The top 5 MFC coaches of your lifetime

[Engorged Onion 9,256]

1 hour ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Not to get into a sermon, but why are we still hung up on ‘worst’ coaches? 

I made this a top 5 coaches thread (as opposed to a rate all the coaches of your lifetime) specifically to avoid this type of negativity.

The 'veil' is back 😏

[Dwight Schrute 16,749]

10 hours ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

How many frothies have you had tonight, Dwight? 🥴🍻

Yeah sorry guys! got a bit excited at the local Gin place! haha

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Dwight Schrute said:

Yeah sorry guys! got a bit excited at the local Gin place! haha

I thought adult beverages might have been imbibed when you had us winning the 2022 premiership 4 months out from Grand Final day. 😄

[MadAsHell 4,088]

3 hours ago, mo64 said:

Bob Skilton - 88 Games 28 wins 60 losses Winning Percentage 31.82% Best finish 6th in a 12 team comp

Paul Roos -   66 Games 21 wins 45 losses Winning Percentage 31.82% Best finish 11th in an 18 team comp

One is seen as the messiah by most, the other is seen as a pariah. 

Paul Roos last 2 games as coach:

Loss to a Carlton team that had lost their previous 9 games

Loss to Geelong by 111 points.

Off field things had turned around under Peter Jackson, buy on field we were still at a tipping point when Roos departed.

Little surprised by this take on Roos. When he came in we had lost 43 of our last 49 matches including losses of 148 & 186 points. He had a playing group devoid of confidence and had to try and build them up while also trying to attract other outside players to join the club. We went 4 wins, 7 wins, 10 wins over his 3 years and were still in finals contention with 2 rounds to go in 2016.

An easy job, Paul Roos didn't have. 

PS: I don't want to take anything away from Skilton, who aa far as I'm aware came the closest of anyone to ending our finals drought between 64 & 87 if it weren't for a Bulldogs win over Carlton at Princess Park...

[picket fence 15,103]

14 hours ago, Tony Tea said:

Smith, Goodwin, Northey, Daniher, Dennis Jones.

Dennis Jones??? had 1 year and it was a disaster !. if anyone suggests Mark Neeld you would be taking the P*#!

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Engorged Onion said:

The 'veil' is back 😏

https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Veil

The similarities between the Doctor Who monster and our ‘veil’ are uncanny: remorseless, terrifying and likely to be with us for 15 million years.

Perhaps the Doctor Who episode ‘Heaven Sent’ was written as an analogy of what it’s like being a Melbourne supporter?

Edited May 5, 2022 by Colin B. Flaubert

[Tony Tea 2,786]

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

Dennis Jones??? had 1 year and it was a disaster !. if anyone suggests Mark Neeld you would be taking the P*#!

Ahem.

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,137]

I've been watching the Dees since 1989 so can't comment on any coach before Northey,

1) Goodwin

2) Northey

3) Daniher

4) Roos

5) Balme

Goodwin is first by default as he's won us a flag but I'd like to see him achieve consistent final appearances and win finals in consecutive years like what Northey achieved in 1987-1991.

We have the longest drought in the AFL in terms of winning a final in back to back years, and Northey is the only coach to have achieved this since the dynasty of the 50's and 60's.

I couldn't sneak Neeld into the top 5.

 

 

[praha 10,270]

1. Goodwin

2. Roos

3. Daniher

4. Balme

5. Bailey

Was too young to remember the Northy teams. Only memory I have from when he coached was when we lost to Essendon in 1992 after being like 50 points up at the start of the last quarter. Probably my earliest football memory. I remember it because the Melbourne supporters around me were in hysterics. Evidently so too were the Essendon supporters. I remember as a 6 year old feeling very overwhelmed by it all.

[Dante 2,562]

17 hours ago, Tony Tea said:

He's an evil legend among all my Demon supporting school friends.

I remember when it was reported Dennis was appointed and I thought it was a joke, turns out I was right.

[layzie 28,698]

Sample size isn't the biggest out there, we're all from different eras and have different memories and views but here goes..

1. Goodwin - Need I say more?

2. Daniher - We mostly hear how good a coach he was since his illness but Neale was the bridge coach for taking us into the professional era. Top 4 first season, Grand Final in his 3rd. Made finals 6 times out of 10 years, fewer coaches than you think were doing that at the time. We had sub-par facilities yet we were competitive for the most part. Several players who didn't realise it at the time have come out since and realised how much of an impact he had not only on their football but their life. 

3. Northey - Very early in my footy memory but it was so obvious Swooper was a big deal. Great communicator and really embedded the 'us against them' mentality. We were a laughing stock when he came and that attitude was just what we needed. 

4. Roos - Inherited one of the biggest basket cases known to man. It looked like he might have needed to full 5 years to fix that mess but there's no doubt he built the foundation. 

5. Balme. Like Flaubert I was younger at the time and thought he was nothing on Daniher but looking back I think he made his mark. That 94 team is still one of my favourites and we played some very attractive footy. Injuries cut us down, the merger was a huge distraction and I won't forget the disgusting treatment of him in Rd 4 97 by the president of that time. The players loved him, maybe to a fault, but he was a true clubman who backed his guys. 

Initially I would have slipped Bailey in place of Balme, he had a plan and didn't waver from it even when the wind was squarely in his face. He stuck with youth policy and forward planning but unfortunately went too far with that. A horrible, horrible way for it to end. I still wonder if we could have snuck in for finals had 186 just been a routine 5 goal defeat down there. 

 

[Demon17 4,541]

17 hours ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

I've heard much of Dennis Jones during my time here through the almost terrified whispers of those who lived through the era. He's almost like a sasquatch style myth because of how bad his one year was apparently. 

Was he actually worse than Neeld?

I attended the club agm in 1979 when Jones was appointed and he was introduced and spoke to the meeting.

His key take away I got was he was introducing a wrestling asst coach to train the players on how to wrestle and thus improve them as footballers.

It seemed laughable at the time. Sad now though.  No idea why I've remembe6ted this experience.  Also sad.

 

Lasted 1 year.

[I'va Worn Smith 852]

1.  The great Norm Smith

2. Simon Goodwin.

3. Neale Daniher.

4. John Northey.  Got the best out of an average squad.

5. Bob Skilton.  Coached in a time when there was only a final 4 and missed by a whisker.

Apologies to Roosy and Dean Bailey (RIP)

 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

I attended the club agm in 1979 when Jones was appointed and he was introduced and spoke to the meeting.

His key take away I got was he was introducing a wrestling asst coach to train the players on how to wrestle and thus improve them as footballers.

It seemed laughable at the time. Sad now though.  No idea why I've remembe6ted this experience.  Also sad.

 

Lasted 1 year.

Are we talking amateur or professional? 😄

[Demon17 4,541]

Just now, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Are we talking amateur or professional? 😄

From memory it was someone with Olympic background . So not pro.

I know your query was probably a joke one but sensible in a way the more i think about it.

Anyway its a great memory sort of.

[David-Demon 484]

19 hours ago, mo64 said:

Bob Skilton - 88 Games 28 wins 60 losses Winning Percentage 31.82% Best finish 6th in a 12 team comp

Paul Roos -   66 Games 21 wins 45 losses Winning Percentage 31.82% Best finish 11th in an 18 team comp

One is seen as the messiah by most, the other is seen as a pariah. 

Paul Roos last 2 games as coach:

Loss to a Carlton team that had lost their previous 9 games

Loss to Geelong by 111 points.

Off field things had turned around under Peter Jackson, buy on field we were still at a tipping point when Roos departed.

By 2019 and 2020, we had a coach whose job was on the line. Credit goes to the board and in particular Gary Pert for sticking fat with Goody. But a majority of credit goes to Goody and the coaching dept.

I don't think you are being fair to Roosey and I do not see your point re the reply post where I commented on five worst coaches performance. Frankly there is no way I would speak ill of Roosey at all and frankly his win/loss margins are a reflection of the times he took over in 2013/4. His last two games as Coach are the last points I would ever think of raising in the context of my reply post you commented on as Roosey turned this Club around and I applaud him and worship the guy. Just saying.

[Ollie fan 2,119]

Without ranking them, but a few comments: I’m old enough to to remember Norm Smith, and how can you go past him?  Bobby Stilton was good with a terrible team. Barassi was a disappointment, and I don’t agree he set it up for Northey. Northey came in and coached us to the wooden spoon, as I recall it, while he sorted out who were the real goers; then we took off with players who were not stars: Yeats, Bailey, Balls, Sugar Healy etc.. Got shafted at Brisbane because he couldn’t handle the merger.

I don’t rate Balme at all. The talent in 1994 was as good as today (I know many will see that as heresy). His style was crap and so we ended up in 7th and had to play the prelim in Perth; no wonder we got wiped. Wasted a massive opportunity.

The Reverend is a hero.

Roos transformed us - with the help of a reasonable administration - from a total shambles to a professional club.

Goody - every single match we play the commentators refer to how superbly drilled  our defensive systems are - which is purely from coaching.

[The heart beats true 16,109]

I have a prejudice for premierships, so I’d say:

1. Simon Goodwin

2. S. Goodwin

3. Goody

4. Simon G

5. Slug Jordon (Under 19s premiers)

[durango 1,976]

Slug Jordan also won a premiership in the reserves in 1984 and was runs up in 1985 with a large group of players who became the 1987 MFC team.

[The heart beats true 16,109]

4 minutes ago, durango said:

Slug Jordan also won a premiership in the reserves in 1984 and was runs up in 1985 with a large group of players who became the 1987 MFC team.

He was a gun coach, and was very highly regarded in the industry. He took absolutely no prisoners from all reports.

[durango 1,976]

1 hour ago, The heart beats true said:

He was a gun coach, and was very highly regarded in the industry. He took absolutely no prisoners from all reports.

He was a great coach who listened to others but his foul mouth ruined his chances to be a great senior coach when he applied for the MFC senior coaching job they rejected him because of it and selected John Northey who was successful but never could win the ultimate prize because he was more inspiring with his speeches and lack the knowledge of tactics.

[Fritta and Turner 3,650]

10 minutes ago, durango said:

He was a great coach who listened to others but his foul mouth ruined his chances to be a great senior coach when he applied for the MFC senior coaching job they rejected him because of it and selected John Northey who was successful but never could win the ultimate prize because he was more inspiring with his speeches and lack the knowledge of tactics.

The club was broke.  A very significant factor in JNs appointment was that he was the cheapest.

[dieter 3,325]

I started following the Dees as a nine year old in 1959:

1: Smith

2: Goodwin

3: Daniher

:4 Northey

5: A toss up between Balme and Skilton who took us within a bee's stinger of the Final 4 in 1976.

[whatwhat say what 18,902]

1. simon fabflag - went from badloss to the promised land, breaking a 57 year drought, and seems to provide a remarkably level-headed and balanced approach; the quintessential 'modern' coach
2. swooper - broke a 23 year drought and won finals every year for five years in a row and brought a steel to a club that had been pretty spineless for a long time
3. the reverend - up down up down up down up up up finished; never could get consistency in his group and in results, but when things were going well we were super entertaining and a team that played hard football
4. roos is NOT the messiah - helped change the culture of the club and provided the stability we desperately needed at a time when were were the laughing stock of the competition
5. balme - the only one of the five not to have an interesting name (balmy is the best anyone could do?) but his body language and facial responses in the box were always amusing even if his team's results weren't for the most part

[Maldonboy38 5,848]

I would love to say Norma Smith but it was all hearsay because my Demons-mad mum never shut up about him! But as for seeing with my own eyes:

1. Goodwin. Have a look at the way we play. Brilliant. And after 57 years, he led us home.

2. Northey. The fire and momentum lit up the players, the club and the supporters. I will never forget the 87 - 91 ride. Every player on the list playing near their best, and the coach was a firebrand.

3. Daniher. A bit good year/bad year but the skill of his teams was breathtaking. And he LOVED the club. 

4. Balme. I still rate the 1994 team as the best 22 we have produced, player by player. He lacked enthusiasm at times, but he got so close.

5. I have to choose between Skilton, Bailey and Roos but probably have to choose Skilton for getting us SO close in '76 with an average list.