Is Bailey a good coach?

[Juice Newton 0]

What is the thoughts on Bailey so far? Is he better than Daniher (both as a coach, and promoting the club)? And does anyone know what his gameplan is?????

[Juice Newton 0]

By the way, i think that so far daniher would have been better this year, because both of them are mediocre coaches, but daniher knew how to market the club.

[praha 11,240]

The best footy we've seen from Melbourne this year is reminiscent of the footy Port played in 2002-2004. The worst footy is reminiscent of Fitzroy in 1996. On one end, you've got a coach who knows a good gameplan, but atm can't get consistency from a young team. A better rating of his ability as coach can be given this time next year IMO.

[Roost It 1,434]

By the way, i think that so far daniher would have been better this year, because both of them are mediocre coaches, but daniher knew how to market the club.

You apply the word meciocre to Dean Bailey - are you serious or do you just want an argument?

[Neita3000 37]

Whilst the odd massive loss has hurt you can clearly see what Dean Bailey is trying to do. Create a game plan that is based on hard running, toughness and skill. It's a pleasure to watch young players like Garland adapt to it but shocking to see the likes of Bruce and White attempt to do so. He is the right man for the job.

[Demon Tragic 0]

Think it's very unfair to label DB mediocre. Daniher would have done better this year because he would have encouraged the selfish play that has been rotting away good players for years. It would see us win be more competative, but would never see us to a premiership.

It'd be fair to say the bad habits entrenched during Daniher's reign were difficult to kick for alot of our older players in the first five weeks, as such our performance suffered immensly.

Since then the players have been alot more focused on executing what can be a very hard hitting, fast and exciting style of play. No-one who went to the Fremantle game could deny that and our performances against Hawthorn & the Pies also prove that. Many of the Collingwood supporters (who I am unfortunately related to) said that we smashed the pies in the middle. Our tough in and under players do a magnificent job of winning the hard ball.

I have noticed some of the following positives from our season so far and think they should be considered into any performance assesment of DB

1. Cale Morton's emergence as a future elite midfielder

2. Austin Wonaemirri's rise as an excitement machine

3. Brad Miller's improved performances as a permanent CHF

4. Brock McLean stepping up to the plate as a future leader

5. Nathan Jones working harder than ever to shake the number one tag

6. Colin Garland's steep improvement as an impressive backman

7. Matthew Warnock starting to stamp his physical presence on games

8. Brad Green starting to play like he should have for the past 6 years

9. Martin, Zomer, CJ and Maric's form at Sandy

I am very pleased with the manner DB uses Sandringham as a conduit to good form & experience. I hope he persists by leaving those players at Sandringham a little longer. Whilst they would learn from a senior game, exposing young unprepared bodies to the rough world of AFL has more potential to damage them than improve them just yet. When their bodies are right, I'm sure he will blood them.

Taking those factors into account along with the hit of losing over 1000 goals from our forward line(one who was the most inspirational player I have seen wear the red and blue in my 28 years as a supporter), I think DB has done an excellent job with the list.

His media profile leaves an awful lot to be desired. His speech in press conferences is littered with cliche and rhetoric. He needs to improve in this area, however considering the horror start to the year we have has, I can understand the instict to go into your shell a bit. CC has been magnificent in filling in the gaps DB leaves behind.

For mine DB gets a 7 for the first half of the year, I get the feeling that will improve markedly in the second half. CC gets a 9 for the show! The real question I have is what has our CEO been doing? For a person who was supposed to bring marketing glamour to the club, I haven't heard a word!

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,939]

He will start to get my tick of approval once Melbourne can play back to back weeks of decent footy. So far he's failed dismally in this area.

The dogs will be barking if we follow up the Collingwood peformance with a putrid performance against Richmond.

[Pates 9,660]

I think Bails is doing a decent job at this stage, it's difficult to analyse this early into his tenure given that the worst has been that horrible but the best has seen us take it up to the form teams in the comp. Ultimately i think we need to look at where the improvement is coming from, and the promising thing is that it's coming from the under 23 year olds which means that he's paying closer attention to the future than the present. There is no doubting, he is building a team that aims to be challenging in 3-4 years.

Hopefully the short term pain, will give us some long term gain.

[Hards 2]

I have a fundamental disagreement with the style of footy he wants us to play. I think its a style that has been routinely beaten in finals and is years behind the direction footy is moving.

That said, at achieving what he is trying to achieve I think he's going ok. For guys who arent built for playing that style of footy our guys are adapting to it, and to give Bails his credit, he has made changes to what he initially tried to implement, and that has helped.

Is he a good coach? Too soon to say.

[dazzledavey36 55,318]

i think he is a great coach! so far we have seen what warnock and garland can really do something we couldn't even know they had that kind of ability last year.

wonna has been a revelation!! better then jetta, varcoe, lyndsay thomas and just nearly as good as rioli! you are seriously not ment to be getting peformance like that from a rookie listed player especially when they are only 19 years old and in there first year of professional football!

morton will be a ball magnet and his disposal will come good trust me! its a thing with us young players when we players seniors first up.

miller has been really important for us and i knew with the right coaching he would show us what he was made of.

mclean has been really good this year and ijury free to

im right behind the yoda!

[Swampfox 190]

Bailey has 11 games under his belt so its way to early to say

what you should be asking yourselves is the same question in 2 - 3 years time

Many had written off Mark Thompson a few years ago as well

In my opinion the coach who got the best out of his players since Norm Smith at Melbourne was John Northey

[rpfc 28,769]

Bailey has 11 games under his belt so its way to early to say

Yeah, you really cannot judge a team that is rebuilding until they show you what you have built.

With TJ, Neitz, Robbo (struggling with injury before he did his achilles), Bruce (no preseason), Rivers, Yze (you may say he didn't have an impact last year either and I would agree and point out that we lost 17 games), and Whelan gone or having far less of an impact, he has to be given some time before judgements.

Fwdline is a mix and match at the moment, seems to be potent but will be less so when teams figure out what we're doing.

Midfield is tough and uncompromising, with a propensity for something that MFC hasn't seen since Woey and Powell - they get regular clearances (McLean, Moloney, Jones)...at times...at other times their youth shows and their lack of concentration is a particular worry.

Backline is where we are beating expectations. Garland, Warnock, Frawley (admittedly not as impressive as the first two but needs time and confidence), Batram (out for 12 months and is a very comitted tagger, his clangers come from his boldness and i'll take that from a 20 yr old anyday), and Buckley have all shown a lot. And their ages are 20, 24, 19, 20, and 21. Two of which command a place in the starting back 6.

[astrodee 0]

Bailey has 11 games under his belt so its way to early to say

what you should be asking yourselves is the same question in 2 - 3 years time

Many had written off Mark Thompson a few years ago as well

In my opinion the coach who got the best out of his players since Norm Smith at Melbourne was John Northey

I agree that Northey has been our best coach since the great NS. However, I love the way DB coaches. It should be remembered that without Neitz and Robbo we now have the 2nd youngest list in the AFL. His game plan is not a rehash of Port's 2002 - 2004 (which netted them a premiership), but a development of it. He said when he started that he was going to develop the team. Aussie, Garland, Warnock, PJ, CJ, Miller, Brock, Jones, etc are all developing into better footballers under his tutelage.

CC is out there selling the club. Bailey in the media reminds me of NS in the WOS days. Straight faced and honest. So he uses cliches - gee, that means he's like all the other coaches.

I have consistently watched this club play since 1957, and since the great redhead was destroyed by the MCC/MFC committee DB is the 1st coach to genuinely excite me. I loved Northey for his passion and his ability to develop an 'us against them' mentality, but always felt that he lacked the nouse to win a flag at AFL level.

I agree with most that it is too early to really assess him. But for mine he has so far earned an 8/10 - and he still excites me as a coach. I also enjoyed his appearance on Before the Game, and can't wait for him to come on Footy Classified.

[Hazyshadeofgrinter 80]

Whilst I agree with most people that it is far too early to judge Bailey as a coach...

...there were two major things I wanted to see from Daniher's replacement.

1. Suck it up and play the youth (like Hawthorn did)

2. Demand a committed game and inculcate an "harder" culture

In my amateur estimation, Bailey is performing well on both counts. He has given some of the younger lads a chance to prove themselves, but is also insisting that they (and others) are hungry for it (as far as I can tell).

Given the state of the team he inherited, that it is too early to judge him on the wins/losses and that there seems to be a positive style of hard-running play emerging, the fulfillment of my two main hopes above leads me to give Bailey a big tick despite our strong bid for the 2008 spoon.

P.S. I also agree that Bailey is not the most adroit when it comes to media etc. however, cue: Paul McNamee. I'm very happy with the new appointments and the direction that the club has been taking overall.

[Little Goffy 14,639]

Warnock, Garland, Sylvia and both Chris and Paul Johnson have all made very good progress this year, compared to their standard in previous years.

Miller, even, has added a bit more to his mediocre games and appears to be having good games more often.

Aaron Davey appears to have made the transition to midfield option at last, which failed to occur previously.

Not all players have been making such progress, sure. And some of it could just be maturity coming through. But I like what I'm seeing and feel positive about the future. Daniher did his honest best, I have doubt about that, and he set a competitive standard for the most part, but there was always something missing and there were always sustained patches of inexplicable on-field misery.

I'm very happy with Bailey, particularly as a first-year coach, and I like the development I'm seeing from the younger players.

[deanox 9,989]

we seem to be willing to attack the man and try to assert ourselves on teams. we seem to have a bit of mongrel. it hasnt been showing through every week but its there. and we never, ever had that under ND.

when the players commit themselves they perform well. i dont care if we lose when we commit i just hate it when players are soft and not trying. selfish play should go punished or unrewarded at all times. DB's job for the next 11 weeks is to get the team to lift every week like it has against collingwood, tasmania and for a half against freo. i dont care if we dont win, as long as they attack the footy and the man with ferocity and desire.

so far im happy with DB, we have obvious holes and need a lot of development. it wasnt his fault players couldnt hit targets. i think we will come good at some point in the short term (this year or next), and i think we could be up by 2010 if we draft/trade right.

[Choko 493]

I agree that Northey has been our best coach since the great NS. However, I love the way DB coaches. It should be remembered that without Neitz and Robbo we now have the 2nd youngest list in the AFL. His game plan is not a rehash of Port's 2002 - 2004 (which netted them a premiership), but a development of it. He said when he started that he was going to develop the team. Aussie, Garland, Warnock, PJ, CJ, Miller, Brock, Jones, etc are all developing into better footballers under his tutelage.

CC is out there selling the club. Bailey in the media reminds me of NS in the WOS days. Straight faced and honest. So he uses cliches - gee, that means he's like all the other coaches.

I have consistently watched this club play since 1957, and since the great redhead was destroyed by the MCC/MFC committee DB is the 1st coach to genuinely excite me. I loved Northey for his passion and his ability to develop an 'us against them' mentality, but always felt that he lacked the nouse to win a flag at AFL level.

I agree with most that it is too early to really assess him. But for mine he has so far earned an 8/10 - and he still excites me as a coach. I also enjoyed his appearance on Before the Game, and can't wait for him to come on Footy Classified.

I'm interested in what particularly excites you? Big call to say he is the only one to do so - what is it about him?

[Guest unstable punt]

What is the thoughts on Bailey so far? Is he better than Daniher (both as a coach, and promoting the club)? And does anyone know what his gameplan is?????

he handles himself really well but here have been times, in particular half-time against Shockers and the Saints game where l've thought he doesn't have a clue. At the minute l think he is doing okay but lets see what happens on Sunday and if they can get up for that game, which on form we should win.

[Weedster 174]

i think he is a great coach! so far we have seen what warnock and garland can really do something we couldn't even know they had that kind of ability last year.

wonna has been a revelation!! better then jetta, varcoe, lyndsay thomas and just nearly as good as rioli! you are seriously not ment to be getting peformance like that from a rookie listed player especially when they are only 19 years old and in there first year of professional football!

morton will be a ball magnet and his disposal will come good trust me! its a thing with us young players when we players seniors first up.

miller has been really important for us and i knew with the right coaching he would show us what he was made of.

mclean has been really good this year and ijury free to

im right behind the yoda!

"A Great Coach "...give me a break..we've been comprehensively thrashed in 7 out of 11 games, had 3 "admirable losses" and pinched ONE win after being 51 points down..to Fremantle who don't know how to win ! Hardly results of greatness.

True that the improvement of Garland & Warnock is pleasing though I would have expected that after 3 years that should be happeinng anyway..I'm far from convinced at this point.

I personally believe ND has been harshly treated by comparison - 7 finals appearances in 10 years as well as being the face of the club - stacks up pretty well in my view.

[Rogue 585]

P.S. I also agree that Bailey is not the most adroit when it comes to media etc. however, cue: Paul McNamee.

...and Chris Connolly, too.

[demon_king 13]

Way too early to tell, I like the signs we get to see every now and then. Young players need to develop consistency and at the moment it mirrors the team.

I would be devestated if he was to come out and say we are DANGEROUS.

[astrodee 0]

I'm interested in what particularly excites you? Big call to say he is the only one to do so - what is it about him?

His demeanor, his nouse, his emphasis on educating the players in decision-making, his unflappability, his belief in himself, the way he managed to make himself into a footballer who played 63 games during Essendon's heyday (when in reality he wasn't particularly skillful, but always showed nouse and poise during games), his honesty, and his realistic appraisals of games. And the way he takes all the negativity and criticism in his stride and just keeps working away. He also delegates well and listens to others. He knows that he doesn't know it all.

I have close friends who have played and coached VFL/AFL/TFL, and they are unanimous in their belief that he has what it takes to build both a successful culture and team.

So, I'm excited.

[maximum bob 462]

Back to the original post.

Of course it's too early to make a call on DB.

The man's barely sat down in the chair and people are calling for comparisons between him and a long serving coach.

Give DB 10 years in charge like ND, see what happens and then make comparisons.

Sheesh. For mine it's a minimum 3 years and more probably 5 before you can make a judgement.

In the meantime we'll have a sizeable turnover of the playing list, early draft picks hopefully and the competition of 2 new clubs in an embryonic stage grabbing the best talent.

Give the guy a break.

[Roost It 1,434]

"A Great Coach "...give me a break..we've been comprehensively thrashed in 7 out of 11 games, had 3 "admirable losses" and pinched ONE win after being 51 points down..to Fremantle who don't know how to win ! Hardly results of greatness.

True that the improvement of Garland & Warnock is pleasing though I would have expected that after 3 years that should be happeinng anyway..I'm far from convinced at this point.

I personally believe ND has been harshly treated by comparison - 7 finals appearances in 10 years as well as being the face of the club - stacks up pretty well in my view.

Patience Grasshopper, He will deliver in spades. There has been alot of improvement in a very short time. We would have beaten both Tassie and Collingwood had the gods been on our side. My thought is they have bigger plans for this team. DB has the force well and truly on his side.

As for 7 out of 10 - take away the genuine chances for the ultimate prize and I think you'll find ND failed.

[The Lobster Effect 893]

Well, it was expecially good coaching by Bailey yesterday considering his injury....

Check out this link for his namealike AND lookalike!

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,2...3-23214,00.html