Ayres and NC

[baaaallllll]

On the main forum there has been a bunch of threads lately with regards to negative comments about Terry Wallace as a coach and that the list has not improved since he has taken over.

It got me wondering. At the time when Ayres got the boot there was a lot of negative threads about Ayres and the state of our list. Equally there were even more angry threads about NC's appointment.

Now that time has passed and tempers cooled down and the benefit of hindsight, what are peoples thoughts on Ayres tenour as coach of the Crows and the appointment of NC considering Terry and Eade were also floating about as free agents at the time.

Personally, glad we went with NC instead of Terry or Eade and think Ayres lacked imagination but did leave a better list than when he started.

 

[Smoooothy]

if we had a better coach, we would have won a flag

i really think that it was a case of a cherry ripe list that wasn't coached as well as it should have been

we have all ready had more 60+ point wins in the 2 and a half years since he departed (meaning when we got a lead, which we seemed to have no trouble doing, we didn't have that killer instinct)

just my 2 cents anyway

 

[Seanason]

Cant argue with the turnaround.

The man deserves Knighthood - or the Bogan equivalent of it.

if i went back in time, i wouldnt change a thing.

Heck, they were saying there were calls for him to get a $1m contract. Ahead of Judd.

 

[NikkiNoo]

Ayres wasn't as bad in terms of getting some quality into our list, plus 05 he had a shocker with injuries in the first half of the year. But it was mainly his inability to see that other opinions may be valid and to take notice of them. Hence the Angwin decision will always haunt him.

 

[just maybe]

Ayres was underrated. Left with a howler of a list by Blight and managed to turn us around and then make us hard-at-it and competitive very quickly.

Unfortunately he just didn't seem to have the ability to think outside the square once we reached the top echelon to push us through for a premiership - a quality that seems to be manifesting itself in his replacement as well, as evidenced by similar finals failures.

I still think Eade would have been a good choice. He really wanted to coach the club and his match-day skills are sensational, something we've lacked for a long time.

 

[CarnCrows]

I would of been happy with either.

Neil has done well with a squad that not many raved about (nor still do!).

Ayres was stubborn. I liked his 'one on one' hard at the ball approach, however he did'nt ever change it - no plan B.

They say it takes time for a coach and team to properly gell, lets hope we can only improve. I still think Neil needs to take more command and make more moves (quicker) on game day.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

I found it strange that a guy who played the game so hard built teams that were the exact opposite. Strange that a tough backman was so keen on largely outside players.
Our trading and drafting during the Ayres years was atrocious. At least during the Shaw years we drafted some quality players.

 

[Stiffy_18]

I found it strange that a guy who played the game so hard built teams that were the exact opposite. Strange that a tough backman was so keen on largely outside players.
Our trading and drafting during the Ayres years was atrocious. At least during the Shaw years we drafted some quality players.

WTF?!

Are you saying that Crows under Ayres were soft and not tough enough?!

 

[swanfan]

Ayres wasn't as bad in terms of getting some quality into our list, plus 05 he had a shocker with injuries in the first half of the year. But it was mainly his inability to see that other opinions may be valid and to take notice of them. Hence the Angwin decision will always haunt him.

I agree with that Nikki but also think Neil Craig is streets ahead as a communicator and motivator when you compare him to Gary Ayres.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

WTF?!

Are you saying that Crows under Ayres were soft and not tough enough?!

Not soft just not aggressive enough. We had tough players - Roo, Bicks etc but not enough. Hence the reason we were completely dominated by tough sides like Port, Brisbane and Collingwood for most of the Ayres rein.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Not soft just not aggressive enough. We had tough players - Roo, Bicks etc but not enough. Hence the reason we were completely dominated by tough sides like Port, Brisbane and Collingwood for most of the Ayres rein.

The reasons we were dominated by those sides had absolutely nothing to do with us not being aggressive.

 

[kulak]

if we had a better coach, we would have won a flag

i really think that it was a case of a cherry ripe list that wasn't coached as well as it should have been

we have all ready had more 60+ point wins in the 2 and a half years since he departed (meaning when we got a lead, which we seemed to have no trouble doing, we didn't have that killer instinct)

just my 2 cents anyway

This is the closest opinion to mine.

To a certain extent, we are still relying on the engine room of the 97-98 flags, Ricciuto-Goodwin-McLeod-Edwards. In having 4 champion midfielders for a 10 year period, "the stars were aligned" (according to Paul Roos).

Admittedly, when Ayers took over, he had to turn over a reasonable amount of the team. However he still had the core engine room which should have been able to deliver better results than we got.

I can recall quite a few games where the raw talent of our engine room meant we dominated the clearances etc, however still lost due to the poor gameplan.

 

[*PAF]

The reasons we were dominated by those sides had absolutely nothing to do with us not being aggressive.

Agree. If anything it was his reluctance to do anything but, ie plan B was really A dash.

 

[Mad Dog]

My criticism of Ayres was always that we were too defensive.

NC is starting to head the same way and that is more a product of the abilities of our list rather that Craigy's predisposition for either attack or defense.

After spending last weekend in Melbourne - most media commentary can't believe our defensive gameplan and views our list as being more capable than that.

I'm starting to become of the opinion that we are playing the style of footy that our list dictates.....and if we are to go anywhere - it will be more by stealth than anything else.

Geelong and Hawthorn are very exciting to watch at the moment - but we just don't have the skill set at the moment to play that kind of footy.

 

[chopper55555]

Ayres was underrated.

NO he wasn't. Ptthh. No real game plan, no strategies, no detailed coaching, poor communicator, may be 20th hand info from insiders ? Anyone know ?

If you recall, at the time NC came aboard people and media said we had a list of easybeats (taken overall) - at which Craigy got them to DOMINATE for the next 2 years, just not to a flag. Also got the coaches award in one of the 2 years.

If we'd had a tad of luck and no WCE, we were home and hosed. WCE have been our nemesis, bludgeon them. They seem to have been a quick jumpy lot for a couple of years, for some reason.

 

[Crow-mo]

NO he wasn't. Ptthh. No real game plan, no strategies, no detailed coaching, poor communicator, may be 20th hand info from insiders ? Anyone know ?

No assistants to help with any of that...

 

[chopper55555]

No assistants to help with any of that...

Good point Maybe an assistant's job wasn't as "free" as it is now... Who was around in Blighty's time ?

 

[just maybe]

NO he wasn't. Ptthh. No real game plan, no strategies, no detailed coaching, poor communicator, may be 20th hand info from insiders ? Anyone know ?

If you recall, at the time NC came aboard people and media said we had a list of easybeats (taken overall) - at which Craigy got them to DOMINATE for the next 2 years, just not to a flag. Also got the coaches award in one of the 2 years.

If we'd had a tad of luck and no WCE, we were home and hosed. WCE have been our nemesis, bludgeon them. They seem to have been a quick jumpy lot for a couple of years, for some reason.

You seem to forget Ayres' finals record doesn't really look much worse than Craig's.

 

[baaaallllll]

Anyone think we should have gone with Terry Wallace?

Also there were a bunch of people on this forum that were disgusted that NC was appointed and said it was a job for the boys. I am just wondering if anyone out there felt that way back then and still feels that way now.

 

[just maybe]

Anyone think we should have gone with Terry Wallace?

Also there were a bunch of people on this forum that were disgusted that NC was appointed and said it was a job for the boys. I am just wondering if anyone out there felt that way back then and still feels that way now.

I did and still do.

That's not to say Craig hasn't far exceeded expectations, but I still maintain that Eade was the superior candidate.

When one of the decision-makers didn't even bother to rock up to one of the interviews, it's pretty obvious the decision was made long before the process.

 

[Markthirtytwo]

Good point Maybe an assistant's job wasn't as "free" as it is now... Who was around in Blighty's time ?

He wouldn't take advise from what I heard anyway, no matter who was in the box with him. His way or the highway.

From the old school of coaching. Just rant and rave. Little communication skills. Remember no plan B. At least NC is now using a few moves when it looks like we are not go well with the A plan.

 

[Markthirtytwo]

Anyone think we should have gone with Terry Wallace?

Also there were a bunch of people on this forum that were disgusted that NC was appointed and said it was a job for the boys. I am just wondering if anyone out there felt that way back then and still feels that way now.

NC is still the best fit for our club. We didn't like the process and vented our spleen saying so, however no one could be disappointed surely.

Wallet only used us to get a bigger pay packet for the Richmond job.

If we were going outside in hindsight, Eade would have been the perfect fit for us. I didn't think so at the time because of his Sydney rants, but he has found a new style and all credit to him.

 

[just maybe]

NC is still the best fit for our club. We didn't like the process and vented our spleen saying so, however no one could be disappointed surely.

Wallet only used us to get a bigger pay packet for the Richmond job.

If we were going outside in hindsight, Eade would have been the perfect fit for us. I didn't think so at the time because of his Sydney rants, but he has found a new style and all credit to him.

Hindsight? WTF? Heaps of us said he was perfect at the time.

No hindsight mate.

 

[baaaallllll]

I did and still do.

When one of the decision-makers didn't even bother to rock up to one of the interviews, it's pretty obvious the decision was made long before the process.

Is that right, I never knew or heard about that one. Can you say who didn't show up and who they were interviewing? Interesting.

 

[just maybe]

Is that right, I never knew or heard about that one. Can you say who didn't show up and who they were interviewing? Interesting.

Ask Stiffy. I am sure it was Wayne Jackson and I think it was to Eade's interview.