John Crow Batty

Maybe Caro was initially right and Essendon changed their minds to sack him at the last minute. Obviously this was thrashed out at the board meeting and no doubt there were divided opinions there. Possibly due to reassessing their legal positions or giving Hird a final chance to resign, reconsider the legal action or make him another deal offer. Lots of plausible scenarios to stall the sacking.

I don't care about his personality issues. Far outweighed by his reliable productivity over all his career so far. He will be a prime asset for us and a bargain pick up.

Maybe time for you to choose a new club or sport to follow. Clearly wasting your energies now if you have no hope.

The brief for getting Roos and Jackson in was to help get the club off the mat at 9 count. Not for just continuation of business as usually done. It was a matter of survival or extinction. The first year was always most likely to be a painful grind because we were starting again at year Zero. Most critics are looking at it as if we were like any other club having a downer without appreciating the chronic malaise existing at the club at all levels. We were nearly dead. No other club has been in this situation since the Swans and Fitzroy. But they were left to die. And unlike Port who had a brief decline we have been steadily sinking for half a century. We needed a radical approach. Leadership at the club was effectively non existent. I think critics should hold off a little because a settled structure and tangible signs of real improvement will take another season or two more to show itself. The main game now is survival. If we don't improve by the end of Roos tenure then it will be the time to ask prickly questions. Effectively we are still under AFL administration.

Sounds like you're itching for a sack Roos thread.

I think that will be the case. Saying he wouldn't stop them was for public consumption only.

He won't get many votes but that won't stop him from challenging the legality of the election after he loses.

The most encouraging sign is the performances of the players he has already brought in and I include Jetta because he was delisted. If next seasons newbies are just as functional we will be heading in the right direction. Slowly but sure the likes of Frawley and those who insist on playing the old way will be gone or have to change their attitude if they want to stay.

We have to suck it up. Roos came to a basket case on his terms which I accept. I don't think any other experienced successful coach would have taken us on. And then we would have gone for another novice which is a lottery if he didn't come.

Maybe might hire Mick Gatto? He is very good at resolving intractable disputes for his clients. Then again other interested parties may get in first to hire Gatto as their resolution facilitator.

She's the real mastermind of Team Tird. She might do a "Jimmy Bond" on him.

If Hird loses his case as many think he will, what will be his possible next move? I dont think his scheming mind will settle for a repeat dose of Middleton's justice as final. Any opinions?

He is a great bloke and deserves all the money he gets. That is the important thing. I don't even think about pick 3. Such a humble return not commensurate to his true worth.

Chip must have flunked maths at school.

Shocked and saddened. Never saw it coming. My thoughts will be with the family and the great man.

I wonder what Mathew Knights and Peter Jackson think about all this. They suffered the initial pain and humilation of the golden boys grand return.

SEN says he is now confirmed as a Hawk.

He is the Essendon Football Club, just ask him.

A likely scenario but that won't stop ASADA dealing with the individual players who wish to co-operate.

It was all new age kookiness that did no harm.

I don't think anyone wants to go there. If he did do the good stuff he would be one of quite a few. Best stick to the club orchestrated systematic abuse rather than go for wildcat individuals.

Here is a quote from Robbo's latest piece of puke on Hird. Have a bucket ready before you read. Certainly studied at the Goebbel's school of propaganda he did. "is charging on for himself, his family, the players and the club, knowing that hes probably sacrificing his career. Certainly, he is defiant. Clearly, be believes that principle is more important than coaching. Even the Hird haters would admit he has mettle. And what happens if he wins the appeal, and the show cause notices disappear? The Bombers would be slapping themselves on the back, and the bloke who didnt blink would have lost his job for saving the club."

The perceived reputation that he is an arrogant selfish narcissist will become unimpeachable now.

If the coach said all players abstain from sex the night before games there would be a few posters here that would believe it, spurn doubters and vigorously defend their position even after proven wrong.

Get your river names right if you are going to introduce geography.