Coach Coach for 2025

[Deplorable trumpster]

We are about to complete our 4th consecutive year out of finals (a club record surpassing the 3 years from 2008-10 we finished outside the 8) with finishes of 9th, 17th, 18th and 16-18th once this season ends

With no return to finals action, how does our streak compare to other clubs?

Adelaide - about to miss for a 7th year with finishes of 12,11,18,15,14,10 and 14-15th since making a GF in 2017

Brisbane - in the wilderness for 9 years from 2010-18 finishing 13(of 16), 15(of 17), 13,12,15,17,17,18,15

Carlton - their return to finals last year ended a 9 year streak from 2014-22 out of finals finishing 13,18,14,16,18,16,11,13,9 (it would have been 11 had Essendon not been disqualified from finals in 2013 allowing Carlton to play finals from 9th)

Collingwood - most recently sat out from 2014-17 (11,12,12,13) but also had a 7 year stretch from 1995-2001 without finals (10,11,10,14,16,15,9 in a 16 team comp)

Essendon - famously haven’t win a final since 2004 but have never missed them altogether for longer than 4 years in 2005-08 (13,15,12,12). Have made finals 6 times in the 19 years since their last win but never in consecutive years

Fremantle - spent 6 years out of finals from 2016-21 (16,14,14,13,12,11) after winning the minor premiership in 2016. Also took them 9 years to make their first finals appearance in 2003 after joining the comp in 1995

Geelong don’t miss finals - their worst patch was a single appearance (2000) in a 6 year stretch from 1998-2003 but never finishing lower than 12th

Gold Coast never make finals - it’s their 14th year and 12th is their best finish

GWS - made finals for the first time in their 5th year (2016) and have only missed twice since then

Hawthorn - might break a current streak of 5 years out of finals since 2018 (9,15,14,13,16) or extend that run to 6 if they fall short (currently 11th)

Melbourne - were in the wilderness for 11 years from 2007-17 (14,16,16,12 (16 teams), 13 (17 teams), 16,16,17,13,11,9). Even that pales into comparison to the 22 year stretch from 1965-86 without making finals)

North Melbourne - will make it 8 on the trot this year after last appearing in 2016. Have finished 15,9,12,17,18,18,17 and somewhere from 16-18th this year

Port Adelaide - their worst stretch was 5 years (2008-12) following the 119 capitulation in 2007. Finished 13,10,10,16,14 before Ken arrived

Richmond - before they got good they were horrid. Just two finals appearances in 30 years (1995 & 2001) from 1983 to 2012. In an 11 year stretch from 2002-12 they finished 14,13,16,12,9,16,9,15,15,12,12 with all but the last 2 years in a 16 year comp

St Kilda - had an 8 year run from 2012-19 out of finals (9,16,18,14,9,11,16,14)

Sydney - like Geelong they don’t miss finals. Have to go back to 1988-1995 to find an extended period where they were absent. Have only missed 5 times in the 29 years since

Western Bulldogs - missed 5 years from 2001-05 (10,12,16,14,9) and 4 years from 2011-14 (10,15,15,14)

Whoever comes in will be under pressure because another 3-4 years out of contention (which is possible, if not probable) then our current rut will extend to 7-8 years and in the company of some pretty average eras from other clubs

Not sure how most supporters feel but i can accept another 4 years of no finals after this year without blaming the next coach because that milk has already been spilt. The decisions made and the various roads taken by the club over the last 5 years have already determined the prospects for the next 3 - 4 years. Those decisions were not good ones but what has hapenned has hapenned and we have to live with the consequences of that. I will judge the new coach based on how he can progress things from where we are (i.e. Very clearly a bottom 4 team) and not blame him for not having a magic wand to wave to make us be in the position i wish we were in. Nisbett, Simpson, the previous list manager and the current Board deserve all the blame, not the next coach.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

I'm already blaming the next coach for not ripping up the Optus turf.

 

[MrWoollie]

The rest of the thread is debating who's the worst option put forward so far

(The answer is Hird by the length of Flemington)

I detest, hate and loathe James Hird and everything he's done to the game.

But if it came to choosing him or Hinkley as coach it would be a tough one.

Sort of like being given a choice of antibiotic resistant syphilis or gonorrhoea with a dose of chlamydia on top.

 

[Keys]

Not sure how most supporters feel but i can accept another 4 years of no finals after this year without blaming the next coach because that milk has already been spilt. The decisions made and the various roads taken by the club over the last 5 years have already determined the prospects for the next 3 - 4 years. Those decisions were not good ones but what has hapenned has hapenned and we have to live with the consequences of that. I will judge the new coach based on how he can progress things from where we are (i.e. Very clearly a bottom 4 team) and not blame him for not having a magic wand to wave to make us be in the position i wish we were in. Nisbett, Simpson, the previous list manager and the current Board deserve all the blame, not the next coach.

Fair

You would want us to be making progress though. If we're still bottom 4 in 2027/28 for example then the pressure will come

 

[Seadog]

I detest, hate and loathe James Hird and everything he's done to the game.

But if it came to choosing him or Hinkley as coach it would be a tough one.

Sort of like being given a choice of antibiotic resistant syphilis or gonorrhoea with a dose of chlamydia on top.

Hinkley is light years ahead of Hird. There is no evidence Hird can coach. he was babysat by Bomber Thompson last time and even then only won games when the players were on the juice.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Agreed, Hinkley shits all over Hird.

 

[matthew_s]

When did this become a Jame Hird thread? FFS! Go sort this out in the sandpit fellas….

when he was mentioned in connection with coaching the eagles in 2025. you know the topic of this thread.

 

[Deplorable trumpster]

Hinkley is giving non - denial denials when asked about the WCE coaching job now. Very interesting.

The more i think about it the more i come to the conclusion that it probably is the club's preference for an experienced operator as opposed to an assistant. Pyke is no dope and no Pollyana. He knows the next 3 - 4 years will be tough and after an initial honeymoon period the criticism will start for the new coach. They will want somebody who they think is used to it to some degree and will have the resilience to cope with it which usually comes with age. Not sure they will want to back in a rookie coach to weather the storm and not be affected by it.

 

[Chewy316]

I come in peace.

There's legs to the Hinkley to WCE "rumour" - it's definitely not just Peter Blucher getting on the hot mic for a sound bite or two. I don't say this as conjecture, but rather this is info I'm getting from people high up at Port. There's still a lot to play out, but it's one to watch in the coming weeks.

Odds are if Port get smacked these next two games in particular, things could accelerate quite quickly if WCE remain interested.

And Port would let him go if WCE want him and he wants to go there. That's not an issue at all irrespective of his contract status.

 

[squashface]

I say this without even a hint of sarcasm: If we sign Hinkley I will delete my account and stop following football.

Perennial loser of the highest order

 

[Woobla Stainz]

Did not like the idea of Hinkley at all when it first popped up but have come around to it a bit. Look at where Port were when Hinkley got there, they we a basket case!! He has built and developed a pretty good midfield that play a good brand of footy and has good relationships with JHF, Rozee and Butters. We need someone to develop our young mids as our development has been terrible for a long time.

 

[Cursedsword02]

The more I think about Hinkley as our next coach, the more I... don't hate it????

 

[bzparkes]

****, poor Schofield.

That'd be the end of his WCE career if Hinkley did indeed come across.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Hinkley? JFC.

Go the Sam Mitchell pathway, snare the best assistant who applies with a good eye for development and turning over a list thanks.

 

[bzparkes]

Hinkley? JFC.

Go the Sam Mitchell pathway, snare the best assistant who applies with a good eye for development and turning over a list thanks.

They probably have NFI but Baricj and Quartermaine seem to think Hansen has the best shot of the current candidates, although Pyke supposedly hasn't contacted any of them yet, at least not in any official capacity.

 

[thebutterflyeffect]

I say this without even a hint of sarcasm: If we sign Hinkley I will delete my account and stop following football.

Perennial loser of the highest order

Don't really get the Hinkley hate. 60% win record and he took over an absolute basket case. Has made prelims with two fairly different lists and tbh could easily have made a grand final on both occasions with them losing those prelims by a goal to eventual premiers (and dynasties) in Hawthorn and Richmond

 

[Keys]

They probably have NFI but Baricj and Quartermaine seem to think Hansen has the best shot of the current candidates, although Pyke supposedly hasn't contacted any of them yet, at least not in any official capacity.

Duffield wrote earlier this week that the plan was to start reaching out now to the managers of candidates they were interested in to gauge interest

 

[TY24]

I say this without even a hint of sarcasm: If we sign Hinkley I will delete my account and stop following football.

Perennial loser of the highest order

I said to Mrs TY24 yesterday that if we sign Ken, I’ll hand my membership back.

I won’t actually do it. I’ll never stop supporting this club. But jeez, a man can only take so much.

 

[random260]

Hinkley? JFC.

Go the Sam Mitchell pathway, snare the best assistant who applies with a good eye for development and turning over a list thanks.

If an untested young coach came in and we finish bottom 3 for the next 3 years you honestly reckon the squad would have faith in the coach.

That new coach would lose the players instantly. Muity will occur and the best case is after 3 we would rebound but its already too late.

Squad would have deserted that new coach in year 4 hence no bounce

 

[new breed]

We wouldn't boo our coach , Simmo had a horrendous last few years but was rightly honoured in his farewell as a premiership coach and great all round coach for WC .
Hinkley cannot lose win/ win for him .

 

[random260]

I come in peace.

There's legs to the Hinkley to WCE "rumour" - it's definitely not just Peter Blucher getting on the hot mic for a sound bite or two. I don't say this as conjecture, but rather this is info I'm getting from people high up at Port. There's still a lot to play out, but it's one to watch in the coming weeks.

Odds are if Port get smacked these next two games in particular, things could accelerate quite quickly if WCE remain interested.

And Port would let him go if WCE want him and he wants to go there. That's not an issue at all irrespective of his contract status.

Ofc there is legs.

The reality is if it's coming from Gossage then it's was defo leaked by wce side.

Ken side wouldn't leak it to Gossage as they have no clue who the west king pins media are.I doubt they know who Ryan Daniels or Gossage are.

 

[Chewy316]

Ofc there is legs.

The reality is if it's coming from Gossage then it's was defo leaked by wce side.

Ken side wouldn't leak it to Gossage as they have no clue who the west king pins media are.I doubt they know who Ryan Daniels or Gossage are.

Peter Blucher used to be a journalist prior to becoming an agent. He knows who all the head honchos are.

Gossage hasn't just used his WCE connections in reporting this though.

 

[Goroyals22]

I said to Mrs TY24 yesterday that if we sign Ken, I’ll hand my membership back.

I won’t actually do it. I’ll never stop supporting this club. But jeez, a man can only take so much.

What’s to hand back? You get nothing but an invoice to pay again unless you ask for it


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Carbine Chaos]

The reality is if it's coming from Gossage then it's more than likely pure fantasy

Fixed.

 

[ghostbat12]

I come in peace.

There's legs to the Hinkley to WCE "rumour" - it's definitely not just Peter Blucher getting on the hot mic for a sound bite or two. I don't say this as conjecture, but rather this is info I'm getting from people high up at Port. There's still a lot to play out, but it's one to watch in the coming weeks.

Odds are if Port get smacked these next two games in particular, things could accelerate quite quickly if WCE remain interested.

And Port would let him go if WCE want him and he wants to go there. That's not an issue at all irrespective of his contract status.

You come in peace….armed to the teeth.

I don’t mind having Ken. He can coach. Rookie coach will be thrown to the wolves.

If club can get some talent in via significant picks plus few free agents, there is lots to look forward to. Our team next year won’t look like it looks today. It will be more exciting.

People forget he was twice aflca coach of the year. A minor award, but honestly, is port really a better team that where they are at? No. Aliir is fheir only decent tall. That’s always been their problem.