Why?

[mjp]

Why are there comments saying Connolly put the 'Club before himself' in resigning? I am not trying to troll (I grew up in Freo, moved to Melbourne 3 years ago and my wife/kids/mum/brother etc are all Fremantle members) but I dont understand.

- It is not all over for Fremantle in 2007. Yet. Last week was important, as was the week before. But this week is equally important. There was every chance going into the season that a lot of you would have marked down the North game as a win - equally, I think you might have marked the Crows game down as a loss - a win this week will keep you in touch...partcularly as your percentage is pretty good.

Surely Chris Connolly should be coaching this week to give your footy club the best possible chance to be successful. Surely.

Why are people proposing Laidley as a great replacement coach for Connolly? He is in the fortunate position to have a contract expiring in a year his team played well. If North and Freos results in 2006-2007 were reversed, CC would be the 'hot property', and Laidley out on the street. If North and Melbournes were reversed, the same think would apply.

I dont get any of this...I just dont understand.

 

[sumavich]

I'm not. Harvey has a good chance of getting a win this w/end, Cuddles probably didn't. The media has been in a frenzy over here, with Pavlich, Connolly, Bell etc. The spotlight will be off us now, and if the Toast lose this w/end the blowtorch will be aimed squarely at them. It gives the club a chance to get something out of the season. Cuddles has been unselfish in the extreme, good on him. He'll go forward, no probs.

 

[jeffle]

Why are there comments saying Connolly put the 'Club before himself' in resigning? I am not trying to troll (I grew up in Freo, moved to Melbourne 3 years ago and my wife/kids/mum/brother etc are all Fremantle members) but I dont understand.

- It is not all over for Fremantle in 2007. Yet. Last week was important, as was the week before. But this week is equally important. There was every chance going into the season that a lot of you would have marked down the North game as a win - equally, I think you might have marked the Crows game down as a loss - a win this week will keep you in touch...partcularly as your percentage is pretty good.

Surely Chris Connolly should be coaching this week to give your footy club the best possible chance to be successful. Surely.

Why are people proposing Laidley as a great replacement coach for Connolly? He is in the fortunate position to have a contract expiring in a year his team played well. If North and Freos results in 2006-2007 were reversed, CC would be the 'hot property', and Laidley out on the street. If North and Melbournes were reversed, the same think would apply.

I dont get any of this...I just dont understand.

we have got worse, not better.

i think the darwin match really was the nail in his coffin. time and time again when we were under siege in games he failed to make changes. he was stubborn and not innovative.

but in his defence, the loss of farmer was significant. we lost so many games so narrowly, had he been around i suspect our season would be looking quite different.

does anyone else think that pavlich doesn't like/ or is threatened by farmer? i have got this vibe before. have absolutely no evidence to back it up. just have noticed that in years gone by he would rather pass the ball to someone else.

 

[mjp]

I'm not. Harvey has a good chance of getting a win this w/end, Cuddles probably didn't.

Again, Why? Harvey has been there for 18-months as well, and has been part of this years decline. What evidence is there that he can coach a team at all? Again, I am probably stupid, but just dont get what is happening or why it is seen as such a positive.

As for the comments about the Darwin game, your team was outrun and outplayed that night...I am not sure that they were out-coached.

 

[sumavich]

Again, Why? Harvey has been there for 18-months as well, and has been part of this years decline. What evidence is there that he can coach a team at all? Again, I am probably stupid, but just dont get what is happening or why it is seen as such a positive.

As for the comments about the Darwin game, your team was outrun and outplayed that night...I am not sure that they were out-coached.

Speak to you on Monday !!

 

[jeffle]

Speak to you on Monday !!

there is an attitude problem at the club.

there are so many players with ego problems.

having a new coach - who doesn't know them personally - will mean that they will ALL have to prove themselves again.

the problem went deeper than connolly.

 

[sumavich]

there is an attitude problem at the club.

there are so many players with ego problems.

having a new coach - who doesn't know them personally - will mean that they will ALL have to prove themselves again.

the problem went deeper than connolly.

Definitely. But this week is a good week for Freo to show some respect to the club, members, supporters, Cuddles. the week after Harvey goes up against his old mate Bomber against Geelong.

 

[masai]

does anyone else think that pavlich doesn't like/ or is threatened by farmer? i have got this vibe before. have absolutely no evidence to back it up. just have noticed that in years gone by he would rather pass the ball to someone else.

Hadn't really noticed it, but on the field you must put your "ego's in the bottom draw" and play for the team.

Yes Jeff is erratic but he does work hard for the team. If Pav has a problem with Jeffs "erratic" moves on the field, well he needs to buck his ideas up.

Jeff is a crumber, Pav a leading + marking forward, if they both do their jobs I will be happy.

 

[relapse]

I find it interesting for someone to ask why ??

The club was one game from a grand final last year, gained Tarrant and Solomon and has now reached a position where it will miss the finals this year. Given the premiership window that sides have the clock is ticking for them, for a squad as talented as theirs to not make the finals is a massive disappointment and a huge step backwards from last years performance. Someone has to take the fall from that and given the poor two years after their first finals appearance Connolly was the obvious man to take the brunt.

I think Harvey might be a good choice to take over the side from next year. I certainly wouldnt be going after someone who has already failed like Daniher. Maybe one of the ex toasters might be a good choice Sumich, Guy Mckenna or Don Pyke who did well at Adelaide in 05-06 as our main assistant coach or Harvey, i wouldn't be looking at someone recycled unless it was someone from a successful background as a coach ie Sheedy, Matthews etc.

 

[sumavich]

I find it interesting for someone to ask why ??

The club was one game from a grand final last year, gained Tarrant and Solomon and has now reached a position where it will miss the finals this year. Given the premiership window that sides have the clock is ticking for them, for a squad as talented as theirs to not make the finals is a massive disappointment and a huge step backwards from last years performance. Someone has to take the fall from that and given the poor two years after their first finals appearance Connolly was the obvious man to take the brunt.

I think Harvey might be a good choice to take over the side from next year. I certainly wouldnt be going after someone who has already failed like Daniher. Maybe one of the ex toasters might be a good choice Sumich, Guy Mckenna or Don Pyke who did well at Adelaide in 05-06 as our main assistant coach or Harvey, i wouldn't be looking at someone recycled unless it was someone from a successful background as a coach ie Sheedy, Matthews etc.

Tend to agree !! Sheedy would be my preferred option.

 

[4#Didak#4]

Just a little talk over here in Melbs about Connolly being very seriously considered for the Melbourne job. This is from a mate in admin at the club. It is taken as fact around the club that he has been approached/sounded out by Melbourne in particular his close mate Gazza Lyon who is on the coaching selection panel.

Given todays resignation it may indicate that he has progressed down this track & as such should not be in a position to be coaching another AFL team knowing he will be with another club next year - hence it being better for the club if he stood down. Definite conflict of interest in dealing with another club while still coaching (see Terry Wallace debacle with Swans). So it may be that he has dumped the Dockers & jumped ship (no pun intended).

Obviously a lot of speculation here but:
Why would a coach leave a club still in finals contention? Why would a club force the resignation of a coach mid season whose team is still in finals contention, surely this does not improve he teams chances? The move would see Connolly get back to Victoria & secure his coaching future. He can get a jump on rivals for the Melbourne job as if he waits to year end the job could be gone. He knows if he stays to year end he will probably be axed (if no finals), thus damaging his coaching credentials further. All in all it would seem a smart move from CC.

Could end up a straight swap Daniher for Connolly.

 

[sumavich]

Nup. Cuddles would have wanted to continue. The media in Perth is a special animal, its a bit of a boring place really, and the little scum that is the media likes to create something out of nothing. In the last three nights on Ch 7 there has been continual speculation on Connolly, Pavlich and then last night Bell. The media were creating a cyclone, and it had to be sent out to sea. He's a sacrificial lamb for the club.
Having said all that, Freo to beat the Crows on Saturday.

 

[prattsta]

Speak to you on Monday !!

So if Freo gets a win against the Crows it will be because of Harvey? Is this the same Adelaide team we beat earlier this year with CC in charge?

Its the same thinking that went on with the majority of supporters last year. When we were losing it was CC's fault yet every win was attributed to Harvey's influence and some stupid camp the players went on mid season. That says more about the players attitude and commitment than it does about CC's coaching.

Nobody even knows if Harvey can coach. I find it amazing that the same people who say he is the reason we won all those games last year, wont attribute this years poor performances with him also.

If CC's contract was up at the end of last year plenty of clubs would of been after his signature, and i have no doubt we wouldve locked him in for another 2-3 seasons. Unfortunately for him his contract came to an end at the wrong time.

I'm not even suggesting he shouldv'e been incharge next year based on this years performance, but wouldnt the club be in a better position to review that AFTER the year has finished. What happens if we win the next 7 games and make the finals? Who is to say that wouldn't of happened with CC as head coach. We made it to a preliminary final last year after a run of 9 wins, after round 12 last year who wouldve expected that?

I am absolutely bewildered by his resignation (forced) with 7 games to go and our season, all be it on life support, still alive.

 

[4#Didak#4]

Nup. Cuddles would have wanted to continue. The media in Perth is a special animal, its a bit of a boring place really, and the little scum that is the media likes to create something out of nothing. In the last three nights on Ch 7 there has been continual speculation on Connolly, Pavlich and then last night Bell. The media were creating a cyclone, and it had to be sent out to sea. He's a sacrificial lamb for the club.
Having said all that, Freo to beat the Crows on Saturday.

CC would have wanted to say if there wasnt a very good job lined up for him. He would be stupid not to pursue it. There would be an even bigger storm if he continued to coach Freo in the knowledge he is more than likely going to take the Melbourne job. This way he is helping the club by giving them time to find someone & end all the media garbage flying around. At the same time he is covering his backside. In a way its win win.

 

[Dr Ralph Dagg]

The reason he left was that it was becoming the sole focus of everyone outside the club. Have a look at all the threads that went up here straight after the loss. He had to go, fall on his sword and all that stuff.

As he said it was like a dark cloud hanging over everything and probably detracting from further performances this season.

Which all speaks to the class of the guy. I have a huge respect for him as a coach but he wasn't going to get the jobe done at Freo.

As my Mum used to say he made his bed and he had to lie in it. He overrated the list, backed players who were unift or had poor injury records, played players who were proven big game under achievers, and stoically backed a midfield that consistently failed at winning the ball and delivering it with any precision to the forwards.

CC never mixed it up much. As IP said so eloquently. the same old same old. When we under the pump he couldn't mix it up much because of all the weaknesses in the list which he overestimated.

It was time for a change, and it's time for Harvey or whoever to hold up a mirror to raft of players and make a realistic assessment of where we are at.

 

[mjp]

I find it interesting for someone to ask why ??

The club was one game from a grand final last year, gained Tarrant and Solomon and has now reached a position where it will miss the finals this year. Given the premiership window that sides have the clock is ticking for them, for a squad as talented as theirs to not make the finals is a massive disappointment and a huge step backwards from last years performance. Someone has to take the fall from that and given the poor two years after their first finals appearance Connolly was the obvious man to take the brunt.

1/.You are saying Tarrant and Solomon are a gain?
2/.They will miss the finals will they?
3/.Geelong took a huge step backwards in 2006 from 2005 as well, many had them as premiership favorites (sound familiar), then were a huge disappointment in a one team town with feral media (if you think the West Australian is bad, you should see the Geelong Advertiser!) - and they NEARLY made a coaching change. I suspect they are pretty glad that they didn't right now.

I think Harvey might be a good choice to take over the side from next year. I certainly wouldnt be going after someone who has already failed like Daniher. Maybe one of the ex toasters might be a good choice Sumich, Guy Mckenna or Don Pyke who did well at Adelaide in 05-06 as our main assistant coach or Harvey, i wouldn't be looking at someone recycled unless it was someone from a successful background as a coach ie Sheedy, Matthews etc.

- Maybe you are right. But most coaches say they are best during their second appointment...the exact group of people who you are excluding by focussing on untried guys and those who have already fought 15 rounds!

I guess I am too far away to really understand. But you have no coach in place just 4 days before a game that really is your last hope for the season. Other contenders (and my team is one of them) will fall by the wayside - they always do. You still have a chance. What you dont have, is a coach. This is not a good situation, and it is why I am confused!

 

[relapse]

1/.You are saying Tarrant and Solomon are a gain?
2/.They will miss the finals will they?
3/.Geelong took a huge step backwards in 2006 from 2005 as well, many had them as premiership favorites (sound familiar), then were a huge disappointment in a one team town with feral media (if you think the West Australian is bad, you should see the Geelong Advertiser!) - and they NEARLY made a coaching change. I suspect they are pretty glad that they didn't right now.



- Maybe you are right. But most coaches say they are best during their second appointment...the exact group of people who you are excluding by focussing on untried guys and those who have already fought 15 rounds!

I guess I am too far away to really understand. But you have no coach in place just 4 days before a game that really is your last hope for the season. Other contenders (and my team is one of them) will fall by the wayside - they always do. You still have a chance. What you dont have, is a coach. This is not a good situation, and it is why I am confused!

I am an Adelaide supporter firstly. The other points are that yes fremantle will miss the finals have you seen their draw ??? They are 2 games and percentage out of the 8 so they would have to win three more games than most of the other sides to make it

Adelaide at AAMi
Geelong at Subi
West Coast at Subi
Essendon at Subi
St Kilda at Telstra Dome
Melbourne at Subi
Port at AAMI

History says that they would have to win at least 5 of the their last seven to get in, but can you see them winning 5 of the above games ???

As for the comparisions between Geelong and Fremantle, Freo have a history of underachieving. They made the finals in 03 and then had two poor years and had a break through year in 06 only to have a shocking year so far this year.

 

[prattsta]

The reason he left was that it was becoming the sole focus of everyone outside the club. What happened to the four walls? Have a look at all the threads that went up here straight after the loss. He had to go, fall on his sword and all that stuff. What and there wasnt any negative threads after round 1? What's changed exactly? We win everyone is happy, we lose the sky is falling.

As he said it was like a dark cloud hanging over everything and probably detracting from further performances this season. So bringing in a caretaker coach and admitting the season is over (technically it isnt, people seem to forget this) wont detract from performances?

Which all speaks to the class of the guy. I have a huge respect for him as a coach but he wasn't going to get the jobe done at Freo. Wouldnt what he was or wasnt going to do be better reviewed after he had either done or not done it?

As my Mum used to say he made his bed and he had to lie in it. Except he wasnt made to, he resigned with 7 weeks to go. He overrated the list, backed players who were unift or had poor injury records, played players who were proven big game under achievers, and stoically backed a midfield that consistently failed at winning the ball and delivering it with any precision to the forwards. Most of the country overrated our list. Remember the uproar when he said our goal was to make the 8, he was accepting mediocrity. I agree to some extent that he picked the players (or had a say in it) so the list is his fault, shouldnt the players shoulder some of the responsibility for poor performances, as it is they have been completely let off the hook.

CC never mixed it up much. As IP said so eloquently. the same old same old. When we under the pump he couldn't mix it up much because of all the weaknesses in the list which he overestimated. Again is that entirely his fault, what about the players themselves, recruiters, assistant coaches, trainers etc are they completely of the hook?

It was time for a change, and it's time for Harvey or whoever to hold up a mirror to raft of players and make a realistic assessment of where we are at. Once again would this not of been better achieved at the end of the year, after the season is over

I can understand why people wanted CC gone and why they are happy he has left. What i dont understand is the resons behind why it happend now. Honestly what do we gain by changing coaches with 7 weeks to go?...

 

[prattsta]

I am an Adelaide supporter firstly. The other points are that yes fremantle will miss the finals have you seen their draw ??? They are 2 games and percentage out of the 8 so they would have to win three more games than most of the other sides to make it

Adelaide at AAMi
Geelong at Subi
West Coast at Subi
Essendon at Subi
St Kilda at Telstra Dome
Melbourne at Subi
Port at AAMI

History says that they would have to win at least 5 of the their last seven to get in, but can you see them winning 5 of the above games ???

As for the comparisions between Geelong and Fremantle, Freo have a history of underachieving. They made the finals in 03 and then had two poor years and had a break through year in 06 only to have a shocking year so far this year.

So what about us winning 9 games in a row last year? Can i use that as an example about Fremantles history? Look i admit the chances of that happening again arent good, but they are even worse now than they were this time yesterday.

If Adelaide had a slim chance of making the finals, then more or less gave up, would you be happy?

 

[mjp]

I am an Adelaide supporter firstly. The other points are that yes fremantle will miss the finals have you seen their draw ??? They are 2 games and percentage out of the 8 so they would have to win three more games than most of the other sides to make it

Adelaide at AAMi
Geelong at Subi
West Coast at Subi
Essendon at Subi
St Kilda at Telstra Dome
Melbourne at Subi
Port at AAMI

History says that they would have to win at least 5 of the their last seven to get in, but can you see them winning 5 of the above games ???

As for the comparisions between Geelong and Fremantle, Freo have a history of underachieving. They made the finals in 03 and then had two poor years and had a break through year in 06 only to have a shocking year so far this year.

Yes - I have seen the draw. And you know what? If you thought about this for more than one second you would understand it is actually the reason why they are still a chance. They play games against other contenders including Port, Essendon, West Coast (no certainties) and Adelaide (no certainties). Every game they win weakens their direct competition. No point beating up on Carlton and Richmond if the other teams going for the same spots are winning as well.

History of underachieving? Whatever that means. At some point a group of players has to have the burden of history removed and be allowed to play footy. I have no idea why the failures of the past are being assigned to a group of players including Josh Carr and Peter Bell (both strong performers in premiership teams) and first year players like Warnock.

 

[Roundhouse]

1/.You are saying Tarrant and Solomon are a gain?
2/.They will miss the finals will they?
3/.Geelong took a huge step backwards in 2006 from 2005 as well, many had them as premiership favorites (sound familiar), then were a huge disappointment in a one team town with feral media (if you think the West Australian is bad, you should see the Geelong Advertiser!) - and they NEARLY made a coaching change. I suspect they are pretty glad that they didn't right now.



- Maybe you are right. But most coaches say they are best during their second appointment...the exact group of people who you are excluding by focussing on untried guys and those who have already fought 15 rounds!

I guess I am too far away to really understand. But you have no coach in place just 4 days before a game that really is your last hope for the season. Other contenders (and my team is one of them) will fall by the wayside - they always do. You still have a chance. What you dont have, is a coach. This is not a good situation, and it is why I am confused!

You are right to be confused, and your analogy with the Geelong situation is valid even though most here won't admit it.

Last year we were in bad situation as well and harsh words were spoken, but things were kept in house and the club kept unity and committed to eachother. This year the board is different and a lot is being leaked to the media. So many rumours are coming out of Freo for the media to latch onto (like the CC/Pav rift which Pav himself came out and said was BS) that it just became too much to handle. As we know CC is the master of handling pressure, but being constantly undermined by people like that just became too much in the end.

When there is no trust, between the coach and the board (and even between the board members themselves) getting everyone on the same page to make a unified and well thought out decision about handing over the coaching role in rational and dignified manner just cannot happen.

 

[mjp]

When there is no trust, between the coach and the board (and even between the board members themselves) getting everyone on the same page to make a unified and well thought out decision about handing over the coaching role in rational and dignified manner just cannot happen.

If you are right in saying there is a rift between the coach and the board, then I guess that is the explanation I am after. It is very disappointing though. In my opinion the only person people who are on the board/players at the club should talk to about the coach is the coach himself. Doing anything else simply destabilises everything.

Anyway, like I said in my previous post, your difficult draw could yet be the saviour. You have the talent to get on a roll, I hope you do. I will never understand how the coach leaving mid-stream is a good thing, but what the hell. Good luck.

 

[Roundhouse]

If you are right in saying there is a rift between the coach and the board, then I guess that is the explanation I am after. It is very disappointing though. In my opinion the only person people who are on the board/players at the club should talk to about the coach is the coach himself. Doing anything else simply destabilises everything.

Anyway, like I said in my previous post, your difficult draw could yet be the saviour. You have the talent to get on a roll, I hope you do. I will never understand how the coach leaving mid-stream is a good thing, but what the hell. Good luck.

Freo is a very strange beast. Two local clubs, one extremely successful, with a fierce rivalry and very rich histories in the one town.

A fair amount of the supporters of Freo are made up of these two clubs. Obviously each group secretly wants more of its "influence" to be felt in the FFC. Then you have a group like the Freo MOB. Who claim to be all about getting more "Freo" in the FFC. They claim to have got behind the FFC but in reality they have never got behind the Schabb admin and Connolly as a coach. These people do not really want the FFC to be successful unless it is an FFC run by "Freo" people. You can see the conundrum.

It is no coincidence that the change in the Freo board I alluded to earlier was a Mob person getting in. The media who I mentioned were recieving and running with these leaked rumours, or the most voracious section of it, are "Freo" (South Freo) people who think that the only way for the FFC to succeed is to get more South Freo (traditionally the less successful of the Freo clubs) people involved and have a clear agenda to get Sumich (an ex South Freo person) in as coach.

This is probably even more confusing for you, but its background stuff that will help you understand the nature of the beast here. Large sections of "Freo" have always been waiting for CC and Schabb to get in trouble so they could say it was proof that the FFC needs "them" to succeed.

 

[ImperialPurple]

South Fremantle traditionally the less successful...?? Not for the last 50 years...

I hope you're not generalising with your summary. Not all South Fremantle people want Sumich in there. In fact the majority of South Fremantle / Fremantle supporters on here to be vehemently opposed to Sumich. I know I am.

 

[Roundhouse]

South Fremantle traditionally the less successful...?? Not for the last 50 years...

I hope you're not generalising with your summary. Not all South Fremantle people want Sumich in there. In fact the majority of South Fremantle / Fremantle supporters on here to be vehemently opposed to Sumich. I know I am.

Do you not agree with my summary?