Robert Walls is a dickhead. He has no idea. He reminds me a bit of Dermie, in that he turns talking about football into a science course to make himself sound more intelligent.
One of the worst things he ever said was when he was coach of Richmond in 1996. He said: "I feel we here at Richmond, may need to take a step backwards in order to go forwards"
This was a team with one of the youngest lists in the competition, and had just finished 3rd on the ladder the previous season. They had been going backwards every year since 1982, and this dickhead thought that they needed to go backwards in order to go forwards. Well, Walls made them go backwards all right. But he couldn't fulfill the promise of them moving forwards.
Now, comapre that to Denis Pagan. When Denis Pagan took over North Melbourne in 1993, they had missed the finals for the previous 5 years and had just suffered a humiliating 150 point loss in an Ansett Cup match, that forced the sacking of Wayne Schimmulbusch. Pagan took over this rabble and has taken them to 8 finals series in a row, including 7 consecutive preliminary finals. Do you think Denis is believer of the notion that you have to go backwards in order to go forwards? I'll bet he isn't. Denis is a winner. Robert Walls, I'm sorry to say, is a loser.
It is Denis Pagan the coach who Robert Walls envies. He is obviously jealous of Denis Pagan. He is so jealous in fact, that Robert Walls actually thought Denis should stop coaching North last year. Can you believe it? That dickhead Robert Walls actually thought that Denis Pagan's time had come as North coach. I'm sure North supporters remember the article.
Now why would Denis Pagans time be up, when he was on the verge of an 8th consecutive finals series (18th consecutive if you include under 19's and reserves)
Robert Walls insistence that North should look for anotyher caoch, is as stupid as his insistence that Richmond, under his coaching needed to take a step backwards to go forward.
Walls' prediction of North to finish 9th is ridiculous. Once agin, Denis Pagan will show Rober Walls how to coach a footy club. North will not finish 9th. Not a snowflakes chance in hell.
[This message has been edited by Dan24 (edited 01 March 2001).]