past replacement coaches is they were taking over underdone lists for rebuilding purposes. The Cats have a prime list ready to be taken in the right direction.

The earlier this is done, the more salvagable the season can be IMO. If we wait until we are 3-8 again the season will be lost. 2-4 given this week the Tigers will win, and there is still (a little) hope.

I simply don't want to be discussing the same thing this time next year. Hell, twice is already enough.

Yeah, get rid of him. He HAS to be the reason for your results the last 12 months. HAS to be. Get rid of him and it will all be okay.

 

[Rustybugles]

Yeah, get rid of him. He HAS to be the reason for your results the last 12 months. HAS to be. Get rid of him and it will all be okay.

Like the Drum debacle?

 

[jess_555]

He is out of contract at the end of the season so I cannot see the club sacking him before it is up. Would it cost a lot of money to sack him halfway through the season?

I wouldn't mind Thompson being sacked mid season just so the club can start getting use to a new coach. I feel a bit awful talking about Thompson like this but I think he has overstayed his welcome. I'm happy that Thompson has built such a deep playing list (on paper) but I think he has done as much as he is capable of. To get the club a premiership (or 10) we need someone who can get us to the next level and I don't believe Thompson can take us to that so the sooner we get another coach the better.

 

[winty]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that Mark Thompson is turning into Gary Ayres mark II? I remember in 99 that there were rumours abounding that there was friction in the playing group and the players weren't united, weren't playing for the coach etc. etc. and now there's been rumours that the same thing is happening. Co-incidence?

 

[flatcat]

Bomber should certainly get sacked at the end of the year. He's had eight years and delivered nothing. Even those who say its the players' fault must admit it is the coaches responsibility to get the most out of the players which clearly he has not. I remember early in his tenure that he was always spouting out about changing the culture of the club (no individuals was his mantra). Now we hear that nothing has changed. Even in 2006 and 2005 we had long losing streaks (5 or 6 games). Tough, steeled teams don't do that. They've been ***** weak all through bomber's tenure. People tend to forget that we just fell into the finals in 2006 and that we nearly got overrun by a poor Essendon in our first final in 2005. At at the end of the day we lost winnable games against Brisbane and Swans. And whats Bomber's brand? Everyone knows the Swans, Eagles, Port, Bulldogs brand of football. What's Bomber's brand? I can only think of the bumbling brand. Is it we draft footballers with worse skills than other clubs or is it we don't develop their skills? Or is it that there is so little confidence in our gameplan that the player's indecision causes mistakes. I saw Gary Ablett and Scarlett make terrrible errors that were totally uncharacteristic of them last week. Bomber seems to make player's play below themselves. I don't want to see too many players delisted until we get to see them play under someone else. Most of them have never playerd under any other coach. We don't know if someone fresh may be able to get more out of them. And the lack of player leadership is also partly due to Bomber. You always read around draft time that Bomber goes and talks to the kids and their parents and makes sure they are good kids before they get drafted. And yet the players he hand picks have not developed into leaders or winners and the club is factionilsed and rudderless.
Having had my rant, I think we should wait until the end of the year to replace Thompson. We should spend the rest of the year speaking to prospects and looking for the best possible candidate. Teams use so much money and resources on recruiting players to get the best available talent. And you don't even get choose anyone you want. You are confined by your draft choices. But with coaches you can get any new prospect you want. You just have to make the right choice. And a good coach will have more influence on the fortunes of the club than any one player. We have wasted more than ten years on Ayres and Thompson. Lets get right at last. Lets get the next Paul Roos or Neil Craig. You can't just pick a coach in a month at the end of the year (or midyear). We should all know by now that this is a decision that haunts us for years and years to come. It shouldn't be taken in haste. I hope that Cook has been looking already for the right candidate. Maybe I think too much of him and am just too hopefull, but I think Cook may have seen the writing on the wall after the review last year and has already had the feelers out. I'm hoping that Cook decided that because Thompson wouldn't resign, that it would be better to use the money this year to address the huge deficiencies in the football management and the fitness coach rather than pay for two coaches (i.e. pay out sacked Thompson and also a new coach). BHP will have spent over six months weighing up who should be their next CEO by the time Chip Goodyear calls it quits. Knowing that Bomber is on the way out we should leave no stone unturned to get the best prospect. This year is going to be tough, but we've just got to take our medicine. And maybe that will extend into next year as our next coach finds his feet. But if we can get one of the top four coaches in the comp. it will be worth it. Better a couple of years than another 20.

 

[hoogs]

Yeah, get rid of him. He HAS to be the reason for your results the last 12 months. HAS to be. Get rid of him and it will all be okay.

Bet ya don't want to get rid of him now do ya. Wallace is the one under pressure now. Funny how things change.

 

[Shenthus]

Bet ya don't want to get rid of him now do ya. Wallace is the one under pressure now. Funny how things change.

Yep he is gone, the only debate is now or the end of the year.

We need a coach who will unite the playing group and bring the best out of the players. Someone who will coach them, if their disposal is bad assess them so that if they can improve get them worked with if not get rid of them.

If the culture is bad then change it, I thought thats what was happening but it is still average is best stuff.

We beat up a struggling team so what, Bomber doesn't know why we won which is even more reason to get rid of him.

 

[nut]

BUMP.....

 

[Hood007]

This thread is probably why Gavin Excell only hangs around the main board...