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Good stuff from Watto in today's Age
Read and discuss.
Thomas' legacy: Saints ready to tackle the summit
Tim Watson,
September 15, 2006
http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/tim-watson/thomas-legacy-saints-ready-to-tackle-the-summit/2006/09/14/1157827092502.html
"THE next decision made by Rod Butterss at St Kilda will define his reign as president. In 10 years, the sacking of coach Grant Thomas will either be viewed as the most courageous decision the club has made — or the silliest. Butterss, who swept to power promising change and direction for a success-starved club, will be remembered as either the president who delivered the flag or the one who cost the club a premiership."
"St Kilda has only one flag to show for its years of toil, and the administration and supporters are impatient. The baggage of the past and the poor decisions of previous administrations are gathered together and inserted in the now. Yet the axing of Thomas was wrong. In the past three years, he had the club in the finals and knocking on the door."
"Mark Williams coached Port Adelaide to a flag in his sixth year at the club. In the three years preceding the flag in 2004, Port went from fifth to third, back to fourth and then delivered the most sought-after silverware in the game. Who will ever forget Williams on the victory dais saying, "You were wrong, Allan Scott", words directed at the club's biggest financial backer. Scott had wanted Williams' head, believing that under him, the Power was going nowhere. He had placed the club under enormous pressure, threatening to pull out his millions of dollars in sponsorship, but Port held firm."
"Williams' game plan had been roundly criticised, too. Many media experts felt it was flawed and incapable of achieving success in September. It was thought to be too much about possession and not enough about quick movement and pressure. Williams held his nerve, despite being frustrated by the public mauling."
"Survival is about sustaining performance — plus a little luck. Thomas had little of the latter this year. He lost his best-performed midfielder in Lennie Hayes, Aaron Hamill was injured for too much of the season, Luke Ball carried an injury through the season, Matt Maguire went down late in the season, Xavier and Raphael Clarke continue to have too many soft-tissue injuries and Justin Koschitzke, who is a potential superstar, played out the year unfit after receiving several well-publicised blows to the head."
"Luck, though, is a traveller, and, at some point in time it will stop and visit each and every club."
"The most successful coaches in the AFL are Essendon's Kevin Sheedy, the Brisbane Lions' Leigh Matthews, Collingwood's Mick Malthouse and Carlton's Denis Pagan. Each has won two or more AFL flags. Each is respected and knows how to deliver success. Matthews delivered his most recent flag three years ago and it looks like at least another four years before he might deliver another. Sheedy hasn't won one for six years. Malthouse last coached a premiership team 12 years ago and Pagan has not had that joyous feeling for seven years."
"Outside that group, there are only two other present-day coaches who have won premierships. This is an extremely, even desperate, competition. Success is harder to achieve than ever before. A flag in the AFL is worth perhaps two in the old VFL. St Kilda has a very good group of players, but despite what many of its fans think, it does not clearly have the best list in the land. Nor is this window of opportunity about to close."
"Look at the hard-bodied players who have won the flags of the past five years, in particular. Brisbane's three premiership sides were filled with mid-20s-plus players; so was Port's in 2004 and Sydney's last year."
"Take out Robert Harvey, Andrew Thompson, Justin Peckett and Fraser Gehrig and St Kilda is still a relatively young side. The Saints' best are all still moving forward in development. Nick Riewoldt can't do much more, but he can become a better kick; Ball will play injury-free and improve; Nick Dal Santo still has to overcome the being-tagged curse; and the Clarkes can make enormous strides. Koschitzke has yet to put a full season together and Brendon Goddard is about to blossom into the player we all thought he would become. A lot of paint has been applied to the canvas, but St Kilda is still an incomplete work."
"The first question I would be asking if I were a coaching candidate would be: what are your short-term expectations? Do Butterss and his board expect a flag in 12 months or two years? They obviously think they are close, but any coach will be cognisant of the fact that Harvey is coming to the end of his career and Gehrig may be, too. Hayes and Maguire will perhaps have only limited roles next year and there's still some doubt on Koschitzke."
"Entering this sort of pressure environment, the coach needs to be an experienced campaigner because the one thing he will not be afforded is the luxury of time. In the board's mind, it has had the nurturer, now it is after the nailer. Butterss once said Thomas was the greatest leader of men he had met. He must now be looking for Thomas' creator."
Read and discuss.
Thomas' legacy: Saints ready to tackle the summit
Tim Watson,
September 15, 2006
http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/tim-watson/thomas-legacy-saints-ready-to-tackle-the-summit/2006/09/14/1157827092502.html
"THE next decision made by Rod Butterss at St Kilda will define his reign as president. In 10 years, the sacking of coach Grant Thomas will either be viewed as the most courageous decision the club has made — or the silliest. Butterss, who swept to power promising change and direction for a success-starved club, will be remembered as either the president who delivered the flag or the one who cost the club a premiership."
"St Kilda has only one flag to show for its years of toil, and the administration and supporters are impatient. The baggage of the past and the poor decisions of previous administrations are gathered together and inserted in the now. Yet the axing of Thomas was wrong. In the past three years, he had the club in the finals and knocking on the door."
"Mark Williams coached Port Adelaide to a flag in his sixth year at the club. In the three years preceding the flag in 2004, Port went from fifth to third, back to fourth and then delivered the most sought-after silverware in the game. Who will ever forget Williams on the victory dais saying, "You were wrong, Allan Scott", words directed at the club's biggest financial backer. Scott had wanted Williams' head, believing that under him, the Power was going nowhere. He had placed the club under enormous pressure, threatening to pull out his millions of dollars in sponsorship, but Port held firm."
"Williams' game plan had been roundly criticised, too. Many media experts felt it was flawed and incapable of achieving success in September. It was thought to be too much about possession and not enough about quick movement and pressure. Williams held his nerve, despite being frustrated by the public mauling."
"Survival is about sustaining performance — plus a little luck. Thomas had little of the latter this year. He lost his best-performed midfielder in Lennie Hayes, Aaron Hamill was injured for too much of the season, Luke Ball carried an injury through the season, Matt Maguire went down late in the season, Xavier and Raphael Clarke continue to have too many soft-tissue injuries and Justin Koschitzke, who is a potential superstar, played out the year unfit after receiving several well-publicised blows to the head."
"Luck, though, is a traveller, and, at some point in time it will stop and visit each and every club."
"The most successful coaches in the AFL are Essendon's Kevin Sheedy, the Brisbane Lions' Leigh Matthews, Collingwood's Mick Malthouse and Carlton's Denis Pagan. Each has won two or more AFL flags. Each is respected and knows how to deliver success. Matthews delivered his most recent flag three years ago and it looks like at least another four years before he might deliver another. Sheedy hasn't won one for six years. Malthouse last coached a premiership team 12 years ago and Pagan has not had that joyous feeling for seven years."
"Outside that group, there are only two other present-day coaches who have won premierships. This is an extremely, even desperate, competition. Success is harder to achieve than ever before. A flag in the AFL is worth perhaps two in the old VFL. St Kilda has a very good group of players, but despite what many of its fans think, it does not clearly have the best list in the land. Nor is this window of opportunity about to close."
"Look at the hard-bodied players who have won the flags of the past five years, in particular. Brisbane's three premiership sides were filled with mid-20s-plus players; so was Port's in 2004 and Sydney's last year."
"Take out Robert Harvey, Andrew Thompson, Justin Peckett and Fraser Gehrig and St Kilda is still a relatively young side. The Saints' best are all still moving forward in development. Nick Riewoldt can't do much more, but he can become a better kick; Ball will play injury-free and improve; Nick Dal Santo still has to overcome the being-tagged curse; and the Clarkes can make enormous strides. Koschitzke has yet to put a full season together and Brendon Goddard is about to blossom into the player we all thought he would become. A lot of paint has been applied to the canvas, but St Kilda is still an incomplete work."
"The first question I would be asking if I were a coaching candidate would be: what are your short-term expectations? Do Butterss and his board expect a flag in 12 months or two years? They obviously think they are close, but any coach will be cognisant of the fact that Harvey is coming to the end of his career and Gehrig may be, too. Hayes and Maguire will perhaps have only limited roles next year and there's still some doubt on Koschitzke."
"Entering this sort of pressure environment, the coach needs to be an experienced campaigner because the one thing he will not be afforded is the luxury of time. In the board's mind, it has had the nurturer, now it is after the nailer. Butterss once said Thomas was the greatest leader of men he had met. He must now be looking for Thomas' creator."
