Wrong time, Mr Smorgon
Mike Sheehan - 09 November 2007 - Herald Sun
FOR the second time in 10 weeks, David Smorgon has hung Rodney Eade out to dry. With fanfare.
He did it immediately after the final round of the season, when it was understandable after such an insipid end to the season.
He was even more damning on Wednesday, when it was totally beyond comprehension.
Two months on, what is the Western Bulldogs president trying to prove?
So the Doggies had a bad year. Yep, a shocker in the end, but Scragger knew that much back in August.
If Smorgon hadn't noticed, it's Cup week. Too late for retrospectives, for public lynchings. Time, surely, to focus on preparations for the new season.
Won't the coach be jumping for joy when he drives into Whitten Oval after his holidays to resume work.
Incidentally, wasn't it Smorgon and chief executive Campbell Rose who installed Eade in the role they now tell the world he has stuffed up?
Twelve months ago, everyone at the Whitten Oval was like a dog with two . . . well, you know what I mean.
Expectations ran wild, a flag beckoned, Eade was a genius.
Add Jason Akermanis, with Robert Murphy, Luke Darcy, Mitch Hahn and Shaun Higgins all back from injury, and the emergence of Andrejs Everitt and a fit Tom Williams, and how did it go so wrong?
No, Eade isn't a genius and he does get sidetracked and ahead of himself, but the blame for 2007 needs to be shared.
By the football department, by the conditioning staff, by an administration that might have been more vigilant, and by the players.
Remember them? The blokes who actually had the responsibility of representing the club every week.
The group that turned 9-6 and a spot in the eight into 9-12 and a draw, and 13th place.
Who is most culpable?
As usual, there are fingers going in more directions than Neil Kerley's mangled digits.
What I struggle to come to terms with is the fact the Bulldogs were good enough to beat Geelong, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn and Collingwood, all top six teams, yet could win only nine games. The significant detail about those wins is that three of them came in the first eight rounds.
The Doggies went into the season on a preparation for the Newmarket Handicap when they were engaged in the Melbourne Cup.
Eade's fault? He must take the bulk of the blame because he's the coach, and has been in charge of the department but everyone needs to get their act together at Whitten Oval.
All of them. From the president down.
Smorgon has made a bad error of judgment.
He just can't go from talking excitedly about "us" 12 months ago to lambasting "them" now.
He alerted Eade he would be fronting the press this week and wouldn't be mincing his words.
He was faithful to the promise, but it had to inflame an already delicate situation.
Smorgon and Rose, it should be noted, re-signed Eade 12 months ago to a two-year contract extension worth as much as $1.2 million.
Yes, they, too, have had a 12 months they would like over again.
Fact is they're all in bed together from here. They can't afford to sack him and he can't afford to walk.
They have told him his job now is to coach, and that's fair enough. He also should make the decision to wind back his voluntary media commitments.
Fortunately for the coach, recruiting manager Scott Clayton, who is an ally, is staying, despite interest from Richmond.
Eade needs to know someone important is in his corner, and he needs to revert to what he does best -- coach: seven days a week.
Mike Sheehan - 09 November 2007 - Herald Sun
FOR the second time in 10 weeks, David Smorgon has hung Rodney Eade out to dry. With fanfare.
He did it immediately after the final round of the season, when it was understandable after such an insipid end to the season.
He was even more damning on Wednesday, when it was totally beyond comprehension.
Two months on, what is the Western Bulldogs president trying to prove?
So the Doggies had a bad year. Yep, a shocker in the end, but Scragger knew that much back in August.
If Smorgon hadn't noticed, it's Cup week. Too late for retrospectives, for public lynchings. Time, surely, to focus on preparations for the new season.
Won't the coach be jumping for joy when he drives into Whitten Oval after his holidays to resume work.
Incidentally, wasn't it Smorgon and chief executive Campbell Rose who installed Eade in the role they now tell the world he has stuffed up?
Twelve months ago, everyone at the Whitten Oval was like a dog with two . . . well, you know what I mean.
Expectations ran wild, a flag beckoned, Eade was a genius.
Add Jason Akermanis, with Robert Murphy, Luke Darcy, Mitch Hahn and Shaun Higgins all back from injury, and the emergence of Andrejs Everitt and a fit Tom Williams, and how did it go so wrong?
No, Eade isn't a genius and he does get sidetracked and ahead of himself, but the blame for 2007 needs to be shared.
By the football department, by the conditioning staff, by an administration that might have been more vigilant, and by the players.
Remember them? The blokes who actually had the responsibility of representing the club every week.
The group that turned 9-6 and a spot in the eight into 9-12 and a draw, and 13th place.
Who is most culpable?
As usual, there are fingers going in more directions than Neil Kerley's mangled digits.
What I struggle to come to terms with is the fact the Bulldogs were good enough to beat Geelong, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn and Collingwood, all top six teams, yet could win only nine games. The significant detail about those wins is that three of them came in the first eight rounds.
The Doggies went into the season on a preparation for the Newmarket Handicap when they were engaged in the Melbourne Cup.
Eade's fault? He must take the bulk of the blame because he's the coach, and has been in charge of the department but everyone needs to get their act together at Whitten Oval.
All of them. From the president down.
Smorgon has made a bad error of judgment.
He just can't go from talking excitedly about "us" 12 months ago to lambasting "them" now.
He alerted Eade he would be fronting the press this week and wouldn't be mincing his words.
He was faithful to the promise, but it had to inflame an already delicate situation.
Smorgon and Rose, it should be noted, re-signed Eade 12 months ago to a two-year contract extension worth as much as $1.2 million.
Yes, they, too, have had a 12 months they would like over again.
Fact is they're all in bed together from here. They can't afford to sack him and he can't afford to walk.
They have told him his job now is to coach, and that's fair enough. He also should make the decision to wind back his voluntary media commitments.
Fortunately for the coach, recruiting manager Scott Clayton, who is an ally, is staying, despite interest from Richmond.
Eade needs to know someone important is in his corner, and he needs to revert to what he does best -- coach: seven days a week.
