Review What’s Going Wrong?

[CM9000]

This.

Simpson has had his time. He's been great (any coach who brings the club a flag is), but it's time for change.

This is the high level problem;

Won the flag in 2018
Were flag favourites for periods in 19 and 20 but landed on the 6th and 8th
The window is closing. This is potentially our last shot and we came in with the same game plan as 19 and 20. That's unforgiveable in a flag window.
Losses like St Kilda and today are fine when you're rebuilding, just not in a flag window.

So where does that leave us now;

We're going to go and flat-track bully a heap of weak sides at home. We might even beat a few contenders. We could eve finish 4, 5 or 6, and have some false hope we can win the flag. But we can't - because every team knows if they concentrate on the contested ball count, we will fold like 1980's teen movie preppy cardigan.

Where does that leave us going forward?

Rebuilding. Once you're in rebuild stage - you need a new coach. Once a coach has run his race - had all his draft picks, recruitments, and had a tilt - once that goes past the window - new coach, fresh ideas, new stock in, old stock out etc.




If I had every vote on the board - Simmo wouldn't last the weekend. I'd be looking at Pyke, Voss, or Mitchell and would be trying to win a flag this year or next.

I’m glad you’re not involved with the club in any capacity, otherwise we’d have become defunct years ago.

 

[CursoryMercenary]

Wow our percentage dropped to a pathetic 93.6 after today's game.

Simpson isn't in trouble, his decision making and inabillity to form a plan B is frustrating yes but he's a top coach and can get us back on track. We really need to attack the next draft with ferocity and get some good kids in even if it means sacrificing one or two premiership stars.

 

[Truckosaurus]

I think we have a lack of on field leadership. Captain, vice captain and former captain didn't play today and acting captain got injured early.

Having said that, I don't really rate McGovern's leadership. He's undisciplined and can be lazy coming out of the back line.

Today we needed a leader who could settle the team before half time came along so Simmo could talk to them. Someone who could direct his team mates. We didn't have one.

 

[Westend]

I’m glad you’re not involved with the club in any capacity, otherwise we’d have become defunct years ago.

Why?? he is right everything in his post is spot on... face it simmo is losing this playing group its time we start to move on and look to rebuild otherwise we are going to be an average team for a few years

You cannot live in the past on past victories simmo needs to change things fast otherwise he is gone

 

[Westend]

I think we have a lack of on field leadership. Captain, vice captain and former captain didn't play today and acting captain got injured early.

Having said that, I don't really rate McGovern's leadership. He's undisciplined and can be lazy coming out of the back line.

Today we needed a leader who could settle the team before half time came along so Simmo could talk to them. Someone who could direct his team mates. We didn't have one.

Nicnat Gaff Kelly Darling Redden Shepperd Cripps Duggan ..heaps of leaders out there for the younger players to learn from

 

[CM9000]

Why?? he is right everything in his post is spot on... face it simmo is losing this playing group its time we start to move on and look to rebuild otherwise we are going to be an average team for a few years

You cannot live in the past on past victories simmo needs to change things fast otherwise he is gone

And yet people were saying this exact thing at the end of 2017 (without the “living on past victories“ bit).

Don’t let your emotion blind you to the fact that Simmo is actually a much better coach then you give him credit for.

 

[Truckosaurus]

Nicnat Gaff Kelly Darling Redden Shepperd Cripps Duggan ..heaps of leaders out there for the younger players to learn from

And which of them actually showed leadership today?

 

[Kellythatsit]

I think Simmo needs better support from a higher echelon of coaching staff. Can we at least make a tilt for Coxy to come back as an assistant?

He’ll bring new ideas, passion and pride in the jumper which will help Simmo to instill it in the players.

 

[KERRPOW]

And which of them actually showed leadership today?

Darling as ok

 

[greatwhiteshark]

And yet people were saying this exact thing at the end of 2017 (without the “living on past victories“ bit).

Don’t let your emotion blind you to the fact that Simmo is actually a much better coach then you give him credit for.

You seem to think Simmo should not be criticised? He received lots of credit in 2018 didn’t he?
Do you believe he has addressed the poor contested ball issues that have been there for the last 2 years and this year?
Has he changed or adapted the game plan since 2018?
Do the players look like a group who are super hungry and willing to do anything to succeed?
That is just 3 things but all coach driven and implemented.
Would you say he is doing well in these areas?
I don’t think anyone is saying he can’t coach, that is beyond silly to think that. Is it possible he has been left behind or got caught up in something that worked 3 years ago then it’s hard to argue otherwise.
I like your positive spin on everything but I think you are not seeing what many of us are.

 

[Nuke Fremantle]

I wanted to wait a few weeks into the season before saying this but at the start of the year I felt our current squad had the smell of late Malthouse era Eagles, circa 1997-99. I could see parallels between the 2 groups.

ie. A group of ageing premiership heroes who get injured more often and take longer to recover from injuries leading to more inconsistency of performance, with a bit of a drop in hunger on top. A further similarity being a worrying lack of exciting young talent coming through, the type of talent that could build the next premiership team.

History shows those latter Malthouse teams were still good enough to make the finals every year but they weren't close to being flag contenders and by the time Ken Judge arrived they were running on fumes and we bottomed out. I think this current squad can also scrape into the 8 for the next year or two but what's the point?

Hit the draft, hit it hard. If that means sacrificing one or two household names in order to improve our position so be it. I just hope supporters would be willing to temporarily go backward in order to go forward.

 

[CM9000]

You seem to think Simmo should not be criticised? He received lots of credit in 2018 didn’t he?
Do you believe he has addressed the poor contested ball issues that have been there for the last 2 years and this year?
Has he changed or adapted the game plan since 2018?
Do the players look like a group who are super hungry and willing to do anything to succeed?
That is just 3 things but all coach driven and implemented.
Would you say he is doing well in these areas?
I don’t think anyone is saying he can’t coach, that is beyond silly to think that. Is it possible he has been left behind or got caught up in something that worked 3 years ago then it’s hard to argue otherwise.
I like your positive spin on everything but I think you are not seeing what many of us are.

If we’re gonna place the entire blame of this team on the shoulders of a single person, by all means, but I don’t think we can pin it all on Simmo.

What about the selection committee? Or the line coaches? What about the leaders we have on the field (or are suppose to have, if they weren’t injured)? This is a team, not just a single Man directing everything.

Anyway, I’m simply saying the idea that Simmo should be sacked is ridiculous, not that he holds no blame for this performance at all.

I wanted to wait a few weeks into the season before saying this but at the start of the year I felt our current squad had the smell of late Malthouse era Eagles, circa 1997-99. I could see parallels between the 2 groups.

ie. A group of ageing premiership heroes who get injured more often and take longer to recover from injuries leading to more inconsistency of performance, with a bit of a drop in hunger on top. A further similarity being a worrying lack of exciting young talent coming through, the type of talent that could build the next premiership team.

History shows those latter Malthouse teams were still good enough to make the finals every year but they weren't close to being flag contenders and by the time Ken Judge arrived they were running on fumes and we bottomed out. I think this current squad can also scrape into the 8 for the next year or two but what's the point?

Hit the draft, hit it hard. If that means sacrificing one or two household names in order to improve our position so be it. I just hope supporters would be willing to temporarily go backward in order to go forward.

Thankfully, history isn’t cyclical, and the outcome from the current circumstances is one which we have control of.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

If we’re gonna place the entire blame of this team on the shoulders of a single person, by all means, but I don’t think we can pin it all on Simmo.

What about the selection committee? Or the line coaches? What about the leaders we have on the field (or are suppose to have, if they weren’t injured)? This is a team, not just a single Man directing everything.

Anyway, I’m simply saying the idea that Simmo should be sacked is ridiculous, not that he holds no blame for this performance at all.

I have not said he should be sacked, I am making comments on what I see.
Of course it is a team effort and many people have responsibility in the group.
All the other coaches implement what the head coach asks them to implement, they don’t have free reign to change anything without the head coach signing off on it.
If the players are not hungry and perform on and off consistently as ours do then of course that is on the players, but a coach who continues to back them in year after year while they display such inconsistencies then he has to be held responsible why he keeps going with those same players and expecting a different result. He could trade them out for draft picks or other players . He may do that at seasons end?
I think Simmo is not coaching well, his game plan is out dated, the groups contested ball is below poor. He can fix it but it seems he hasn’t addressed it. Personnel out doesn’t help but you don’t need ability to do the things we are poor at. Why can’t Simmo get it through to them? That’s what I am asking. And I am assuming he is drilling it in to them as all coaches would st any club at any level.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Don Pyke getting all the praise for regular season success and a Grand Final appearance, but none of the blame for the capitulation of Adelaide as a club and Grand Final shellacking continues to be the most confusing thing on this board.

People want us to be mentally stronger but pine for the coach that presided over one of the most prominent mental collapses of a program in sporting history.

 

[JezMez]

I’m glad you’re not involved with the club in any capacity, otherwise we’d have become defunct years ago.

Really?

We had almost full strength teams in the latter rounds of the past 2 seasons against relatively weak sides. All we had to do was win and we were top 4 and nearabouts flag favourites. Couldn't do it. In both of those games players just couldn't bring themselves to put their bodies on the line.

6/7 goals up half way through a 3rd quarter and we capitulate?
13 unanswered goals against Geelong.

And you think the players are still buying Simmo's message?

It's people like you who have their head in the sane and let rot continue well past its used by date. It took 10 seasons for some to work out Priddis stifled our midfield. Some still haven't worked it out.

If we were in a rebuilding phase - no problem, that needs time. When they window is still open - time is a luxury we don't have. The change needs to be made now.

 

[ziad]

Nicnat Gaff Kelly Darling Redden Shepperd Cripps Duggan ..heaps of leaders out there for the younger players to learn from

Senior players are not automatically leaders - only Darling set an example. Ther others capitualted.

 

[JezMez]

Don Pyke getting all the praise for regular season success and a Grand Final appearance, but none of the blame for the capitulation of Adelaide as a club and Grand Final shellacking continues to be the most confusing thing on this board.

People want us to be mentally stronger but pine for the coach that presided over one of the most prominent mental collapses of a program in sporting history.

It's not confusing.

Don Pike presided over one of the most prominent mental collapses of a program in sporting history. Check.
Michael Voss thought he could draft in players to Brisbane and have another tilt. It was always going to fail. Check.

But both have astute footy heads. The question is, do we think they will make the same mistake twice?

It's hard to find a coach who can win a flag. They need a slice of luck too. Pike and Voss are as good a bet as any.

Nathan Buckley is another option. His message has gone stale at Collingwood. Both parties need to part ways. He can coach though.

 

[RookiePick]

Mentally we're not there. Why do our kids think and play like they are not up to it?

I can't trawl back through but I have a feeling I've commented in the past that casting all the new faces into bit-part roles would be counter productive in the long term. Our inability to Bury sides. Means we never get the chance to toss the magnets around with the pressure off.

We have not given enough responsibility to enough players so I guess we can't be surprised that we look rudderless in the absence of the head of the snake.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

It's not confusing.

Don Pike presided over one of the most prominent mental collapses of a program in sporting history. Check.
Michael Voss thought he could draft in players to Brisbane and have another tilt. It was always going to fail. Check.

But both have astute footy heads. The question is, do we think they will make the same mistake twice?

It's hard to find a coach who can win a flag. They need a slice of luck too. Pike and Voss are as good a bet as any.

It's hard to find a coach who can win a flag.

We have a coach who won us a flag.

These two coaches with fairly prominent black marks against their names who did not win flags are as good a bet as any.

Understood.

 

[JezMez]

It's hard to find a coach who can win a flag.

We have a coach who won us a flag.

These two coaches with fairly prominent black marks against their names who did not win flags are as good a bet as any.

Understood.

Pretty simplistic way of viewing it.

Blight
Pagan
Hafey..

Just a few coaches who had success but couldn't repeat it after the candle dimmed.

What do you think is going to happen if we maintain the status quo?

6/7 goals up half way through a 3rd quarter and we capitulate?
13 unanswered goals against Geelong.

Where do you think that is going?

We have a flag window open right now. It is obvious Simmo's message is not getting through. Why wait for 3 more season when we're 12-18th to pull the pin?

Pretty much all coaches get sacked. Some do a good job. There's an expiry date with a coach and his message, and a playing group. That doesn't necessarily mean that person is a bad coach, it's just time to move on.

PS I bet you still listen to AC/DC's latest stuff. Like Simmo is a great coach, they are a great band. But it's over.

 

[Westend]

And which of them actually showed leadership today?

Well that was point none of those above showed leadership and that's the problem...too many frontrunners who play well at home where its nice but go quiet when the pressure is on

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Pretty simplistic way of viewing it.

Blight
Pagan
Hafey..

Just a few coaches who had success but couldn't repeat it after the candle dimmed.

What do you think is going to happen if we maintain the status quo?

6/7 goals up half way through a 3rd quarter and we capitulate?
13 unanswered goals against Geelong.

Where do you think that is going?

We have a flag window open right now. It is obvious Simmo's message is not getting through. Why wait for 3 more season when we're 12-18th to pull the pin?

Pretty much all coaches get sacked. Some do a good job. There's an expiry date with a coach and his message, and a playing group. That doesn't necessarily mean that person is a bad coach, it's just time to move on.

PS I bet you still listen to AC/DC's latest stuff. Like Simmo is a great coach, they are a great band. But it's over.

Fair enough. Of course time catches up to all coaches, very few coaches ever go out on top, there's always an expiry date. Agree with all of that.

Where do I think this is going? Hard to say. Posts on our board at the end of 2017 had a very strong view of where it was going. We didn't know then and we don't know now.

The list still looks the part. We're still capable of rampaging high quality footy, in various styles (see: Simmo's typical style vs the Port Adelaide shellacking). The gulf between our best and worst is staggering, yes, and that badly needs addressing.

Is giving the keys to two tested coaches with massive failures as the only noteworthy entry on their resume the answer? Not to me. Is giving an untried coach who gets all the praise and none of the criticism for West Coast and Hawthorn's failings when he's been there the answer? Not to me. It's over? Disagree.

Now for the final part of your post - if we're casting aspersions about people's personal lives, I'd suggest a BigFooty poster who lists Adelaide as their favourite team and has only ever posted on this board on weeks we've lost is, at best, not posting in good faith and is at worst a troll that isn't as clever as they think they are.

 

[Westend]

If we’re gonna place the entire blame of this team on the shoulders of a single person, by all means, but I don’t think we can pin it all on Simmo.

What about the selection committee? Or the line coaches? What about the leaders we have on the field (or are suppose to have, if they weren’t injured)? This is a team, not just a single Man directing everything.

Anyway, I’m simply saying the idea that Simmo should be sacked is ridiculous, not that he holds no blame for this performance at all.



Thankfully, history isn’t cyclical, and the outcome from the current circumstances is one which we have control of.

Stop living in the past and concentrate on the now simmo's message is not getting through and the team is going backwards

The buck stops with him

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Pretty simplistic way of viewing it.

Blight
Pagan
Hafey..

Just a few coaches who had success but couldn't repeat it after the candle dimmed.

Also on this.

Pagan - won flags four seasons apart.
Hafey - won four flags eight seasons apart.
Blight literally repeated it by going back to back.

Malthouse won flags nearly 20 years apart. Clarkson eight years. Chris Scott won one 12 years ago and still has his side in the upper echelon of the league all these years later. It's not a grand impossibility.

 

[Westend]

Hypothetical fellow supporters

Clarkson time is coming to an end at Hawthorn....if he puts his hand up and says he want's to coach again ....I know what I would be doing if i was the Eagles.....offer him a deal ASAP