Roast The Chronicles of Alan Richardson - Part II - Richo Resigns (16/07)

[NarklesHelmet]

Tim Watson coming from Sheedys blood line is a case in point.

Watters? Voss?

A lot still comes down to the individual as well. Some just don’t have the personal characteristics to make it like the ones you mention. But get the right guy with the right coaching characteristics into a good coaching environment and they will flourish, much like players. It’s an overall pattern thing with the family tree and, much like real family trees, there will always be the “black sheep” so to speak.

The consensus is that footy really changed around 2005 tactically so I really only look at the family trees from then onwards. I think since then, the interesting “families” to watch with pretty different philosphies and a few successful offspring are the Swans/Roos family and the Hawks/Clarkson family. Geelong are an interesting case as they move the ball well and have stayed competitive in this era but have struggled to build on the great work from 2005-11. It’s really interesting with the Hawks model how they constantly reinvent themselves, hence why I think heir development is second to none.

 

[VDS66]

A lot still comes down to the individual as well. Some just don’t have the personal characteristics to make it like the ones you mention. But get the right guy with the right coaching characteristics into a good coaching environment and they will flourish, much like players. It’s an overall pattern thing with the family tree and, much like real family trees, there will always be the “black sheep” so to speak.

The consensus is that footy really changed around 2005 tactically so I really only look at the family trees from then onwards. I think since then, the interesting “families” to watch with pretty different philosphies and a few successful offspring are the Swans/Roos family and the Hawks/Clarkson family. Geelong are an interesting case as they move the ball well and have stayed competitive in this era but have struggled to build on the great work from 2005-11. It’s really interesting with the Hawks model how they constantly reinvent themselves, hence why I think heir development is second to none.

We will find out if the right environment allows him to flourish soon enough.

 

[triggering bro]

Clarko is no doubt a great coach & one of the best but it helps that he is at one of the best run & most desiresble football sporting businesses going around. The best players want to play for them, the best assistant coaches want to work for them, the best people in marketing & advertising want to work for them, the big sponsors want to sponsor them, etc. Clarko has helped build this culture so kudos there.

Unfortunately we as an organisation are not in the same stratosphere. This is why I’m loving the fact that Bassett has come out & said all decisions will be in the interest of the footy department & winning a flag - our core business. About time!

 

[NarklesHelmet]

I usually agree with everything you post but I think this is a bit on the overstated side. We had very few good disposers when Richo arrived and he's probably tried to build a game plan that suits what he has. Since then we ave continued to take players with limited skills until Clark and Coffield. Richmond and the Dogs probably have more in common with Richo than Hawthorn with both being proponents of very high pressure and whiplash rebound footy that minimises the need for extremely good disposal.

I remember after the Pies los, Nathan Burke mentioned that the recruiters had recruited players that didn't play the game the way Richo wanted it played so it's pretty hard to nail him to a wall on that either. I actually reckon Richo has probably slightly overachieved for the sides he put up, evidenced by that fact that we have continued to be around the level of Melbourne and above teams like Collingwood who have better lists up until last year.

If I had to guess, injury free we will bounce back around mid table with Richo, last year was an anomaly as far as form goes and I think we will bounce back. Depending on how far Geelong, Sydney, Port and Hawks drop off we could ben arse getting into finals. Doesn't make him a great coach but he's not s**t and he's not great. He's just the beige bandit who might not have the greatest creativity but he's a workhorse coach with a work horse side.

Ratten will make a wold of difference with some up to date ideas IMO.

Yeah I don't agree about your take on Richmond and the Dogs having more in common with our plan than the Hawks. Sure, they might have a manic looking pressure "look" to their team but under-pinning it all is a fantastic choreographed defensive structure and an ability to execute their skills when they need to under pressure. That comes with having coaches that builld on their players footy IQ and composure.

Watching the Dogs and Richmond at their best was/is mighty impressive because their pressure, while intense, is so well structured and when they get the ball, they have the composure to think their way through situations. That comes from coaches that have come from an elite environment that emphasises those things over others from day 1 and who knew all to well that they would need to do something pretty extraordinary to beat the 3-peat Hawks.

Our gameplan is and has been absolute chaos under Richo. We can all see it, Dunstan has mentioned it a couple of times (and I for one rate the kids leadership... he has the balls to call out bullshit when he sees it, good for him) and even opposition coaches like Simpson this year talked about how "unique" our gameplan is. It is absolute all-or-nothing chaos ball stuff that can surprise a team every now and again and get you over the line. it might even get you mid table like you mention. there hasn't been any composure in the way we play since Richo came in. and you can't consistently win games of footy without composure anymore in this league.

My warning on Ratten being the "saviour" is that to expect to be able to compete with richer organisations that have been doing a lot right development-wise for many years now by hiring one good assistant is pretty fanciful. We need to get the right environment in place for this to happen and it will take time. We've got the off-field stuff going on, the facility at Moorabin. Ratten is a start and it is clear from what we are hearing at the club that the players already love training under him but we need more of him to give our players the environment to reach their potentials. Otherwise we are just making up the numbers.

 

[VDS66]

It helps when you have the players.

Playfair was brought in from a successful club to tidy up our defensive structures and the players shat the bed

 

[triggering bro]

Yeah I don't agree about your take on Richmond and the Dogs having more in common with our plan than the Hawks. Sure, they might have a manic looking pressure "look" to their team but under-pinning it all is a fantastic choreographed defensive structure and an ability to execute their skills when they need to under pressure. That comes with having coaches that builld on their players footy IQ and composure.

Watching the Dogs and Richmond at their best was/is mighty impressive because their pressure, while intense, is so well structured and when they get the ball, they have the composure to think their way through situations. That comes from coaches that have come from an elite environment that emphasises those things over others from day 1 and who knew all to well that they would need to do something pretty extraordinary to beat the 3-peat Hawks.

Our gameplan is and has been absolute chaos under Richo. We can all see it, Dunstan has mentioned it a couple of times (and I for one rate the kids leadership... he has the balls to call out bullshit when he sees it, good for him) and even opposition coaches like Simpson this year talked about how "unique" our gameplan is. It is absolute all-or-nothing chaos ball stuff that can surprise a team every now and again and get you over the line. it might even get you mid table like you mention. there hasn't been any composure in the way we play since Richo came in. and you can't consistently win games of footy without composure anymore in this league.

My warning on Ratten being the "saviour" is that to expect to be able to compete with richer organisations that have been doing a lot right development-wise for many years now by hiring one good assistant is pretty fanciful. We need to get the right environment in place for this to happen and it will take time. We've got the off-field stuff going on, the facility at Moorabin. Ratten is a start and it is clear from what we are hearing at the club that the players already love training under him but we need more of him to give our players the environment to reach their potentials. Otherwise we are just making up the numbers.

Yes, unfortunately there is no quick fix & Rats cannot be expected to have that great an immediate influence. It’ll take time.

Even if we sacked Richo last year we are still starting well behind the start line & have a lot of ground to make up.

6 wins since we beat the Tigers all the way back to July 2017 says it all.

It’s obvious the club has hit the reset button by overhauling all aspects of the football department. Call it a silent rebuild or whatever.

 

[mightymalaka]

Yeah the 6 wins only since the Rich game in 17 is a worry!
But i'm a firm believer in that just as quickly as you can develop a losing habit
You can develop a winning one, on the proviso that the side has enough players in it that have experienced
How to win! Melbourne is quite often used to compare to us but we need to remember that they were coming off an
Extremely low base where they were basically inept and a complete rabble for a decade! We have not been!
This side was well entrenched in the 8 and looking just as good a chance as anyone to win the bloody thing only 18 months ago!

Sure we lost a whole bunch of experience last year, but we have i believe recruited quite well in that time and i'm expecting a
Serious bounce back this season. And not just to mid table! I don't subscribe to the theory that our list is terrible or even too beige!
It may look that way on the surface based on what has happened since that Rich game, but i think if we look deeper as to the reasons
for our spectacular capitulation it actually does lie in the footy dept and the psychological aspect of elite sport where we have been found
To be extremely naive and negligent! And that goes for the whole club on and off field. Don't underestimate the fallout that came from the Carlisle/Murphy
fiasco where as a club we were found to be once again depressingly meek!

Things now seem in place, providing the senior coach does not lose the plot again for this team to start believing in itself
I have absolutely no doubt there is enough talent on this list to give it a serious shake as early as this season!

 

[NarklesHelmet]

Great post NarklesHelmet.

I think it slightly undervalues the quality of Hawthorns list. Buddy Franklin, Luke Hodge, and Sam Mitchell are rare talents indeed. If it was as easy as drafting players with their blend of skill, athleticism and footy IQ every club would be stocked to the rafters with them; quality like that is hard to find. Throw in Jordan Lewis, Jarryd Roughead and Shane Crawford and we start to get a feel for why they rocketed to a premiership in 2008. I'm pretty certain that Mitchell and Hodge will go on to become great coaches in their own right. And I have absolutely no doubt that they have directly influenced Clarkson's on field strategy.

Did Clarkson strike while the iron was hot? Yes. Yes he did, and all kudos to him. But sometimes we rewrite history after a coach/player/team becomes successful. Lets not forget that Clarkson was in the cross hairs after their unexpected 2008 premiership. The Hawks administration and fans considered that he might be failing to capitalize on a very talented list, and questions abounded regarding his game plan.

The one defining element for Hawthorn in my opinion has been their success with drafting, trading and free agency. In fact, I think this is where the true genius of Clarkson may rest, in that he has the best eye for identifying personnel to plug a hole. Importantly, a great deal of their success in bringing in star talent has only been possible because they were already an ultra successful side. Shaun Burgoyne (2010), Josh Gibson (2010), David Hale (2011), Jack Gunstan (2012), Brian Lake (2013), Matthew Spangher (2013), Ben McEvoy (2014), James Frawley (2015), Johnathon O'Rourke (2015), Tom Mitchell (2017), Jaeger O'Meara (2017), Ty Vickery (2017), Ricky Henderson (2017), Jarman Impey (2018), Chad Wingard (2019), Tom Scully (2019) are all examples of good aggressive trading and drafting. While they don't always work out it doesn't diminish their aggression at the trade table. For example they traded Jed Anderson for the pick that they used on Ryan Burton, who has since been traded for Wingard. Now Burton is quality, and most clubs wouldn't let talent like that go. But Clarkson wants more talent in the front half and thinks he can cover the back end, so boom, the Hawks get it done.

TLDR
In essence though I think Clarkson has been successful because they struck gold early via the draft between 2001-2004. This predates Clarkson, who began his tenure in 2005. They quickly became a team that challenged deep into September and won an unexpected premiership in 2008. This success coupled with their ruthless attitude towards list management mean they have been able to attract ready made elite talent to the club. Which has, in turn, helped to perpetuate the perception that Clarkson is the best coach in the league.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-02-15/clarko-almost-sacked-in-2010
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...all-for-clarksons-sacking-20130402-2h436.html

Great post!

A lot of this discussion becomes a bit of a chicken and egg type one because in a competition like ours where there is a salary cap and all teams do development & recruitment differently, it can be tough to get an absolutely definitive read on things. Which is why we end up discussing nuances an interpretation more.

The main issue I have with the position that the players are the most/more important is that it underestimates how much the game has changed since 2005 and how much more important it is to be tactically strong as a team now and how important development and building a player and teams footy IQ is. To do all of that well, you need a really strong development program in place which means you are getting the absolute most out of the players you recruit. Quite simply, with a less than optimal coaching staff and development structure in place, you’ll never get the cattle you need to compete.

I think we have fallen a long way behind in our coaching and development.

I think as a club we did a fantastic job back in the mid-90’s- mid 2000s with our re-building. We were right up there with the best at it because we had no problem in being pragmatic with our lists and we didn’t try and be a Carlton or Essendon that held onto their glory days and suffered because of it.

But we haven’t adapted since then to other teams getting good at re-building and working more on the tactics and development. We had a defensive coach in Lyon who was good with developed teams and worked pretty well with us because he was trying to finish off our good work from the 2000s. But since then we’ve fallen behind so many other teams because we have lost our way in a number of areas with coaching being the main one in my opinion (because it directly impacts on development so much).

I think generally as a sport we are coming such a long way and I think the game is becoming more interesting by the year because of it.

 

[Drake Huggins]

Not to pick a fight Drake, but wasn't it you that said Ratts was probably too damaged and shouldn't be taken as a senior coach? And didn't that recent puff piece about Cho quote him as being the instigator of getting Ratts to StKfc?
I think it was just the bleedingly obvious thing to do. No great intelligence required for a recently unemployed man to accept new employment with possibility of progression. I guess the sell job could be worthy of praise, but a bucket of money and no accountability may have been too good to pass up.

When I read he wouldn't seek a senior job again I wondered if his heart would be in it. Maybe being second banana was what he needed to get back on the horse. From what I've seen and heard he appears to be back in business. There is always the hope of recovery after grief. In his case I can't imagine the intensity of the pain he went through. The death of a child has ruined many relationships, careers and lives.

I'm thrilled to see him up and about. All credit to him. Perhaps a change of scenery has been the key. That, and a bucket of money and the lack of key accountability. As they say, being an assistant coach is the best job in footy.

 

[majortinkle]

It helps when you have the players.

Playfair was brought in from a successful club to tidy up our defensive structures and the players shat the bed

Yes you have to wonder how much was the players and how much was playfair- I have my doubts about him given how badly it went, but hoping they just weren’t ready and this year will be different....

 

[Drake Huggins]

Gresh was the turning point in recruitment and Long to a lesser extent IMO.

Billings yes, but other selections have been questionable at best.

It was a turning point. Hanging tough to get pick 18 and Carlisle For pick 5 represented a turning point in our recruiting (Sorry Kingy) . Long, Battle, Phillips, Coffield, Clark, Paton, King, Parker, Bytel, Hind, Young, Wilkie, Roma have been added since. Not bad at all.

PS. One guess who publicly stated we should've handed over just pick 5 for Carlisle and "to get it over with". That would've cost us possibly the potentially best player on our list, and one of the few elite talents we have. That's right, the Pelican, or as someone else suggested, Lyle Lanley. Thank goodness we flicked that Muppet.

 

[AirWinmar]

Yes you have to wonder how much was the players and how much was playfair- I have my doubts about him given how badly it went, but hoping they just weren’t ready and this year will be different....

Tbh, i think some of our issues at the start of the season were the defensive structures of Playfair werent working with the rest of it. Once we realised that it was a mess trying to change in season.Have nothing to back this up with .

 

[Premium]

Yes you have to wonder how much was the players and how much was playfair- I have my doubts about him given how badly it went, but hoping they just weren’t ready and this year will be different....

A big problem last year was the ball couldn't get past the center , causing the backline to be under the pump all of the time , hopefully we having good marking targets or men in space so we can get the ball to our forwards.
This why our mids have win some clearances , last year we were the worst in the AFL for clearances.
Any backline would fail if the ball keeps getting pumped down there non stop.

 

[mightymalaka]

It was a turning point. Hanging tough to get pick 18 and Carlisle For pick 5 represented a turning point in our recruiting (Sorry Kingy) . Long, Battle, Phillips, Coffield, Clark, Paton, King, Parker, Bytel, Hind, Young, Wilkie, Roma have been added since. Not bad at all.

PS. One guess who publicly stated we should've handed over just pick 5 for Carlisle and "to get it over with". That would've cost us possibly the potentially best player on our list, and one of the few elite talents we have. That's right, the Pelican, or as someone else suggested, Lyle Lanley. Thank goodness we flicked that Muppet.

The Pelican was and is indeed a Pelican!
Not to mention an extremely unattractive man!

That list of names you reeled off is an impressive looking lot, and add hopefully Hanna and his strings with that other Kent and that's a nice haul in
A short time! This squad has smacked of needing some talented fresh youth to come in and have a big impact.
Not only can it improve us dramatically in the short and long term it should put a substantial sharp rod up the clacka to a
previously talented,if not spoilt and fickle previous generation!

Its now up to the coaching group to find the right mix and game plan to compliment the list, add in a touch of belief and
a slice of luck we have what Professor Weirdo was able to create with the making of Milton the Monster!

 

[ScrappyDo]

When I read he wouldn't seek a senior job again I wondered if his heart would be in it. Maybe being second banana was what he needed to get back on the horse. From what I've seen and heard he appears to be back in business. There is always the hope of recovery after grief. In his case I can't imagine the intensity of the pain he went through. The death of a child has ruined many relationships, careers and lives.

I'm thrilled to see him up and about. All credit to him. Perhaps a change of scenery has been the key. That, and a bucket of money and the lack of key accountability. As they say, being an assistant coach is the best job in footy.

All very true Drake. With all that though, I'm reasonably sure we should stay cool on anointing him as the next senior coach already. From a talent pool perspective it would be better to keep him as 2ic and get a new senior in. I doubt any leading candidate for a senior position would see benefit in joining us to serve under Ratts, so we'd be cutting ourselves short somewhat.

 

[NarklesHelmet]

Its now up to the coaching group to find the right mix and game plan to compliment the list, add in a touch of belief and
a slice of luck we have what Professor Weirdo was able to create with the making of Milton the Monster!

Reminded me of a video done by a Big Footy user during the ASADA saga

 

[majortinkle]

A big problem last year was the ball couldn't get past the center , causing the backline to be under the pump all of the time , hopefully we having good marking targets or men in space so we can get the ball to our forwards.
This why our mids have win some clearances , last year we were the worst in the AFL for clearances.
Any backline would fail if the ball keeps getting pumped down there non stop.

I don't think you're right about the clearances - we broke even and were mid-table from memory - that's based on differential. We conceded the fewest clearances in the league (won the fewest as well.....no wonder our games seemed scrappy). We were closer to the fewest Inside 50s conceded in the league and yet near the top on marks conceded i50. I know it would be nice to blame the mids as that seems an accepted failing but it really wasn't

The only way you can potentially blame the mids is the ease they allowed the entries when they did occur (we conceded a lot of points from the oppos defensive half which might indicate a lot of breakaways and complete structure breakdowns causing the entries which make the stats look worse for the back half - we concentrated on them not getting entries but when that failed the entry was easy if you see what I mean) or that we over-committed to the mids in order to break even there and so consequently performed poorly at both ends - which again could be what caused the breakdowns etc.

 

[Premium]

I don't think you're right about the clearances - we broke even and were mid-table from memory - that's based on differential. We conceded the fewest clearances in the league (won the fewest as well.....no wonder our games seemed scrappy). We were closer to the fewest Inside 50s conceded in the league and yet near the top on marks conceded i50. I know it would be nice to blame the mids as that seems an accepted failing but it really wasn't

The only way you can potentially blame the mids is the ease they allowed the entries when they did occur (we conceded a lot of points from the oppos defensive half which might indicate a lot of breakaways and complete structure breakdowns causing the entries which make the stats look worse for the back half - we concentrated on them not getting entries but when that failed the entry was easy if you see what I mean) or that we over-committed to the mids in order to break even there and so consequently performed poorly at both ends - which again could be what caused the breakdowns etc.[/
Statistical Rankings High Rankings Low Rankings

● Ranked 2nd in Handballs Per Game

● Ranked 2nd in Disposals Per Game

● Ranked 4th in Marks Per Game

● Ranked 2nd in least Opponent Tackles Per Game

● Ranked 1st in least Opponent Clearances Per Game

● Ranked 2nd in least Opponent Clangers Per Game

● Ranked 5th in Team to Opponent Tackles Per Game Diff.

● Ranked 4th in Team to Opponent Clangers Per Game Diff.

● Ranked 13th in Kicks Per Game

● Ranked 14th in Points Per Game

● Ranked 17th in Tackles Per Game

● Ranked 16th in Hitouts Per Game

● Ranked 13th in Inside 50s Per Game

● Ranked 14th in Goal Assists Per Game

● Ranked 18th in Clearances Per Game

● Ranked 14th in Clangers Per Game

● Ranked 14th in Rebound 50s Per Game

● Ranked 15th in least Opponent Kicks Per Game

● Ranked 16th in least Opponent Handballs Per Game

● Ranked 16th in least Opponent Disposals Per Game

● Ranked 18th in least Opponent Marks Per Game

● Ranked 16th in least Opponent Points Per Game

● Ranked 12th in least Opponent Inside 50s Per Game

● Ranked 17th in least Opponent Goal Assists Per Game

● Ranked 14th in Team to Opponent Kicks Per Game Diff.

● Ranked 14th in Team to Opponent Marks Per Game Diff.

● Ranked 16th in Team to Opponent Points Per Game Diff.

● Ranked 14th in Team to Opponent Hitouts Per Game Diff.

● Ranked 13th in Team to Opponent Inside 50s Per Game Diff.

● Ranked 15th in Team to Opponent Goal Assists Per Game Diff.

● Ranked 13th in Team to Opponent Rebound 50s Per Game Diff

QUOTE]

 

[majortinkle]

Exactly 1st in least oppo clearances, 18th in least oppo marks, 12th least in oppo i50s

It's not the clearances you win its the number you lose that impacts the back half

I hear you on the tackle numbers - crazy bad given our style of play....

 

[gringo2011]

Gresh was the turning point in recruitment and Long to a lesser extent IMO.

Billings yes, but other selections have been questionable at best.

If Richo likes contested blue collar workers, Billings is probably the polar opposite to that.

 

[gringo2011]

Yeah I don't agree about your take on Richmond and the Dogs having more in common with our plan than the Hawks. Sure, they might have a manic looking pressure "look" to their team but under-pinning it all is a fantastic choreographed defensive structure and an ability to execute their skills when they need to under pressure. That comes with having coaches that builld on their players footy IQ and composure.

Watching the Dogs and Richmond at their best was/is mighty impressive because their pressure, while intense, is so well structured and when they get the ball, they have the composure to think their way through situations. That comes from coaches that have come from an elite environment that emphasises those things over others from day 1 and who knew all to well that they would need to do something pretty extraordinary to beat the 3-peat Hawks.

Our gameplan is and has been absolute chaos under Richo. We can all see it, Dunstan has mentioned it a couple of times (and I for one rate the kids leadership... he has the balls to call out bullshit when he sees it, good for him) and even opposition coaches like Simpson this year talked about how "unique" our gameplan is. It is absolute all-or-nothing chaos ball stuff that can surprise a team every now and again and get you over the line. it might even get you mid table like you mention. there hasn't been any composure in the way we play since Richo came in. and you can't consistently win games of footy without composure anymore in this league.

My warning on Ratten being the "saviour" is that to expect to be able to compete with richer organisations that have been doing a lot right development-wise for many years now by hiring one good assistant is pretty fanciful. We need to get the right environment in place for this to happen and it will take time. We've got the off-field stuff going on, the facility at Moorabin. Ratten is a start and it is clear from what we are hearing at the club that the players already love training under him but we need more of him to give our players the environment to reach their potentials. Otherwise we are just making up the numbers.

I think our assistant coaches were very average before the recent changes.The communication was never very obvious at trainings I watched anyway. Richo was one of the first to pioneer the whiplash footy style but has never had the players to do it well. To me the Tigers and Bombers do the same thing but with better cattle to play with. Collingwood have experimented with it. We need to get experience, quality and buy in and the game plan should work enough to win games of footy again.

To me the lack of experience is a lot like Melbourne were where we have to build the team together over a long period for it to all click back in.

 

[VDS66]

I think our assistant coaches were very average before the recent changes.The communication was never very obvious at trainings I watched anyway. Richo was one of the first to pioneer the whiplash footy style but has never had the players to do it well. To me the Tigers and Bombers do the same thing but with better cattle to play with. Collingwood have experimented with it. We need to get experience, quality and buy in and the game plan should work enough to win games of footy again.

To me the lack of experience is a lot like Melbourne were where we have to build the team together over a long period for it to all click back in.

Might explain the recruitment of nature age players with pace...

 

[VDS66]

Exactly 1st in least oppo clearances, 18th in least oppo marks, 12th least in oppo i50s

It's not the clearances you win its the number you lose that impacts the back half

I hear you on the tackle numbers - crazy bad given our style of play....

You don't think our lack of forward pressure had anything to do with it?

It's a domino effect IMO.

 

[VDS66]

A lot of this discussion comes down to how each of see the role of head coach.

IMO and why I'm not black or white on the subject, there are many more variables at play with the evolution of the game.

For example, someone like Eade was tactically very good, but his messaging left a lot to be desired.

GT had the messaging but relied on Bundy for strategy... Who tried to turn us into Brisbane.

However, thanks to Lyon and Roos, 2005 saw that quantum shift in defensive tactics.

Anyway, back on point...

We look at Hardwick and acknowledge that the players asked for him to lighten up plus they added Caracella who brought strategy to the table.

Hardwick, who was under the pump like Richo, lightened up. Players began to enjoy footy again. Game plan tweaked and the rest is history.

Now I am not saying this will happen with us because once again, there are variables.

However. I honestly believe you have to look deeper than win / loss ratios.

The key to successful organisations is to identify weaknesses and then supplement them.

Which is what we have done.

FWIW, I don't care if Richo isn't the greatest tactical mind as long as we have someone else who is like Ratten.

that said, if your assistants aren't capable of enhancing what you're doing and what you're doing is wrong, you will be told, but more importantly, you won't get a solution.

So you keep doing what you're doing. Madness.

I dearly hope for the sake of the club that fresh eyes and honest feedback is a catalyst for improvement, which by all accounts so far so good.

On a side note, GT to his credit was ahead of his time with regards to a head coach becoming more of a manager like it is in soccer.

 

[King_Steele]

A lot of this discussion comes down to how each of see the role of head coach.

IMO and why I'm not black or white on the subject, there are many more variables at play with the evolution of the game.

For example, someone like Eade was tactically very good, but his messaging left a lot to be desired.

GT had the messaging but relied on Bundy for strategy... Who tried to turn us into Brisbane.

However, thanks to Lyon and Roos, 2005 saw that quantum shift in defensive tactics.

Anyway, back on point...

We look at Hardwick and acknowledge that the players asked for him to lighten up plus they added Caracella who brought strategy to the table.

Hardwick, who was under the pump like Richo, lightened up. Players began to enjoy footy again. Game plan tweaked and the rest is history.

Now I am not saying this will happen with us because once again, there are variables.

However. I honestly believe you have to look deeper than win / loss ratios.

The key to successful organisations is to identify weaknesses and then supplement them.

Which is what we have done.

FWIW, I don't care if Richo isn't the greatest tactical mind as long as we have someone else who is like Ratten.

that said, if your assistants aren't capable of enhancing what you're doing and what you're doing is wrong, you will be told, but more importantly, you won't get a solution.

So you keep doing what you're doing. Madness.

I dearly hope for the sake of the club that fresh eyes and honest feedback is a catalyst for improvement, which by all accounts so far so good.

On a side note, GT to his credit was ahead of his time with regards to a head coach becoming more of a manager like it is in soccer.

Why thank you.