News Coaching Thread: The Hardwick Era

[Jirik13]

The VFL Suns are playing great football and are a pleasure to watch. Extremely well coached and players are excelling. This leads me on to my suggestion what should happen.
Immediately sack Dew and appoint Josh Drummond as interim coach for the rest of the season. Lets look at his ability to coach at a top level and then assess the situation. Maybe we have another Craig McRae in our midst.

Your VFL point is on thin ice IMO. They certainly were not a pleasure to watch in the first quarter on weekend.

More importantly, never ever in our reserves history we had 22-23 AFL listed players playing VFL including a lot of mature ones. E.g., last week Blakely, Stein, Tsitas, Day, Burgess, Farrar, Constable, Lemmens, Atkins, Ellis, Berry, Chol, McLaughlin and you can also add Davies, Sharp, Graham 3+ years in a system. So basically, we had only 1 kid in Johnston and 3 2nd year players in Brock, Faulkhead, Uwland and finally 2 academy over-age kids Harrington and Corbett.

Using your logic Dew should be replaced by Kornberg who last year coached the reserve team into Preliminary Final while often having to rely on 5-7 academy kids and many less talented younger players like e.g., Nicholls, Conroy.

BTW, I do think Drummond is a good coach.

 

[Iva Bigun]

Here’s our next coach W Hat, i think he’s a step up, clear vision, stands for something and can see through traffic. He’s also more flexible and doesn’t eat all the pies

 

[GC2015]

Hearing Gill and Andrew Dillion flying upto Sunshine Coast this morning

SO IM TOLD

Was this a serious comment?

 

[Sack Dew]

Your VFL point is on thin ice IMO. They certainly were not a pleasure to watch in the first quarter on weekend.

More importantly, never ever in our reserves history we had 22-23 AFL listed players playing VFL including a lot of mature ones. E.g., last week Blakely, Stein, Tsitas, Day, Burgess, Farrar, Constable, Lemmens, Atkins, Ellis, Berry, Chol, McLaughlin and you can also add Davies, Sharp, Graham 3+ years in a system. So basically, we had only 1 kid in Johnston and 3 2nd year players in Brock, Faulkhead, Uwland and finally 2 academy over-age kids Harrington and Corbett.

Using your logic Dew should be replaced by Kornberg who last year coached the reserve team into Preliminary Final while often having to rely on 5-7 academy kids and many less talented younger players like e.g., Nicholls, Conroy.

BTW, I do think Drummond is a good coach.

The point I was making was regarding how well they combined in moving the ball forward quickly. One of the greatest fears a forward has is not having the ball come down quickly.

In the first quarter last week they were kicking into a strong cross wind.

With regard to last year it was clearly evident in a final that Southport were much better coached than the Suns. Their game plan was clearly flawed.

 

[Supersuns]

The point I was making was regarding how well they combined in moving the ball forward quickly. One of the greatest fears a forward has is not having the ball come down quickly.

In the first quarter last week they were kicking into a strong cross wind.

With regard to last year it was clearly evident in a final that Southport were much better coached than the Suns. Their game plan was clearly flawed.

There was also a clear talent gap between us and Southport last year. You'd have to be a moron to not see that.

 

[The Kings Ransom]

There was also a clear talent gap between us and Southport last year. You'd have to be a moron to not see that.

As in we had by far the better talent?

 

[Supersuns]

As in we had by far the better talent?

I think they had better established VFL talent. Mature players who play high level VFL is their whole list. They don't have young guys who they are hoping develop like us.

 

[The Kings Ransom]

I think they had better established VFL talent. Mature players who play high level VFL is their whole list. They don't have young guys who they are hoping develop like us.

They had plenty of youngsters.
Pescud played well so did Aidan Fyfe.
Most of their good players like Dawson, Woodcock, Crossley, Foot etc.. were 22 and under

We had a bunch of experience too. Sexton, Corbett, Tsitas, Burgess, Bowes, Constable, Macpherson etc..

Call me a moron for thinking that our team was far more talented than theirs.

 

[Supersuns]

They had plenty of youngsters.
Pescud played well so did Aidan Fyfe.
Most of their good players like Dawson, Woodcock, Crossley, Foot etc.. were 22 and under

We had a bunch of experience too. Sexton, Corbett, Tsitas, Burgess, Bowes, Constable, Macpherson etc..

Call me a moron for thinking that our team was far more talented than theirs.

Agree to disagree then

 

[KaySwizzle]

They had plenty of youngsters.
Pescud played well so did Aidan Fyfe.
Most of their good players like Dawson, Woodcock, Crossley, Foot etc.. were 22 and under

We had a bunch of experience too. Sexton, Corbett, Tsitas, Burgess, Bowes, Constable, Macpherson etc..

Call me a moron for thinking that our team was far more talented than theirs.

The thing going for the Sharks is consistency. The same team, in the same positions, all year. Rather than our team bouncing in and out or trying new positions.

I do think we could have won our last game. We probably could have, but they got on top in the end last year.

 

[The Kings Ransom]

The thing going for the Sharks is consistency. The same team, in the same positions, all year. Rather than our team bouncing in and out or trying new positions.

I do think we could have won our last game. We probably could have, but they got on top in the end last year.

Oh yeah,
Not more talented, but a better team evidently.

 

[nutstar]

#sackdew
#DewOut

 

[MarcLocksCrustySock]

#****offdew

 

[GCS in 11]

Foundation member from that first 09 Season. Have attended every home game I’ve been able to make since, and I think I’m done.

Re-signing Dew last year off the back of 3 wins against bottom 4 teams felt like a massive mistake at the time after 5 years of no real results and when we had other options, and then the gifting of pick 7 to the Cats was the icing on the cake. The only thing that kept me going then was that belief that we’d have that natural improvement from the list that it could finally propel us up the ladder, and now that’s gone too.

Dew going now is an absolute given, but with the experienced coaches being snapped up last year it really does just feel too little to late.

 

[SandyToes]

Foundation member from that first 09 Season. Have attended every home game I’ve been able to make since, and I think I’m done.

Re-signing Dew last year off the back of 3 wins against bottom 4 teams felt like a massive mistake at the time after 5 years of no real results and when we had other options, and then the gifting of pick 7 to the Cats was the icing on the cake. The only thing that kept me going then was that belief that we’d have that natural improvement from the list that it could finally propel us up the ladder, and now that’s gone too.

Dew going now is an absolute given, but with the experienced coaches being snapped up last year it really does just feel too little to late.

If we don't win the next 6 on the trot or to have 4 or less wins at the break he won't be back after the bye
It's just a matter of who will caretake
Maybe Choco Williams would do it

 

[GCS in 11]

If we don't win the next 6 on the trot or to have 4 or less wins at the break he won't be back after the bye
It's just a matter of who will caretake
Maybe Choco Williams would do it

This won’t happen, and it’s never been done for AFL coaching but I would like to see it considering we’re still only at round 5.

Skip the half year-long caretaker role and go straight to finding our new coach now.

Fire Dew on Monday, have a caretaker for rounds 6-8, and in that time go through the process and hire a new full time coach ready for round 9 or 10. We could easily pinch a few wins with the caretaker which happens fairly often, and we’d have some small hope of competing still this year.

But no chance the Suns actually do that, so yeah someone like Choco for the usual caretaking role would be good.

 

[SandyToes]

This won’t happen, and it’s never been done for AFL coaching but I would like to see it considering we’re still only at round 5.

Skip the half year-long caretaker role and go straight to finding our new coach now.

Fire Dew on Monday, have a caretaker for rounds 6-8, and in that time go through the process and hire a new full time coach ready for round 9 or 10. We could easily pinch a few wins with the caretaker which happens fairly often, and we’d have some small hope of competing still this year.

But no chance the Suns actually do that, so yeah someone like Choco for the usual caretaking role would be good.

Roy Hodgson's made a career out of babysitting Clubs in the EPL
I'd take Leigh Matthews as caretaker-he's only 71
Problem is he's another Suns hater

 

[ajsars]

Last year was the year to secure a good experienced coach, there was lots around. I don’t think we need another untried coach, imagine what Ross the boss would have done with this group

 

[Ben Drever]

Thanks Keith.
Pretty damning stats. Edit. Was before the loss to Freo.

 

[Nomore4s]

View attachment 1660676


Thanks Keith.
Pretty damning stats. Edit. Was before the loss to Freo.

Sorry for the intrusion. That is my post.
Suns are my 2nd team as I live on the GC and we are also a host family for a player in the AFLW team.
The loss the Freo will only highlight the stats more as the Suns only had 79 handballs.

Post in full below:
Some stats from before this round, that won’t have changed much after this round is completed.
The Suns are:
-14th for disposals but likely to be 17th at the completion of this round
-17th for handballs with the lowest handball to kick ratio
-7th for tackles
-3rd for rebounds
-14th for inside 50’s
-2nd for clearances
-1st for clangers
-18th for disposal efficiency
-1st for contested possessions
-17th for uncontested possessions
-18th for marks inside 50
-1st for 1 percenters

My take from these stats is:
-Suns don’t handball enough, watch nearly every other team and they will try to link up with run and handball to break through zones and presses. We don’t see much of that from the Suns.
-Balance between contested possessions and uncontested possessions is way off. The Suns are full of contested beasts but no class on the outside to control the ball once they win it.
-The clanger rate is high and disposal efficiency low because of a combination of lack of handball and imbalance between the contested possessions and uncontested possessions. The Suns don’t clear from stoppages or pressure enough before kicking. Hence the common complaints that they just bomb it long. 18th for marks inside 50 supports this as well. One or two more handballs to clear pressure would do a world of good for these stats.
-3rd for rebounds, 7th for tackles, 1st for 1%, 1st for contested possessions should dispel any notion the players don’t try or don’t have any heart, that clearly isn’t the case.
-Fitness. Because of this high contested style Dew wants to play, with very little uncontested possession, the Suns don’t control the ball for long enough. This style of play wears players out, hence the Suns inability to run out or control games for long enough.

My opinion is the Suns players are actually executing the game plan very well. Dew wants them to play a contested grinding style of play. He has brought this over from Sydney, the issue is, not even Sydney play this style any more. Even Ross Lyon has abandoned it.
With the new stand rule and the ability teams now have to handball through zones and keep pace on the ball, this style of play is outdated. The other issue is teams are very adapt at scoring off turnovers, so they can sweat on teams that win the clearances or contested possessions, create a turnover and turn it into a score. Suns inability to control the ball doesn’t help this.
As for having no plan b, the way Dew has constructed this team and the style of play he has taught them to play, it leaves no real alternatives. It’s not easy to switch from a contested game to one where you can all of a sudden control the ball to take the heat out of the game of a bit.

I don’t think the Suns will move Dew on until at least the end of the season. It will be interesting to see what changes he makes from here, as 5 games in it is clear the Suns are way off the pace. If we continue to see the same old style of play I think it will be a long season and Dew will be moved on at seasons end. Hopefully we see some sort of shift in style and a turnaround to a more competitive game plan.

 

[Sack Dew]

View attachment 1660676


Thanks Keith.
Pretty damning stats. Edit. Was before the loss to Freo.

Ranked 18th for marks inside 50 is the most damning stat.

This is a clear reflection on the way the ball is delivered into the forward line.

There is obviously no good plan on how players should be positioned when the ball is moved forward. Very easy for an opposition team to prevent a Suns player taking a mark in a pack of ten or so players.

Name one coach in the AFL worse than Dew.

 

[Jirik13]

Ranked 18th for marks inside 50 is the most damning stat.

This is a clear reflection on the way the ball is delivered into the forward line.

There is obviously no good plan on how players should be positioned when the ball is moved forward. Very easy for an opposition team to prevent a Suns player taking a mark in a pack of ten or so players.

Name one coach in the AFL worse than Dew.

I would say Freo are also horrible this year in delivering ball inside 5O. That's all I got.

 

[Ben Drever]

I would say Freo are also horrible this year in delivering ball inside 5O. That's all I got.

But Freo actually don’t have any F50 targets like we do with the 4 talls

 

[KaySwizzle]

But Freo actually don’t have any F50 targets like we do with the 4 talls

3 talls. King, Chol and Luko.

Unfortunately (unlike Freo) we are lacking a threatening small forward who demands attention. Rosas, Holman, Ainsworth etc. wouldn’t scare the worst defenders, let alone the best. So they can just float off their man and kill the ball bombed at our talls.

I know, I know—we had one in Rankine. And it shows. A player like Rankine’s absence is a gaping pit in this team.

 

[Jirik13]

But Freo actually don’t have any F50 targets like we do with the 4 talls

They don't play tall forwards? This year Jackson/Darcy, Taberner, Amiss?