Is Laidley the man?

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Look, 7 years is simply not enough time to figure out if Dean Laidleys is the man or not to take North forward with a young list and that. So I suggest we sign him up for another 7 years just to figure that out.:thumbsu:
 
I think we need to give Dean Laidley a bit more time because let's be honest it is too early to tell if he is a great coach or not. Come on we have only had 25 fit players to choose from this year and you can hardly blame the coach for that. :thumbsu:.
 

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Here's my angle:

PROS:
Is North thru & thru
Has the ability to get the best from limited resources
Has the players support
Knows how to beat quality teams with clever tactics
Willing to try different things (the new age game dictates that)
Doesn't hold the club to a kings ransom contract
Saves the footy career of Brady Rawlings

CONS:
Poor skills development
Prefers to protect a handy lead more time than not
Cliche statements and running out of ideas
Game Plan isn't pro-active to HURT the opposition
Been thru the 'structures' since day 1 and still hasn't found a spine
7 years for less than 50% winning strike rate!!
Tagger Brady Rawlings is allowed to claim not ONE B&F but TWO Syd Barker medals!! :D


In the NFL, guys like this get the flick after 2 seasons of missing the play-offs which JYD did. (both capitulations in August). He is fortunate we're running off the fumes of an oily rag and can't afford a high profile coach... just to think Mark Harvey passed North up.. :D phew!!

Woodson says: Players hold the fate in North retaining JYD for another 2 year extension.. :eek: scramble to 10 wins could be enough. On the flipside, guys like John Blakey, John Longmire & Damien Hardwick will push for interviews and try and impress the board if change is indeed warranted.
 
Short answer: No

Long answer: I don't have the information to make that assessment.

Edit: I wrote something long but have said it before so leaving it out. :p
 
Honestly, i hope not but either way this time next year we will probably be bagging the new coach if we appoint one so mehhh it is just a never ending rat race AFL footy.... We aren't going to win a premiership in the next few years so whoever EVENTUALLY takes over better be prepared to feel the wrath!! especially in this forum ;)
 
From Laidleys point of view, I think it is possible that he wont get another gig if he doesnt re-sign with us. Its likely the only changes now will be at Collingwood or Richmond as Fremantle are showing improvement with a young team. Harvey would be unlucky to lose his job if they came out with >8 wins considering they too are rebuilding. If Malthouse leaves I think the Tigers will make a play for him. That opens the door for Buckley at Collingwood.

If this Collingwood/Richmond scenario happens, and Laidley is shown the door I am fearful that Wallace will become one of our coaching targets. He will be desperate to coach, will know that no other team wants him, and will take a cut to remain in the coaching business.

From our viewpoint if we are rebuilding on field I fear they will look to experience in the box rather than youth. I think this is due to the fact that our leadership group appears frail. Harvey is a year by year proposition from next year, petrie cannot perform at all with leadership expectations by the looks of it, Rawlings could be on his way out of the game, Pratt looks strong but his involvement in the chicken thing may have put a black mark next to his card going forward.

I think the only experienced guys we could afford (read - coaches that will coach anywhere for any $$ due to desperation) would be Ayres, Pagan and Wallace. Think Lethal isnt desperate to coach again and has pretty well paid media committments anyway so don't think he will be a candidate. Blight will always be brought up by NMFC tragics as he is a legend of our club but realistically he wont coach again.

Not sure about anyone else but I think I'd rather Laidley ahead of Wallace or Ayres and probably equal with Pagan from that list.

Just peoples opinions (and forgetting your own coaching wish list) if we are rebuilding on field is a club obliged/likely to go for an experienced coach (that we can afford) or will an untried coach be able to take hold of a young list and shape it?

If we look at some recent history-

Essendon this year opted for a young coach (that has been assistant and head coach of a team at a lower level) but still have experienced players on each of their lines (the likes of fletcher, hille, lloyd, lucas).

Fremantle are rebuilding with a young coach (the difference being that Harvey has been assistant coach for many many years now)

Richmond will most likely choose an experienced guy next year to lead a young team

Bulldogs a couple years ago chose an experienced coach to manage a youngish team

Saints went for a coach who had been assistant for a few years but still had some senior players who were regulars in the team.

------------------------------------

edit - forgot about Carlton and Brisbane.

Carlton - Young team, young coach who has done a few years apprenticeships at lower levels (strong captain). Experienced and respected assistants who havent coached. Bradley, Kernahan, Williams, Harvey. We couldnt afford a similar 'team' of coaches.

Brisbane - Youngish team, strong leadership group (Brown Power Black etc). Untried coach without experience although fairly respected football person with multiple premiership captaincy to his name. Experienced assistants.
 

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I'd ike our next coach (whoever it is) to have his own gameplan, a wishlist of assistant coaches that he wants to work with, an informed view on each player on our list, a clear vision for the future, a commitment to his plan and the willingness to take ultimate responsibility for on-field performance.

A leader, not a follower.
 
Re. Wallace, as mentioned above....

He's stated adamantly that his Tigers gig will be his last, and I believe him. He won't be desperate to coach again, so the fear that we'd go down that path is baseless IMO.

Personally speaking, I dunno which direction we'll head in. I listened to Jay-Z on that TAC Cup Future Stars show singing the praises of Laidley AGAIN, saying he receives a hug amount of one on one coaching and he's learnt so much since being at the club.

I'm still yet to hear a player even cast a single doubt on the future of the current coach. Now of course they won't be making the final decision but it's been widely publicised that JB's said to JYD he'll be assessed on more than his win/loss record and moreso on how he's getting along with the players and how he's communicating with them.

I think a change is necessary myself but I won't be surprised at all if his contract is extended a year or two.....seriously!
 
I have never been as firm as sacking him as I was after the Hawks loss. Horrible night for the club, but an even worse night for Laidley personally. Terribly coached.

But really, now, I don't know.

Persistence with guys like Power piss me off, but every club has got a similiar story and I bet we will have one no matter who coaches us. i know the angst at Pagan playing his favourites was huge before he left.

In the end, I think we have a very good list (when fit) and one that is getting rapidly better, and that has to be the main thing you judge him on.

As for the gameplan, it is too hard to tell whether we have changed or whether the players are now carrying out instructions, but I like where it is headed. I watched a bit of the replay of Saturday's game last night and apparently we have used the corridor more than anyone other team in the league over the last 3 weeks (Geelong 2nd). With our good players back, it could be very damaging football.

And changing direction doesn't mean you will never get it right. There was an interview with Bomber Thompson last week and he said that after 2006 he and his coaching staff sat down and worked out what they thought was good football and how to beat the flood, and they came up with a gameplan that worked and brought out the best in a good group.

If it didn't work, he goes down in history as a reactive dud who should have had a set plan from day 1, not changing every couple of years. Instead, he will finish up as a coach that was in charge of one of the best teams ever.
 
After a 0-5 start to 2010, this coach will be described as too rigid, unwilling to accept where modern football is heading, too matey with the players, has a coaches' box full of yes-men and is incapable of producing a plan B when things go awry.

On the plus side, at least he admits it.
You're a windsock half empty sort of windsock, aren't you?
 
He isn't being sacked because he is a bad coach (although he is), he is being sacked because his time is up. Someone has to be held accountable for the 7 failed seasons (not winning the flag) between 2003-2009 and he seems to be the common denominator. Unaccountability breeds complacency and complacency breeds a stagnant organisation.
 
He isn't being sacked because he is a bad coach (although he is), he is being sacked because his time is up. Someone has to be held accountable for the 7 failed seasons (not winning the flag) between 2003-2009 and he seems to be the common denominator. Unaccountability breeds complacency and complacency breeds a stagnant organisation.

To the best of my knowledge Laidley hasn't been sacked nor is it likely that he will be. I don't know if his contract will be renewed at the end of the year or not but non-renewal of a contract is a far cry from being sacked.
 
with his current contract stating that he needs to know mid season i guess he has a month to get things right....
I dont know who would be better to take over...for me its Bucks and Williams.
 
Although Bucks would probably commit to us mid season and then piss off to somewhere else when he gets a better offer for next year.

Laidley is the man, in a "school of rock" kind of way.
 
JB has already said we cant afford to pay a coach much more than what Laidley is on.

Id take it williams would need to take a massive pay cut to come over. I also take it that when Buckley is ready to coach and puts the word out, then there would be more than one club after his services.

If Laidley goes this year then its likely there will be 2 or 3 clubs in the running for him to take over. Which means a possible bidding war. If he is still lured by the almighty $$ then we arent in with a show.

Regarding any future coach - We dont want it to happen but while we are struggling financially there is always some doubt we will survive looking ahead. Would be a crucial point when deciding whether to ttake the job.

Even if we do survive, almost as damaging to lure a prospective highly credentialled coach is if there is any a hint of having to coach an afl team on a shoestring football budget. We will struggle to offer what other clubs can offer. Stats came out last week or two that our football budget for 2007 was a few million dollars less than most other clubs with West Coast or Sydney or someone about 5-6mil ahead of us. Another big consideration.

Our best chance is for everyone to sign up all their coaches before the end of the season and have our job as the only open position. Would give the club a better barganing position.

Whichever way I look at it, I think Wallace and Malthouse are gone. If so, I think we will end up with the slops.

Longmire will wait for Roos to leave, Hardwick will probably be happy playing second fiddle at a popular, financially stable club with a decent young team, and all other assistants at interstate clubs are probably getting more cash then what our head coach pays.

Not sure there will be much left other than the desperates. Hope we find a hidden gem. Wonder if Wallsy will be on our coaching appointment panel?
 
The solution (if Dean isn't re-signed), is to hire a coach that would bring in members. If you get another 5000 members, as an example, you can pay the coach $1,000,000 and he costs the club nothing, because the 5000 members just paid (on average) his salary!
 

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