Hi gang,

Ratten will go to Carlton and Daniher to Essendon. I feel it is a done deal. Out of the remaining candidates there are very few I would jump at but I want to suggest Kevin Sheedy for Melbourne on the following basis.

In the same way that Barrassi marketed Sydney, Sheedy is one of the faces of football that the media love to interview. He pulled Essendon up from a finacially average team to a finacial power house during his tenure and this would be a HUGE bonus for our club.

The man has coached 4 premierships and this does not happen by accident. He has the kind of experience and knowledge and TENACITY that our players desparately need at the top.

There is the thought that he may be too old to relate to "generation Y" but this can be overcome with younger assistant coaches. If the right coaching structure is put in place where Kevin "coaches the coaches" and addresses the players say on match day or at important training meetings, it could be a win /win for everyone.

Think about it. Who is (currently) available who we would want more and although he is still tied to Essendon, St. Kilda showed in their pursuit of Malcolm Blight that if enough people ask, a prospective coach may listen.

Comments????

Hi gang,

Ratten will go to Carlton and Daniher to Essendon. I feel it is a done deal. Out of the remaining candidates there are very few I would jump at but I want to suggest Kevin Sheedy for Melbourne on the following basis.

In the same way that Barrassi marketed Sydney, Sheedy is one of the faces of football that the media love to interview. He pulled Essendon up from a finacially average team to a finacial power house during his tenure and this would be a HUGE bonus for our club.

The man has coached 4 premierships and this does not happen by accident. He has the kind of experience and knowledge and TENACITY that our players desparately need at the top.

There is the thought that he may be too old to relate to "generation Y" but this can be overcome with younger assistant coaches. If the right coaching structure is put in place where Kevin "coaches the coaches" and addresses the players say on match day or at important training meetings, it could be a win /win for everyone.

Think about it. Who is (currently) available who we would want more and although he is still tied to Essendon, St. Kilda showed in their pursuit of Malcolm Blight that if enough people ask, a prospective coach may listen.

Comments????

Stuey? Were you around in the 80's. This looks like a comment right out of the Get Barrass back campaign. We were all strongly in favour of RDB coming backa s our favoured MFC son. However all the hype and promise did not produce any success. The Blues tried the same with Pagan with similar result (althought some other factors such as draft penalties and hidden losses!).

So going for hight profile coach who has won premierships before will not of itself bring success for MFC.

Focus of Paul G, Harris & co needs to be on what coaching structure and player development the incoming coach will bring and on how each candidate plans to develop a winning game around the dozen or so young talented players MFC has. Objective basis and not reputations. Would be different is MFC was looking at the two headed monkey structure Freo has floated. MFC hasnt got enought money to play its existing coaches ( Rock left for Saintes this year cos paid better), & so not in position to go this way unless AFL funds it. (dont want MFC any more indebted to AFL than is!)

My concern is that pagan has not been able to do that at the Blues and Sheedy has had the benefit of strong and unlimited resources at the bummers & may like RDB not be able to have same impact under the restraints which exist at MFC. Not doubt Sheeds could get a good briefing from ND about those!

In that context Laidley would be the best bet for MFC if he was available (dont think he will be) as he has produced good results under similar restraints as ND.

Im with you Stuey! I think that Essendon are mad for even thinking of letting him go.

Stuey? Were you around in the 80's. This looks like a comment right out of the Get Barrass back campaign. We were all strongly in favour of RDB coming backa s our favoured MFC son. However all the hype and promise did not produce any success. The Blues tried the same with Pagan with similar result (althought some other factors such as draft penalties and hidden losses!).

One thing Barassi had in common with Pagan, they both took over pathetic teams and then recruited poorly. Remember Cattogio and Young for Greg Wells and the over the hill Kelvin Templeton as examples.

and what happened after Barassi's 5 year plan?

Oh yeah, we started making the finals.

and what happened after Barassi went to Sydney?

oh yeah, they became successful, and even won a flag.

Maybe he needs to come back again and rerecover us?

oh yeah, forgot to mention,

the good thing about Sheedy as a coach is he has a plan B.

the bad thing is he goes all the way onto plan Z as well.

the good thing about Sheedy as a coach is he has a plan B.

the bad thing is he goes all the way onto plan Z as well.

Good call.

I'd take sheedy in a heart beat.

Besides having a plan b, he also implements it whilst the game is there to be won, will market the club well and bring in more memberships.

I believe his salary alone would be covered by the amount of extra sponsorship, marketing and memebrships alone, then you have the fact HE CAN coach.

would Sheedy's heart be in it (the MFC) after 27 years as the heart and soul of Essendon?

would Sheedy's heart be in it (the MFC) after 27 years as the heart and soul of Essendon?

thats the issue

He'll be sitting down with a red or ten and having a good long think I reckon !! Im not sure even he recognises the 'game' today !!!!! I think even the wiley old fox was caught a bit off. He did say recently he was keen to keep coaching though. then again...today is today!!

Im with you Stuey! I think that Essendon are mad for even thinking of letting him go.

So what do you think of them now ?!!!

I'd take Sheedy, but it really depends on what the board is looking for and what their review found.

If we want a short-term coach who will bring immidate success, you'd have to look at Sheedy.

If we want a long-term coach to keep developing our list, Sheedy isn't the answer.

He won't spend another 27 years coaching. At best, you'll get 3 years out of him, in which time he might win you flag, or you might sit on the bottom of the ladder and achieve no progress.

If we want a long-term coach to keep developing our list, Sheedy isn't the answer.

He won't spend another 27 years coaching. At best, you'll get 3 years out of him, in which time he might win you flag, or you might sit on the bottom of the ladder and achieve no progress.

I don't follow your logic. Why can't you develop your list and win premierships at the same time?

I don't follow your logic. Why can't you develop your list and win premierships at the same time?

Come on, keep up!

A long-term coach, will get time to develop his list the way he wants. Trade heavily, draft heavily, etc...

A short-term coach will use what he has, maybe recruit some experienced players, and go all out to try and win a premiership.

Of course neither path guarantees you a flag, but Sheedy won't be in for the long haul so he won't be looking to the future.

Clubs are always rebuilding, but there are varying degrees of that.

If we think we're capable of winning a flag with what we've got, give or take a few players, than we should look at Sheeds.

If we think that we need to go through a heavy rebuilding phase, then there is no point getting him.

Come on, keep up!

A long-term coach, will get time to develop his list the way he wants. Trade heavily, draft heavily, etc...

A short-term coach will use what he has, maybe recruit some experienced players, and go all out to try and win a premiership.

Of course neither path guarantees you a flag, but Sheedy won't be in for the long haul so he won't be looking to the future.

Clubs are always rebuilding, but there are varying degrees of that.

If we think we're capable of winning a flag with what we've got, give or take a few players, than we should look at Sheeds.

If we think that we need to go through a heavy rebuilding phase, then there is no point getting him.

Spot on. Thats the issue with Sheedy and Pagan. MFC has nucleus of a good side BUT vitutally no spine going fwd. Whilst Rivers is a very good defender and Chopper has improved greatly in last 2 years they are not the types to hold down KPP against a key power forward like J Brown etc. With Neita and Whitey coming to the end of their careers & Bizz also we dont have any locked in KPP in younger group Noted that Newton looks likely type as replacement for Neita and Matty Bate or Dunny may be able to hold down CHF. Therefore not realistic to expect MFC to win a premiership in 2008 and possibly 09. By 2010 our current young group will be 70plus game players and if MFC can get a quality CHB or FB witha bit of height and mobility and maybe Neaves may have come on in the ruck then if the new coach sets up good structures (and brings in a plan B) then a period of top 4 positions is realistic.

Come on, keep up!

A long-term coach, will get time to develop his list the way he wants. Trade heavily, draft heavily, etc...

A short-term coach will use what he has, maybe recruit some experienced players, and go all out to try and win a premiership.

Of course neither path guarantees you a flag, but Sheedy won't be in for the long haul so he won't be looking to the future.

Clubs are always rebuilding, but there are varying degrees of that.

If we think we're capable of winning a flag with what we've got, give or take a few players, than we should look at Sheeds.

If we think that we need to go through a heavy rebuilding phase, then there is no point getting him.

Lets try and analyse the situation.

Melbourne at full strength is a good side. Our list has depth as we have seen this year. Our younger players are now getting valuable game time. We will have at least one early pick in the draft this year and maybe three picks by pick eighteen. The players we will delist or trade this year are superfluous to our needs.

Sheedy is 59 not 79. He appears relatively fit and alert. He has rat cunning. He is a winner. He is prepared to try different things to win. He would surely be able to coach for 3-4 years without any difficulty and who else would get a longer chance anyway. His marketability is unsurpassed. He will attract members and sponsors. His ego has been dented and he would be keen to stick it up the Bombers. He would have the pick of the best assistants who would assist with everything from conditioning to tactics etc. He could even train the best assistant to be our next coach thereby continuing the program. We would get rid of our current conditioning coach who has overseen the biggest injury list I can recall after the same thing happening at his previous club. We might even develop a kick in from points strategy that we don't have. He can communicate with all players and they seem to genuinely like him and perform. We can get rid of the bloody "premiership clock" which is a load of crap as we have seen with other teams. He can coach to win a flag while at the same time building up the list, they are not mutually exclusive.

This does not mean to say that I believe he is the only one for the job but he could be our best choice.

Lets try and analyse the situation.

Melbourne at full strength is a good side. Our list has depth as we have seen this year. Our younger players are now getting valuable game time. We will have at least one early pick in the draft this year and maybe three picks by pick eighteen. The players we will delist or trade this year are superfluous to our needs.

Sheedy is 59 not 79. He appears relatively fit and alert. He has rat cunning. He is a winner. He is prepared to try different things to win. He would surely be able to coach for 3-4 years without any difficulty and who else would get a longer chance anyway. His marketability is unsurpassed. He will attract members and sponsors. His ego has been dented and he would be keen to stick it up the Bombers. He would have the pick of the best assistants who would assist with evrything from conditioning to tactics etc. He could even train the best assistant to be our next coach thereby continuing the program. We would get rid of our current conditioning coach who has overseen the biggest injury list I can recall after the same thing happening at his previous club. We might even develop a kick in from points strategy that we don't have. He can communicate with all players and they seem to genuinely like him and perform. We can get rid of the bloody "premiership clock" which is a load of crap as we have seen with other teams. He can coach to win a flag while at the same time building up the list, they are not mutually exclusive.

This does not mean to say that I believe he is the only one for the job but he could be our best choice.

Quite right Redleg.. Sheedy going to Melbourne would be the most significant single event since Barassi left and Norm Smith was sacked.it would be a marketing department dream as well as an on field coup...

Sheeds is our man. I dont think any team would not want him. My top favourites are

1. Sheeds

2. Ratten

3. Pagan

4. Voss

5. McKennen

It is also ridiculous to suggest Sheedy is a "short-term" coach - even when his survival has been threatened, he has resorted to youth and Essendon, historically, has guarded its draft picks with frugality. Though he may not be able to coach for a long time, he would be unlikely to savage a club in pursuit of immediate success

Sheedy has no respect for the MFC

I doubt very much he would coach us

i think sheedy would be good, but there is a risk he could become st. kilda's malcolm blight... and we don't want that to happen...

His got runs on the boards.

Maybe he could give us another anzac day to compliment the queen's birthday.

As I said, I'm all for Sheedy, but it depends entirely on where the club sees itself.

Again, IMO Sheedy won't walk into a club where the expectation is to start again with a new list etc...

If he coaches again, he'll coach for immidate success, which is fine by me, but is the time right for the MFC? Are we actually ready to go all out and win a premiership, or do we need someone with a long-term vision for the club.

For all of his youth policies, Sheedy has also recruited some border-line crap mature players (i.e- Campo).

What happens if he comes to Melbourne, goes all out with trading to try and win us a flag, but we end up failing and our list suffers accordingly?

Another issue is, after 27 years, can he go into a new environment and bring in some fresh changes? Will he be willing to take a back seat to Craig Cameron when it comes to recruiting?

There are, as with every other candidate, several issues that need to be looked at. The bottom line is, Sheedy is a very successful coach, who has spent his entire coaching career at a very successful, rich club in Essendon. If he can adapt to the Melbourne environment and bring us a flag, than we should get him... hell, if Elmo can win us a flag we should be chasing him!

As I said, I'm all for Sheedy, but it depends entirely on where the club sees itself.

Again, IMO Sheedy won't walk into a club where the expectation is to start again with a new list etc...

If he coaches again, he'll coach for immidate success, which is fine by me, but is the time right for the MFC? Are we actually ready to go all out and win a premiership, or do we need someone with a long-term vision for the club.

For all of his youth policies, Sheedy has also recruited some border-line crap mature players (i.e- Campo).

What happens if he comes to Melbourne, goes all out with trading to try and win us a flag, but we end up failing and our list suffers accordingly?

Another issue is, after 27 years, can he go into a new environment and bring in some fresh changes? Will he be willing to take a back seat to Craig Cameron when it comes to recruiting?

There are, as with every other candidate, several issues that need to be looked at. The bottom line is, Sheedy is a very successful coach, who has spent his entire coaching career at a very successful, rich club in Essendon. If he can adapt to the Melbourne environment and bring us a flag, than we should get him... hell, if Elmo can win us a flag we should be chasing him!

Thats actually very tru. The + side is he will get more numbers thru the gates but he has recruited terribly. Then again most coaches are crap selectors and thats why people like Cameron are in the job