We wouldn’t, would we?

[Squizz89]

Consider Clarko at all?

Yeah I’ll probably get hammered for bringing this up after a loss but with all the talk in the media recently about us not considering Clarko, I thought it would be interesting to hear others thoughts?

Fages will always be a legend of this club. No one can forget how **** we were before he arrived and what a club we now have.

Does he have the coaching ability to take us to the next step though and make a GF? It’s probably hard to answer right now given we are second on the ladder but say we go out in a prelim again I wonder if the powers that be would start to consider things. I even wonder whether Fages, being the man he is would start to have some doubts about just how far he can take us.

So in summary, gun to your head, would you consider Clarkson if we didn’t make the GF this year?

 

[Maverick]

100% no to that suggestion.
Fages has been great for us, and has built a great team culture.

 

[Lets Roar like '44]

Nice headline. You should get a job for the HS.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Think Fagan has until the end of his current contract to win a premiership. If not we might look elsewhere

 

[martinson]

Think Fagan has until the end of his current contract to win a premiership. If not we might look elsewhere

I think that's right. He's 61 in June.

But the grass is always greener isn't it. We have a list full of very good players and are contending. So I've got nothing but praise for the bloke.

 

[MacMum]

So in summary, gun to your head, would you consider Clarkson if we didn’t make the GF this year?

No. We just keep on striving for that elusive flag....with Fagan leading our boys.

No-one has said or set this season as the must-win-or-else-we-are-finished year and so Fages must go.

IMO Fagan has earnt the right to take us as far as he wants to go and to go out on his own terms......

...and only then would I consider looking to Clarko.....although I did say somewhere on here way back when, that it would be a good idea for that to happen and still won't surprise me if the two of them cook up a deal like that. If it did I wouldn't stop laughing because of the media assuming he's going to SUNS or North.
Clarko coming to the Lions hasn't been mentioned at all. How delicious would it be right under the noses of the media!

 

[luthor]

Leigh Matthews always said the role of the coach is greatly overrated.

And that was AFTER our three-peat.

"Supercoaches" Pagan and Malthouse to Carlton were both abject failures.

As was when Malcolm blight was hailed as a saviour to the Saints and the departed quickly with barely a whimper.

Clarko had a "super team" 2013,2014,2015 and for several years before that,

From 2016 to 2021 (six years) he got them to the finals only twice

Hawthorn practically pushed him out the door in 2021.

The Supercoach was not so super once the quality of the cattle tailed off.

 

[McIvor]

Think Fagan has until the end of his current contract to win a premiership. If not we might look elsewhere

That's how I feel. Has until his contract to unlock the premiership which I cant see him doing, if not defnitely no extension and we look elsewhere including moving on all our assistants that have been there for years without delivering the ultimate prize which is what all teams should be doing.

 

[rye]

100% no to that suggestion.
Fages has been great for us, and has built a great team culture.

absolutely agree

before fagan keeping any of our talent was a huge issue since 3peat. i think fages can take a fair bit of credit for creating a space players want to be, with kids developing into great players and not bleeding talent like we did during voss / leppa years.

fagan seems very popular amongst the players and the rest of the coaching group. i think hes our guy until he wants out

 

[Tom14]

No we wouldn’t, time to end thread.

8-2 with the 2 losses by a combined 15 points is indeed a record to throw the coach out

 

[fugitive]

Interesting statistic to look at how many years before a coach has won a premiership at a club in the last 20 odd years:

Lethal - 2
Mark Williams - 5
Paul Roos - 3
Worsfold - 4
Bomber Thompson - 6
Clarkson - 3
Malthouse - 10
Scott - 0
Longmire - 1
Beveridge - 1
Hardwick - 7
Simpson - 4
Goodwin - 4

Fagan in his 6th year so definitely crossing the fine line between success and missed opportunity, I personally think we have dynasty building talent and our time is now.

 

[Squizz89]

I should reiterate I wasn't advocating for us to change the coach; My thoughts were around Fages being the type of person he is, if we do fail to make it past the 2nd or 3rd week of finals this year, would he himself start to have doubts about how far he can take this group and if so, would Clarkson be the option if we believe we are that close to a premiership.

I have my doubts we will get close to Melbourne when all is said and done, but I'm not sure whether that's a coaching issue or still a cattle issue (mainly midfield); It would be interesting to know internally what the thoughts of the club is.

 

[Nunez]

I think it'd come down to whether Fagan wanted to retire or not. If we had another straight sets loss AND Clarko was keen to be in Qld closer to his daughter, THEN I could see it being possible.

At this stage I think that's highly unlikely.

 

[SRH17]

I have heard Rodney Eade say that Fages would be ideal choice for Tassie if/when they get a license. He would need to start in that job early……….

 

[Gadzorks]

Interesting statistic to look at how many years before a coach has won a premiership at a club in the last 20 odd years:

Lethal - 2
Mark Williams - 5
Paul Roos - 3
Worsfold - 4
Bomber Thompson - 6
Clarkson - 3
Malthouse - 10
Scott - 0
Longmire - 1
Beveridge - 1
Hardwick - 7
Simpson - 4
Goodwin - 4

Fagan in his 6th year so definitely crossing the fine line between success and missed opportunity, I personally think we have dynasty building talent and our time is now.

Did all of those faster premiership coaches start with such a low base with such a poor list?

Lethal didn't - the cattle were here and he just added polish. Sacrilegious - but maybe anyone might have been able to steer us to a single gf with that list?

I'm braced ready for your curses.

 

[martinson]

Did all of those faster premiership coaches start with such a low base with such a poor list?

Lethal didn't - the cattle were here and he just added polish. Sacrilegious - but maybe anyone might have been able to steer us to a single gf with that list?

I'm braced ready for your curses.

The more time that passes all that really endures is your record.

Everyone's forgotten how good or how poor your list was ,whatever hardships you faced , bad luck ,the rest of it.

Fitzroy had some amazing players over the years I followed them, nearly all now forgotten except by diehard supporters. But had they been lucky enough to play for a top team would still be remembered by all for the flags.

So if you're a sought after coach have a very close look at the gig before you wade in.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

There are rumours Clarkson won't go to Gold Coast because he doesn't want to boot out his mate Dew. If that's true, why would he want to do the same to his former assistant Fages?

I reckon Clarko will either go to Port if he wants the best shot at a flag, the Giants if he wants money (as the AFL will no doubt find some way to give him an extra payment there), or North if he wants the sentimental value of rescuing his old club from their worst ever period. Don't think he has any great connection with the current coaches of any of those clubs.

 

[briztoon]

There are rumours Clarkson won't go to Gold Coast because he doesn't want to boot out his mate Dew. If that's true, why would he want to do the same to his former assistant Fages?

I reckon Clarko will either go to Port if he wants the best shot at a flag, the Giants if he wants money (as the AFL will no doubt find some way to give him an extra payment there), or North if he wants the sentimental value of rescuing his old club from their worst ever period. Don't think he has any great connection with the current coaches of any of those clubs.

Maybe he wouldn’t be booting out Fages if he was coming here.

 

[martinson]

Maybe he wouldn’t be booting out Fages if he was coming here.

Wouldn't that be a great hook up. Reverse roles from the Hawthorn days.

Unlikely though it is.

 

[fugitive]

Did all of those faster premiership coaches start with such a low base with such a poor list?

Lethal didn't - the cattle were here and he just added polish. Sacrilegious - but maybe anyone might have been able to steer us to a single gf with that list?

I'm braced ready for your curses.

You are forgetting that the virtually the same list that Lethal took to a premiership hatrick won the wooden spoon in 1998 so it was more than adding ‘polish’, needed a full cultural shift at the club, anyone could have accomplished that feat? I’m not so sure.

 

[BangyBangy]

You are forgetting that the virtually the same list that Lethal took to a premiership hatrick won the wooden spoon in 1998 so it was more than adding ‘polish’, needed a full cultural shift at the club, anyone could have accomplished that feat? I’m not so sure.

Gadzorks never said winning a hat trick, he said making it to a gf.

You put the Lions list of 1998 next to the Lions list of 2017 and who do you think you would pick? And that's not just with the benefit of hindsight either. The Bears were pretty formidable before the merger.

 

[fugitive]

Gadzorks never said winning a hat trick, he said making it to a gf.

You put the Lions list of 1998 next to the Lions list of 2017 and who do you think you would pick? And that's not just with the benefit of hindsight either. The Bears were pretty formidable before the merger.

Yes arguably more talented on paper but none of them were considered stars in their own right in 1998 with the exception of Vossy perhaps. It’s how Leigh gelled them together what made them a team of superstars. I’m not doubting what Fagan has done is anything short of remarkable but we’ve paid our dues and now it’s time to think beyond comforting accolades and focus on the ultimate prize.

 

[BRAB]

Would we?

 

[Viceregal]

Would we?

Had to go to the top to see what the thread was about

 

[McIvor]

Would we?

I think so. Gone as far as we can go under Fagan. Came to the club when we desperately needed him;hes done amazing things for the club but to move on.

He cant get us to win games we are not expected to win or away on the big stage and at times even at home on the big stage, in game coaching suspect and selection at times is very questionable. People talk about needing a sweep out of our mature players which says reset to me, so why not bring in a new voice or at least bring in a team of new assistants. I don't know but something has to change with the coaches.