Jump to content

Latest Melbourne Coaching news and discussion...

Featured Replies

Posted

Lyon won't play favourites

FORMER Melbourne captain Garry Lyon says his close friendship with Chris Connolly will have no bearing on any role he plays in appointing a new Demons coach.

[READ MORE]

Dees to interview Laidley

KANGAROOS' coach Dean Laidley will have his first "informal" assessment for Melbourne's vacant position when the Roos play the Demons for the second time this season at Telstra Dome on Sunday evening.

Laidley's performance in the box will be closely monitored by the Melbourne hierarchy after they detected a small flaw in his coaching when the two clubs met earlier in the year.

[READ MORE]

Fremantle have six potential candidates

immediate short list comprises Mark Harvey, part-time assistant and former West Coast premiership player Don Pike, sacked Melbourne coach Neale Daniher, Bulldogs assistant and former Docker Chris Bond, Sydney assistant John Longmire and the ever-present Michael Voss.

[READ MORE]

On July 6th the Herald Sun reported that Fremantle coach Chris Connolly, Demons caretaker coach Mark Riley, Hawthorn assistant Todd Viney, Carlton Assistant Brett Ratten and Collingwood assistant Guy McKenna are on a long list of potential candidates to replace Daniher.

 
Lyon won't play favourites

FORMER Melbourne captain Garry Lyon says his close friendship with Chris Connolly will have no bearing on any role he plays in appointing a new Demons coach.

I'm sure that Garry Lyon would work in the best interests of the club and not allow his friendship with any particular candidate to override logic. Judging from the fan sites, it looks as if Connolly would not be a popular choice but the coaching position isn't a popularity contest.

For my part, we need something different from whoever is going to be our next coach and Connolly doesn't fit the bill. I'd like to see a complete outsider who has played for a successful club and knows what it takes to win a premiership. Guy McKenna anyone? Brett Ratten? Michael Voss?

  • Author
For my part, we need something different from whoever is going to be our next coach and Connolly doesn't fit the bill. I'd like to see a complete outsider who has played for a successful club and knows what it takes to win a premiership. Guy McKenna anyone? Brett Ratten? Michael Voss?

Three good names there. Brett Ratten sugested a few weeks ago that he'd jump at the chance to coach Melbourne if such an opportunity arose.

"If I was lucky enough to get the opportunity at Melbourne, you always take the bird in the hand," he said.

Another to consider is Shane Bond, who is on Fremante's radar. Rodney Eade recently gave him a public endorsement.

"There is no doubt he is ready," Eade said. "He ticks all the boxes. "He coached his own team at Werribee (in 2001 and 2002); he has been an assistant for seven years under three different coaches.

"He has had a big part in the midfield being successful at the Bulldogs and all the other basics that need to be a given: hard work ethic, develops good relationships with people, loyal, honest.

"He would make a good senior coach. There's a difference between coaching and being OK at it.

"I have got no doubt that he can make a really good fist of being a senior coach."

And of course Mick Malthouse recently said that Guy McKenna has clearly demonstrated he is ready for senior coaching after a range of different jobs since retirement.

Even Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, who is himself under pressure to retain his job at Windy Hill after this season, said all three of his assistants - Gary O'Donnell, John Barnes and Gary Ayres - could coach at AFL level in 2008.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for Gary Ayres to put his hand up and coach somewhere. Gary O'Donnell's just waiting and so is Dean Wallis. They've got good experience," he said.

 

Ratten is the man

All others are pretenders and will take us nowhere

I'm all for getting a bastard to coach this team, but I'm not sure whether I could stomach Dean Wallis being our coach

*shudder*

I've never forgiven the [censored] for the way he acted in the 2000 GF. I mean there is tough, then there is just plain ugly!


  • Author
I'm all for getting a bastard to coach this team...

Ratten, Viney, McKenna & Voss all played their footy the way we'd like our boys to. But if given the chance, could they bring that style out in our players? Can they make us the hard and compettive unit we were last season?

The good news is Melbourne is going to make this process as quick as possible. I believe that we will have a coach by the end of September. I think this fact rules Laidley out. The bloke is North through and through and will sign instantly when offered a new contract by the Kangaroos.

Most here support a candidate who has spent time as an assistant coach but has also being involved in a premiership.

Therefore: Ratten, Sumich, McKenna, Ayres, Harvey, Longmire all fit the bill.

From that list I'm leaning towards McKenna or Ratten.

Overall however, I'd like to see Todd Viney coach.

I'm sure that Garry Lyon would work in the best interests of the club and not allow his friendship with any particular candidate to override logic. Judging from the fan sites, it looks as if Connolly would not be a popular choice but the coaching position isn't a popularity contest.

For my part, we need something different from whoever is going to be our next coach and Connolly doesn't fit the bill. I'd like to see a complete outsider who has played for a successful club and knows what it takes to win a premiership. Guy McKenna anyone? Brett Ratten? Michael Voss?

popularity can have a bearing on what coach to pick because membership is important and if we get someone like Connolly membership WILL go down

 

choice 1- Voss

choice 2: Ratten

choice 3: Mckenna

I would be happy if anyone of these blokes coached the club


popularity can have a bearing on what coach to pick because membership is important and if we get someone like Connolly membership WILL go down

Whilst I hear the sentiment. it would be a foolhardy board that ajudicated on the coaching position with any real allowance for the supporter factor. In fact if they did...THEY ought to be sacked.

A coach should only be picked on his merits. All other factors.. are just nonsensical in the long run.

I'd certainly hate to see some gentlemen take up the baton, but im not going to abandon the Dees if that happens. Strangely enough ive been a Dee longer than any of the coaches !! lol.. so have many here. Its not the issue.

When you pick a general, his "popularity " is irrelevant. Its his vision and leadership qaulities that determine his rank.

Im getting the inkling it might be the total end of the Sheedy era. Such things do happen. But then windy hill has played lots of silly bugger games over the years, so who knows.

The only thing we can be assured of now is its going to be a total free for all now. Last year nothing...this year Flinders St all change !! :lol:

Please lets get someone who at least has first hand experience of winning a premiership either in the capacity of player or coach (or assistant), preferably in a coaching capacity. Who does that leave? Sumich, Longmire? I'm pretty sure that might have been one of the main reasons Ross Lyon got the gig at the Saints. So perhaps its all just garbage that theory. I'll just sit back and enjoy the ride over the coming months. No sense in getting all worked up about it.

Please let us get a coach who has tasted premiership success as a coach! Lets not settle for second best or be a training ground for untried coaches unless they possess exceptional qualitites.

My short list is:

1. Leigh Matthews

2. Kevin Sheedy

3. Mark Williams (Sandringham) - Coached premierships at the next level down.

The only exception to the above rule would be Nathan Buckley who I can't stand but has exceptional leadership qualities.

I just hope we secure a coach ASAP so they can settle in and start list management and meeting the players straight away.

Why hasn't Denis Pagans name been mentioned?


There are two coaches in the league at the moment whose records say they are all time greats (Matthews and Sheedy). One of them is a very good chance to be available next year. He offers everything that this club has lacked for years and can build a profile and change a culture! If our "consultancy" group hasn't already contacted K Sheedy then they better get a wriggle on. I'd be making him my number one priority.

Coaching isn't a popularity contest. Even so, from what I've read from a number of different sources about McKenna and Sumich's coaching in the WAFL, I'd much rather Chris Connolly.

1. Ratten

2. Sheedy

3. Daylight

The good news is Melbourne is going to make this process as quick as possible. I believe that we will have a coach by the end of September. I think this fact rules Laidley out. The bloke is North through and through and will sign instantly when offered a new contract by the Kangaroos.

Most here support a candidate who has spent time as an assistant coach but has also being involved in a premiership.

Therefore: Ratten, Sumich, McKenna, Ayres, Harvey, Longmire all fit the bill.

From that list I'm leaning towards McKenna or Ratten.

Overall however, I'd like to see Todd Viney coach.

I think I heard on the radio last week that Laidley had been offered a new contract by the Kangas but he has elected to delay giving them a decision until the end of the season.

Doesn't quite sound Kangaroos throuugh and through to me!!

Seem to be quite a few coaching jobs coming up and he is keeping his options open maybe?

1. Ratten

2. Sheedy

3. Daylight

Agree 100%

Ratten should be the man

And if he isnt, we had better bloody lure in Sheedy, Malthouse or Matthews

Voss, Connoilly, Viney, mcKenna, Pagan - NO THANKS


i want sheedy. we should be talking to him, throwing money at him whatever. of all the names on any list he is the only candidate with the mix of experience, talent, premiership, mongral, media front along with everything else a coach needs. the only query on him is has he done his dash (ie is he ready to retire from coaching). i dont think he is a long term prospect at the club, but i think he could be our next premiership coach.

if we cant get sheedy the market is a bit different. there is no one else to really throw money at. matthews and malthouse arent going anywhere. im not sure about pagan, but he is an option. you might give newer coaches a go, but you dont buy them yet. they are not star attractions. and i dont think gonig after voss because he has a name is a good idea.

I wonder if the Docker websites are now screaming No Danners?? and starting petitions??

 
1 Sheedy

2 Daylight

3 Viney

4 The rest

The choice of MFC's next coach is of utmost importance to MFC long term survival. Those conducting the selection process need to be very thorough and not be swayed by media or other commentary. They must not choose based on next year being 150th year for instance. Need to critically assess which candidates have best approach and views on how to get the best out of out promising young players and over come inconsistent 2nd halfs!. Hopefully one of the questions to the candidates will be 'What is your Plan B?

i want sheedy. we should be talking to him, throwing money at him whatever. of all the names on any list he is the only candidate with the mix of experience, talent, premiership, mongral, media front along with everything else a coach needs. the only query on him is has he done his dash (ie is he ready to retire from coaching). i dont think he is a long term prospect at the club, but i think he could be our next premiership coach.

if we cant get sheedy the market is a bit different. there is no one else to really throw money at. matthews and malthouse arent going anywhere. im not sure about pagan, but he is an option. you might give newer coaches a go, but you dont buy them yet. they are not star attractions. and i dont think gonig after voss because he has a name is a good idea.

Spot on, Deanox. This club needs Sheedy. As I've posted elsewhere, and you've said here, he has all the ingredients, we just need to make sure he has the time to turn this group into something special. It took him 4 years to win a flag at the Bombers with a list that included Madden, Watson, Daniher, Vander Haar etc. I think we need to give him a 3 year contract at least. He's 59 now but still with the fire in his belly - he is desperate for that 5th flag as coach to move ahead of Parkin, Jeans and Barassi. He is still the best in the business. Let's get him!


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Featured Content

  • GAMEDAY: Essendon

    It’s Game Day, and the Demons are staring down the barrel of an 0-5 start for the first time since 2012 as they take on Essendon at Adelaide Oval for Gather Round. In that forgettable season, Melbourne finally broke their drought by toppling the Bombers. Can lightning strike twice? Will the Dees turn their nightmare start around and breathe life back into 2025?

      • Like
    • 80 replies
    Demonland
  • PREVIEW: Essendon

    As the focus of the AFL moves exclusively to South Australia for Gather Round, the question is raised as to what are we going to get from the  Melbourne Football Club this weekend? Will it be a repeat of the slop fest of the last three weeks that have seen the team score a measly 174 points and concede 310 or will a return to the City of Churches and the scene where they performed at their best in 2024 act as a wakeup call and bring them out of their early season reverie?  Or will the sleepy Dees treat their fans to a reenactment of their lazy effort from the first Gather Round of two years ago when they allowed the Bombers to trample all over them on a soggy and wet Adelaide Oval? The two examples from above tell us how fickle form can be in football. Last year, a committed group of players turned up in Adelaide with a businesslike mindset. They had a plan, went in confidently and hard for the football and kicked winning scores against both home teams in a difficult environment for visitors. And they repeated that sort of effort later in the season when they played Essendon at the MCG.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • PREGAME: Essendon

    Facing the very real and daunting prospect of starting the season with five straight losses, the Demons head to South Australia for the annual Gather Round, where they’ll take on the Bombers in search of their first win of the year. Who comes in, and who comes out?

      • Thanks
    • 489 replies
    Demonland
  • NON-MFC: Round 05

    Gather Round is here, kicking off with a Thursday night blockbuster as Adelaide faces Geelong. The Crows will be out for redemption after a controversial loss last week. Saturday starts with the Magpies taking on the Swans. Collingwood will be eager to cement their spot in the top eight, while Sydney is hot on their heels. In the Barossa Valley, two rising sides go head-to-head in a fascinating battle to prove they're the real deal. Later, Carlton and West Coast face off at Adelaide Oval, both desperate to notch their first win of the season. The action then shifts to Norwood, where the undefeated Lions will aim to keep their streak alive against the Bulldogs. Sunday’s games begin in the Barossa with Richmond up against Fremantle. In Norwood, the Saints will be looking to take a scalp when they come up against the Giants. The round concludes with a fiery rematch of last year's semi-final, as the Hawks seek revenge for their narrow loss to Port Adelaide. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

      • Thanks
    • 215 replies
    Demonland
  • CASEY: Geelong

    There was a time in the second quarter of the game at the Cattery on Friday afternoon when the Casey Demons threatened to take the game apart against the Cats. The Demons had been well on top early but were struggling to convert their ascendancy over the ground until Tom Fullarton’s burst of three goals in the space of eight minutes on the way to a five goal haul and his best game for the club since arriving from Brisbane at the end of 2023. He was leading, marking and otherwise giving his opponents a merry dance as Casey grabbed a three goal lead in the blink of an eye. Fullarton has now kicked ten goals in Casey’s three matches and, with Melbourne’s forward conversion woes, he is definitely in with a chance to get his first game with the club in next week’s Gather Round in Adelaide. Despite the tall forward’s efforts - he finished with 19 disposals and eight marks and had four hit outs as back up to Will Verrall in the second half - it wasn’t enough as Geelong reigned in the lead through persistent attacks and eventually clawed their way to the lead early in the last and held it till they achieved the end aim of victory.

      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • REPORT: Geelong

    I was disappointed to hear Goody say at his post match presser after the team’s 39 point defeat against Geelong that "we're getting high quality entry, just poor execution" because Melbourne’s problems extend far beyond that after its 0 - 4 start to the 2025 football season. There are clearly problems with poor execution, some of which were evident well before the current season and were in play when the Demons met the Cats in early May last year and beat them in a near top-of-the-table clash that saw both sides sitting comfortably in the top four after round eight. Since that game, the Demons’ performances have been positively Third World with only five wins in 19 games with a no longer majestic midfield and a dysfunctional forward line that has become too easy for opposing coaches to counter. This is an area of their game that is currently being played out as if they were all completely panic-stricken.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland