QueenC

My initial reaction (and that of the other Demon member in this house) was no. And this is despite all the undeniable good he has achieved throughout his massive coaching career. I would never call Sheedy a bad coach, ever...... But after 25+ years would be really want to start again? Does he still have that drive that made him what he is today? And if he does can he take that drive and win anywhere other than at Windy Hill? Is he still "in tune" (for want of a better expression) with modern football? Just curious.......

I am curious about why this happens as well Ash (interesting question)....... Is that because of the quality of their depth? Therefore the players that they have left on the park are pretty damn good. Or does it have more to do with the way the coaching is handling the game plans to cover the injuries they have? And they do have practice at this. Or is it a combination of the two? Or is it something else entirely? Enquiring minds !!!

The season doesn't finish until the final siren in the final match...... But at this point realistically our chase for a finals berth is probably out of the question. That being said there is still a hell of a lot of work to be done, and things to learn that don't necessarily include playing finals.

I don't think it is that simple condemned, but the two definitely go hand in hand...... Believing you can achieve something, or being told you will achieve something, and actually being able to do it are two very different things. And if the strength of mind is just not there (which goes along with self belief and confidence in the team, plan etc) then form is going to slide. Confidence comes and goes and I would be surprised if any of our players had much of it left. Those showing signs of good form may have it in themselves but there are eighteen of them out there and not all of them will have confidence in each other or themselves. Unfortunately this does seem to come back to the coach and leadership, especially in a team sport. It has been a long time since I played competitive tennis (FWIW I was a nationally ranked junior before chronic health problems got the better of me) but in an individual sport like that it is very tough to go through a tournament, and remain mentally stronger than your opponents at all times. But it can be a chicken and egg scenario - which comes first the lack of confidence or the poor form, or do you get one from the other?

I posted something similar to this on another thread but it seems more appropriate here..... I agree with Doggo and others, who have said that now is the time to see if Chris actually has what it takes at the senior level consistently, because up until this point I honestly don't think we have seen enough of him over any stretch of time to make an informed opinion one way or another. He seems to be the perennial one dropped after a loss if he didn't have a commanding game, which he hasn't really had the chance to have yet (at least in the regular season). But on the other hand he hasn't exactly been the most horrible one out there in our losses to date either. No more scapegoating. Honestly his confidence must be totally shredded by this point, and that is not going to do him or us any favours in the long run. Especially if, as Jaded has said, he gets his opportunity to make something of himself at another club before he gets the chance to do the same at ours. That would be ordinary for us IMO. I would think that giving him at least four to five, or even more weeks on end (minimum) to see if the kid can make something of it, especially in a particular position on the field instead of being chucked all over the place like some kind of footballing positional nomad is a bad idea. I don't think that this would or should be out of the question, especially now and it may just prove to be to our benefit in the long term.

Your opinion is just that Doggo....... But please do not pretend that Brad Miller (among others) has not copped more than his fair share of criticism, abuse and vitriol on this or the other site, and been blamed for losses and bad play in what is still, the last time I checked a team sport. And he has been scapegoated a hell of a lot. You and the many like you are more than entitled to your opinions but don't simply assume that you are right, which is a tendency, because there are some of us (but not many that any given it is not a popular opinion) that don't agree and as one of those I believe that Miller still has more to offer this team. Does he have room for improvement? Yes of course. But should that make him a common target for abuse and condemnation? For starters his marking and goal kicking are the biggest problems, although I thought up until the last couple of weeks those aspects of his game were getting better, along with his confidence, which does seem to disappear too often. After last years form, which was very ordinary (at best) it became the popular choice to beat up on Brad Miller (thus the phrase "Miller basher"), to blame him for everything from a dropped mark to global warming, and unfortunately he is going to have to just about cure cancer to get a pass from a lot of people around here. I am not one to hurl criticism at any individual player on our list. But I can recognise faults and weaknesses and Brad has many, but I am not about to abuse or right off a player who sweats blood for this team (and I hope that no-one will ever criticise his attitude because others should look at it and learn) and I am certainly not going to wish him harm, as happened on another thread. Some here make logical arguments about the Miller situation. Rhino has often said that Brad would be better served in the back line and he could well be proven right. But if that does prove to be the case then he must be left there and taught how to use the strengths he does have to our advantage. This doesn't seem to have happened as yet, especially last year with all the shuffling back and forward. Unfortunately there are others here that just want to kick the guy when he is down, or to bring him down so they can kick him. And that is frankly pathetic. Because once a player, any player, pulls on the jumper he should always have our full and undivided support. That has definitely been lacking where Brad is concerned. In the end we are each entitled to our own opinions, and I am going to back our players, including Miller to work through what ails them, and what we obviously can't tolerate, which is plenty. But that does not make me automatically wrong and others automatically right, nor the other way around. If I am proven wrong then so be it, but I still have faith that Brad Miller can perform at the level we expect of him.

I totally agree with this. It is your job. Full stop, end of story. It seems he got what he deserved. According to ESPN this morning....... Apparently Pickett sent an SMS to Daniher on the morning of the game saying he was too hung over to play. Make of that what you will.

You could well be right Rhino..... It would definitely be a pity, but given the circumstances it would seem to be somewhat inevitable .

Well, make sure that if you get the opportunity, you take him out with a crow bar to the shin..... that'll teach him and you may just get a medal :angry:

I would have thought that no supporter gives up caring, no matter what......

True.....Touched or not, the net result stands. Although given the level of luck we have not had this year it probably was !!!

There was a great shot of Chris Fagan looking very pleased with himself outside the tribunal, and saying something about the charge that was laid wasn't even in the AFL rule book (or something like that, I wasn't paying great attention at the time) and therefore the case was simply for contact to Johnson's face. Which begs the question as to why Johnson was not charged with anything? Fagan also said that he thought the contact to Dutchy's head was accidental and therefore everything turned out alright.

It seems that Embley may be a few weeks away from playing according to Fox Sports, due to an ongoing knee problem. Apparently he was only walking laps at training on Monday..... Having said that though, he will probably play now !!!

Yep, that sounds like common sense...... What Gouga said in a post up a bit from here made a lot of sense as well

Amen to that Rhino......

I don't see there will be either, its not really Danihers style, especially given the fact that we have come so close in the last two. McLean, I can't see going to Perth (unfortunately) immediately after coming back from a seven week injury. Pettard (if fit), CJ (only because I want to see the kid get a run and a chance) and Rivers (if fit). Who they are for? Well, I haven't thought that far ahead !!!

Oh yes, you are totally right..... We should all rag on them with relentless criticism and abuse until their ears bleed and their eyes roll back in their heads Yep, that will definitely help :angry: !!!

I had this thought while watching the game as well..... Does anyone have a logical explanation (I am just curious) for why Carroll who (and I am never one to beat up on our players), while doing ok, is simply and unfortunately too slow and not agile enough for Johnson, was playing on him for most of the match? Wouldn't there have been a better match up? While Bell did seem like a great opponent for Johnson, on paper anyway. Enquiring minds want to know !!!

When did footy stop being a team sport? To single out an individual player as costing us the game is utterly ridiculous. And this is ignoring the fact that Davey was truly excellent today. Mistakes will happen, we don't want them to but they always will. It is how you deal with them that counts. And it is not the single one by a single player that cost us anything, it is the cumulative. What I saw today was a team that worked their guts out collectively (yes, even those that weren't on song) and just got pipped at the post. Heartbreaking? Disappointing? Gut Wrenching? Yes, but no one players fault in particular. It is still a team sport.

Oh Mick, no need to be so modest :D !!! And thanks for the report and the photos of the event, it is greatly apreciated.......

Funny stuff guys, thanks for the giggles....... And congratulations to Jeff and his wife on the birth of their son :D !!!

Great post Dan :D ......

Thanks deanox !!!

Does anyone know if the other coaches who received the "please explain" letters (Roos, Eade and Sheedy from memory) got themselves fined as well? If so that is quite a bit of moula the commandant and his lieutenant have collected because of the umpires in receent weeks. So say all four coaches copped the same $2500 Daniher did, plus Johnstone's $2500 (according for Fox Sports), as well as Kane Johnson's (Richmond) $5000 or so fine from last week for having the audacity for trying to talk to them, and then you add Sam Mitchell's (Hawthorn) $3500'ish fine for maybe or maybe not making accidental contact (he may have tripped over no-one seems to sure) with one on the weekend. The AFL in actuality is doing the quality of umpiring and the umpires themselves absolutely no favours whatsoever by wrapping them up so tight against the elements. Honest criticism, not abuse, should be able to make them better, but apparently that has now been completely outlawed.

Well said Jezza..... You took the words right out of my mouth !!!