John Crow Batty

if Craig gets the job full time I would not be disapointed. He is just as capable as any other worthy suitor thats been touted. I believe he is highly competant and capable of taking us to the top 4 level in the next 3 seasons.

Some seriously sick puppies have hijacked this thread.

And Laidley never had the Schwab millstone around his neck to make him a complete Fu-up.

If we need a new song I would prefer it to celebrate and gloat about our successes after we have ALREADY achieved in the hopefully not to distant future. Not the time now. Kick arse first, grab a few flags and respectabilty.

its quite heartening to see the players slog it out and keep trying even though they are still losing. Bodes well for when a new permanent coach comes on board. I believe Craig has done enough in his caretaker role to make himself a serious contender. Sructures and game plans need time and at the tail end of a horrible season are not the main priority. Going back to basics without major distractions so everyone can catch their breath and clear their heads. The only flaw I can pick him out for so far is the tactical error of fielding a top heavy side at Geelong. But that had a lot to do with the vagaries of unexpected inclement weather.

Laidley to me seems to have some of Neeld's psycho chicken anger focusing qualities. Usually to where it should not be focused as we now know better.

Like I said a long time ago. We may end up with a forward line full of Easter Island statues. Good midfields can be developed without exceptional talent though exceptional talent helps. Structure is of paramount importance. Anyone know where we can find a great midfield coach? A coiffered haired senior coach who looks good on TV can only do so much.

Can you imagine your foot as a bunch of loose knuclke bones floating in jelly inside a sausage skin.

Don't take a presser in Darwin after a loss at face value. That place would suck the life and energy out of anyone at least in the short term. Any team that plays there is a loser even if they win. Thats coming off the complete polar opposite in conditions at Geelong, another designated losers venue for Victorion clubs. We have to get these venues off our roster. Its going to be tough.

if he has suffered a career ending injury he deserves every penny he is contracted for. If he can't play he can still be a mentor or help in a coaching capacity. His strengh of character has been a bonus asset.

He paid a heavy price for the incompetance of others. There is at least some restitution in that he's still got a worthy job in the game and the real culprits are thankfully gone for good. No one is going to hold his penalty against him.

Any side that goes to Geelong in those conditions is going to be flogged no matter how good they are. In our fragile state we more or less played to par. With all that water a near impossible task. If we fielded a side better suited for the heavy wet we would have done better. A tactical error but not even the weather bureau predicted so much rain.

I believe it will be 50/50 whether he plays again. He needs time. Anyone thinking Fitzpatrick should be used as trade bait should think again.

The best thing about his game was that we tried hard all day. We were still in the game towards the end. Losing Garland was huge blow and may have cost us a couple of goals. Once again our disposal was poor. Too many turnovers cost us. I was disapointed with the ball entering the forward line after quarter time. The ball hardly went to Fitzy's direction who was the real danger. Several times the ball went way over his head to another contest. As for Trengove. Tried extremely hard but way off AFL pace. If his name was Magner or Couch he would not be playing. They seem to try just as hard. What is worrying is that he has not got better or worse in nearly two seasons. His lack of pace has the air of permanance. Still a lot to be positive. There seems to be a will about the players now that they want to cast off the defeatism of the past five years.

Other than the now cliche corporate governance banner what is he offering? Has he got a few million bucks to donate? Since the AFL are prepared to bankroll us I'd take that and I don't care if they run us as a dictatorship if it keeps us Melbourne red and blue, promises success and keeps out meddlers. As others have said he has been missing for a long time. Just an oppotunistic politician trying to slip into the power vacuum.

CS sold supporters a sow's ear and convinced many it was a silk purse.

I don't believe any coaching candidate is worthy of 5 years especially on a premium salary. if so there should be some performace targets that must be met for the first three years with the right to terminate if they are not achieved. Any potential coach confident of real success will not mind these kind of preconditions

They could do a Collingwood to Malthouse job on him. Move him into admin.

I lived in the Hawthorn zone and went to Kew High. Kew is not exactly a suburb noted for its football culture. Hawthorn used to send scouts every year to check out the kids. Many were invited to go along to training. They picked the biggest most mature kids even though they could not play football all that well and made them into footballers. At one stage there were six kids at or just out of our school on their list including Dipper and Richarld Walter the 1978 premiership ruckman. The others played a few senior games and did not make it but later had good careers in the VFA and interstate. As for now it was all in the development then too.

The rugbly SOO reminds me of the cricket situation like with the Ashes series. These sports need a big ticket marquee event to generate maximum interest. Other than that the regular competions are low key. Just regulation TV fodder. Our game already generates maximum interest within the regular home and away season. Hence a waste of time and resources.

I do recall he had satisfactory pace and work ethic untill he did that very bad hammy against the Saints in 2011. Maybe he has not fully recovered yet. His once sublime long kicking was also affected by that injury. And Trengove's problem is not "at the moment". Its been there for over a year

I dont warm too much to Eade. Reminds me of Neale Daniher. Both have similar records with a GF each and numerous finals appearances. Eade's results perhaps not as fickle.year by year. Both had a reputaion for having good teams that somehow tended to fizzle when the real crunch came. Offensive sides but softish and never quite good enough. Both never developed the kind of players that win premierships and continuity of development faded as their careers progressed. Still a good coach but would we rehire Daniher again?

GWS were created to be a rival for the Swans. But the natural order of things has made them our peers. A horrible reality. I hope things change with our new regime. The AFL's support of us is an indication of realisation to the horrible mistake they have made. I hope the shift is now to bolster the grass root clubs and territories rather than badly timed expansion. I expect GWS to go to Tassie in the future. Perhaps when the the burning of money becomes unsustainable.

True and he is not the only small/mid size player who has the same problem. He and his mate Trengove make a good matching pair of book ends at the moment. But this relates back to my original point. His agression lacks focus. Too conscious of his oponent rather than the ball.

can you list his weaknesses?