What was Rocket doing at the Suns?

[BloodySwan]

People like this is why we should have mandatory 2 years public/military service for teens once they finish high school. That girl and anyone like her is a straight up ******* imbecile. She should go play the game where after she gets her starbucks at ten she puts head head in a bucketful of water 3 times and only pulls it out twice.

You should talk to people who came from countries with mandatory service. It's far from a pleasant experience. It's not all push-ups and drills

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Yeah Rocket's nickname for Fitzgerald was "Plasticine" because Rocket would tell Ryan he was so dumb he would have failed plasticine in kindergarten.

He’s not wrong though is he.

 

[Jack Bradley]

EADe IMO was possibly the most overrated coach of the modern era.

Failed at Sydney, Failed at Bulldogs, failed at GC

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I'm not sure how he was at the Doggies or the Suns but I know when he was at the Swans he had this ability to just rip into all the players. By all reports he was pretty nasty to them, calling them all names and making them do degrading tasks just to prove a point. You can say man up, etc, but when you head into work every day and your boss is the one always putting you down it weighs on you.

In Roos latest book he talks about Rockets last day in charge at the Swans, made the players cancel their day off to come in and train (it was initiated by the board). He got the players to do the 'scarecrow'. You stand there with your arms up and whoever lets their arms drop losses. Went on for hours, players were exhausted come the end. In all honesty what was he trying to achieve but to degrade or punish his players?

If that's the way he was at the Suns there's no way I'd want to play under him

What a dick.

The players would’ve been thinking “this isn’t helping me get better at football, it’s not going to help us win, it’s just prolonging the inevitable spray I’m going to cop for something”.

I hate that cowardly s**t. That’s what an abuse of power looks like. You can’t have people like that in charge of guys in some of their most important formative years.

 

[WCE_phil]

You should talk to people who came from countries with mandatory service. It's far from a pleasant experience. It's not all push-ups and drills

I did six years service myself and joined just after turning 17. I know quite a lot of guys from both South Korea and Singapore which both have mandatory service and while both are asian countries they are as close to being Western countries as you'll find in Asia. In almost every case it has been to the benefit of the people and certainly to their country and community.

 

[BloodySwan]

I did six years service myself and joined just after turning 17. I know quite a lot of guys from both South Korea and Singapore which both have mandatory service and while both are asian countries they are as close to being Western countries as you'll find in Asia. In almost every case it has been to the benefit of the people and certainly to their country and community.

I haven't done service myself, but I have spoken with people who had to do service in Poland & Spain. Both said it was awful, breaks people down and turned some of their friends and family members into shells of who they were before. Maybe it works in some places but it wouldn't be the answer for everyone

 

[Toump Ass]

Eade was a fantastic choice for GC. Shame he wasn't there longer.

Remember when he wheeled his grandkids out for the press conference?

Can't imagine why it never worked out.

 

[Damon_3388]

I don't know much about Schade, but Gorringe has a bit of form sooking it up.

Online reviews for cafés, etc.

 

[WCE_phil]

I haven't done service myself, but I have spoken with people who had to do service in Poland & Spain. Both said it was awful, breaks people down and turned some of their friends and family members into shells of who they were before. Maybe it works in some places but it wouldn't be the answer for everyone

Very much why I believe people should be given the opportunity to either do community or military based service. Unlike universities and high school it would genuinely get people ready to enter the workforce.

You can swing people more towards military service if the option as part of military service becomes 18 months vs 2 years for community service. The self entitlement at the expense of everyone else and in particular the community that people in general and in particular teenagers have in this country is disgusting and this is a very genuine way to force people to grow up and it just becomes a part of everyone's education whilst providing benefit to the community.

A bit like in Korea how you can have exceptions made for certain areas for those of extreme talent (ie, athletic, intellectual top 1% etc) to pursue their fields of ability without the service period it could be done here.

 

[Kwality]

Obviously bad blood from what happened at GC perhaps. Not sure what was happening up there but it’s set the club back another 3 years. I just can’t believe they made the appointment.

The hands of the AFL had the levers, too early to tell if they'll parachute Mark Evans out as they did Travis Auld.

Remember Travis Auld?
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/gold-coast/gold-coast-suns-chief-travis-auld-quits-to-work-at-afl-as-brisbane-continues-search-for-boss/news-story/9dde9b0b88e10fa8437befe41decaa13
Gold Coast Suns chairman John Witheriff on Wednesday night that confirmed Auld had resigned.

Witheriff said Auld’s achievements during five years at the helm were “too numerous to list”, he was “particularly proud” of the way he had helped the club engage with the Gold Coast community.

“Not just his commitment to the footy club, which speaks for itself, but he truly and genuinely believes that he has a responsibility to the broader Gold Coast community to assist those who are not as well off,” Witheriff said.

“His second major achievement is the way we’ve built a very special culture within the Suns.

“It’s a place where people want to play, where staff want to work and it’s a very inclusive culture (where) egos are left at the front door.”

Does anyone buy the story on Auld, if you do, the AFL shafted the Suns.

 

[Kwality]

Not really.

You could argue that virtually any extra funds going to any of Vic, SA or WA are funds that could help Tasmania. It’s not like the AFL has spent its very last $20 million or something on the Suns. There is still plenty in the coffers I’d imagine.

Remember the loss in the last year of the last TV rights, effectively the AFL spent more than they earned - folklore says there is plenty in the coffers ... folklore, but the score board begs the question.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Remember the loss in the last year of the last TV rights, effectively the AFL spent more than they earned - folklore says there is plenty in the coffers ... folklore, but the score board begs the question.

It's interesting. When an org like the AFL stretches too thin it's the sponsors that get all the power, because the league effectively locks itself out of alternatives and can't wear the short term pain of telling one of them to stick it.

 

[Kwality]

It's interesting. When an org like the AFL stretches too thin it's the sponsors that get all the power, because the league effectively locks itself out of alternatives and can't wear the short term pain of telling one of them to stick it.

exactly whats happening with the pokies, sshh !!

 

[Blackhawk42]

What a dick.

The players would’ve been thinking “this isn’t helping me get better at football, it’s not going to help us win, it’s just prolonging the inevitable spray I’m going to cop for something”.

I hate that cowardly s**t. That’s what an abuse of power looks like. You can’t have people like that in charge of guys in some of their most important formative years.

We have a similar issue with our coach in my local league. Trying to change our culture, which was already a strong one. Abolished our weekly punishment system (which literally was only a helmet and a hat), and blamed it on why we were underperforming (despite being 6-1 at the time). Also ran us all into the ground on a Monday night only a day and a half removed from a brutal game that we won. It made zero sense in an era where we know more about conditioning.
Bit off topic of Rocket, apologies. Just a few of these stories are striking a cord.

As for the millennials thing, there are a few things that probably need to be understand by older generations. Sure, some take the 'i'm offended' thing way too far. But, if you have a player who is a bit of a Mummas boy, or misses home, or who is introverted and doesn't respond well to being blasted, why the hell would you continue to blast him if his football performance is suffering from the aforementioned reasons? Some clubs do personality profiles and coach players on an individual level to get the best out of them. The old school 'harden up' approach may work on some, but not all. With all the stuff we know now about mental health and sport psychology, there is no place for the dinosaur era coach who just bakes everyone. I was baffled when Rocket given the job and now i'm even more baffled hearing a few stories in here.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Their drug and party culture was the worst we have seen in the AFL since the infamous Eagles.

As mediocre as he was as a career coach, he was what they needed at the time. A no nonsense tough guy. It wasnt about the football as it was about the culture.

Did his job.

 

[Suns of Anarchy]

Someone like Eade would’ve been ideal when we started off.
Gorringe and Schade both had 12 months at other clubs and not up to it. Delisting them was the right thing to do, but the Balwyn situation sounds like it was more to do with who he replaced and how it was done.

 

[perplexed]

Guys like Eade demand respect but do nothing to earn it.
The 'short sharp shock' has never worked. That people are still proposing it is a reflection on their cruely, ignorance and laziness.

 

[blitzer]

Eade strikes me as someone that was much better as an assistant coach than head coach. Which is not surprising because there are a lot of coaches out there like that. Not everyone has the full range of skills to make an effective head coach in the AFL.

 

[mr bagcroft]

60 plus year old bloke from the old school in charge of a bunch of 18 to 30 year olds. What could go wrong?

 

[BRWB]

60 plus year old bloke from the old school in charge of a bunch of 18 to 30 year olds. What could go wrong?

Not much if they're any good. Bellichick is plus 60 at the Patriots and goes.ok. Alex Ferguson was pretty handy as well while plus 60.

Just because Eade didn't work out doesn't mean older coaches are s**t.

 

[mr bagcroft]

Not much if they're any good. Bellichick is plus 60 at the Patriots and goes.ok. Alex Ferguson was pretty handy as well while plus 60.

Just because Eade didn't work out doesn't mean older coaches are s**t.

No you are right. I gotta feeling with Eade though...

 

[citizen-erased]

You've not worked with millennials I take it.

accurate until the starbucks gag.
More a Gen X/Y thing.

Millennials are less about the hot milkshake orders and more about the "purity" of the coffee.
Should have been a first shot, single origin (pick your flavour of source) espresso, 6oz of milk, with a side order of soda water.

The Boomer v Millennials online ****fights are amusing.

 

[IKnowtheDog]

Eade may have been from the 'Duke of Wellington' school of coaching.

I don't understand how you'd call him a failure of a coach when he got Sydney to a Grand Final and Footscray to a 3 prelim finals plus numerous finals appearances.

Would be interesting to see how Fergie as a manager would go in today's climate afterall he never held back from giving a ferocious bake.

 

[Back One Out]

Eade was a shocking choice for Suns.
His record at Dogs should have been a warning - skilled and soft was not what they needed to be.

Eade's record with the Western Bulldogs? Pretty good.

He took a team that won 5 games in 2004 to consecutive Preliminary Finals in 2008, 2009 and 2010

Coached their team to 3+ consecutive Prelim.Finals (AFL era)
Alistair Clarkson: .2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
John Longmire: ...2012, 2013, 2014
Mick Malthouse: ..2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Ross Lyon: .........2008, 2009, 2010
Rodney Eade: .....2008, 2009, 2010
Mark Thompson:.-2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Mark Williams: ....2002, 2003, 2004
Leigh Matthews: ..2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Kevin Sheedy: .../1999, 2000, 2001
Denis Pagan: ......1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
Mick Malthouse: ..1990, 1991, 1992



The Bulldogs were not a 'soft' team with Rocket at the helm. That's a myth.
They were consistently one of the leading teams for contested possessions and clearances.

2008 Contested Poss (avg)
1. Geel 127.7
2. Coll 122.4
3. W.B. 121.3
4. Adel 121.0
5. WCE 120.9
6. Syd 120.0

2009 Contested Poss (avg)
1. Geel 133.0
2. WCE 132.0
3. W.B. 131.9
4. St K 129.5
5. Carl 125.9
6. Coll 124.0

2010 Contested Poss (avg)
1. Coll 144.6
2. W.B. 138.0
3. Port 137.7
4. Geel 137.7
5. Melb 136.1
6. Syd 135.5

Clearances: 5th (2008), 4th (2009), 3rd (2010)

 

[MaddAdam]

Ryan Fitzgerald hated Eade.

Luff was always a massive target of Eade as well, but he was pretty good at handling it apparently. Either way, Eade seems more like a drill sergeant than a coach and that is not what modern football is about. Players need someone who they respect, and who respects them.

Rocket coached our 2s under Pagan before coming up to you guys. Pagan was very much of the "tough" old school coach and Eade would have picked a lot of that up/had it reinforced.