Coach Men's Senior Coach: Brad Scott

[Pweter]

I think that is a given. There is no way any AFL coach gives away the game plan to the list management.
It is more about input as far as players who will fit the game plan.
Coaches will see players during the year when they play against them and also plan against them but they are not really across the whole comp.
This is about Scott saying we need this to make the game plan work and Rosa and team then finding the best options to look at. Also different set of eyes as far as contracts go.

Which all sounds obvious, but no so obvious that it's something we've historically done which is pretty sad.

 

[bombreys]

Just read that in his 12 total seasons of coaching, his highest ever finish is 6th. Is he a bit overrated?

Not that I want him to get sacked, but the pressure will (rightfully) be building if we don't show some improvement by the end of the 2025 season.

 

[Lore]

Rosa was interviewed the other day (notes are in his thread). He was pretty clear about the importance of collaborating with the coaches, mentioned Brad Scott being on the list management committee, and talked about what kinds of things they collaborate on and the kinds of information that is discussed there.

Having a list manager that does those things as a matter of ordinary practice rather than having to be made to do it should bode well for us, and if that means the CEO doesn’t have to micromanage the relationship between list manager and coach then that should be regarded as a good thing.

 

[P Money]

Just read that in his 12 total seasons of coaching, his highest ever finish is 6th. Is he a bit overrated?

Not that I want him to get sacked, but the pressure will (rightfully) be building if we don't show some improvement by the end of the 2025 season.

Bombers haven't finished that high in 20 years - 6th is the mountain top for us! Jokes aside he took a pretty average Nth Melb list to 6th (and prelim finals), I'd say he did as well with them as any coach could be expected to.

 

[ant555]

Which all sounds obvious, but no so obvious that it's something we've historically done which is pretty sad.

Well it is sad but that is how we have been and it is what they want to change.
I think the have realised that not have ng an all new set up last year has hurt them as well.
Vozzo and Scott just did not have all the information they needed because they were head hunted but not guys who had done any in depth deep dive. That lead to basically doing a year long review last year and making some decisions they are now having a bit of buyers remorse.

 

[HumphreyBBear]

Bombers haven't finished that high in 20 years - 6th is the mountain top for us! Jokes aside he took a pretty average Nth Melb list to 6th (and prelim finals), I'd say he did as well with them as any coach could be expected to.

I come in peace. As a NMFC supporter I have no love for Brad. One of the things that irks me is the constant claim that he took bad lists to preliminary finals.

These players all played in the finals in 2014.
Brent Harvey
Daniel Wells
Drew Petrie
Jack Zeibell
Todd Goldstein
Ben Cunnington
Andrew Swallow
Ben Brown
Nick Del Santo
Michael Firrito
Scott Thompson
Lindsay Thomas

No disrespect to your current batch, but I would take some convincing that their 2014 versions wouldn't all be walk-up starts at EFC.

 

[HirdyLannister]

I come in peace. As a NMFC supporter I have no love for Brad. One of the things that irks me is the constant claim that he took bad lists to preliminary finals.

These players all played in the finals in 2014.
Brent Harvey
Daniel Wells
Drew Petrie
Jack Zeibell
Todd Goldstein
Ben Cunnington
Andrew Swallow
Ben Brown
Nick Del Santo
Michael Firrito
Scott Thompson
Lindsay Thomas

No disrespect to your current batch, but I would take some convincing that their 2014 versions wouldn't all be walk-up starts at EFC.

That list doesn't strengthen your argument.

 

[dank420_]

That list doesn't strengthen your argument.

It's better than ours lmao

 

[ant555]

I come in peace. As a NMFC supporter I have no love for Brad. One of the things that irks me is the constant claim that he took bad lists to preliminary finals.

These players all played in the finals in 2014.
Brent Harvey
Daniel Wells
Drew Petrie
Jack Zeibell
Todd Goldstein
Ben Cunnington
Andrew Swallow
Ben Brown
Nick Del Santo
Michael Firrito
Scott Thompson
Lindsay Thomas

No disrespect to your current batch, but I would take some convincing that their 2014 versions wouldn't all be walk-up starts at EFC.

You have a point and people saying he took a bad list to Prelim finals is not 100% right as you say. He had a pretty good list but I do not think I would be insulting anyone if I said the club was a bit under funded resource wise. Then there is the fact he was a coach that came into that job with limited coaching miles under the belt and even he now admits he got a lot wrong. Most of those blokes in their prime or just after their primes would get a game with us now.

Plenty of Bomber supporters question Scott which is fair enough. So far he has only really improved the systems and how the footy department runs which is based off his time in the AFL and looking at all the clubs. He is yet to get a football style going that would take us forward. His team selection has been less than perfect some weeks and both Scott and Vozz seem to know they may have ****ed a few things up in transition last year. Some key decisions where made without some key positions being upgraded.

 

[HumphreyBBear]

You have a point and people saying he took a bad list to Prelim finals is not 100% right as you say. He had a pretty good list but I do not think I would be insulting anyone if I said the club was a bit under funded resource wise. Then there is the fact he was a coach that came into that job with limited coaching miles under the belt and even he now admits he got a lot wrong. Most of those blokes in their prime or just after their primes would get a game with us now.

Plenty of Bomber supporters question Scott which is fair enough. So far he has only really improved the systems and how the footy department runs which is based off his time in the AFL and looking at all the clubs. He is yet to get a football style going that would take us forward. His team selection has been less than perfect some weeks and both Scott and Vozz seem to know they may have ****ed a few things up in transition last year. Some key decisions where made without some key positions being upgraded.

Agreed. I think we would be an adequate head of coaching/GM of football, but he lacks gameplan/match day nous IMHO.
To be honest, I thought he would have learnt a lot since getting the boot at North but watching him closely over the past two seasons, I see the same behaviour patterns. He is a very stubborn fellow, with enormous confidence in his own ability.

 

[ant555]

Agreed. I think we would be an adequate head of coaching/GM of football, but he lacks gameplan/match day nous IMHO.
To be honest, I thought he would have learnt a lot since getting the boot at North but watching him closely over the past two seasons, I see the same behaviour patterns. He is a very stubborn fellow, with enormous confidence in his own ability.

There have been a lot more factors going on that are also having an impact. I am not totally sold on him as coach. His selections have sometimes been questionable. he has backed in a few guys for a fraction too long and we are not in a spot list wise to really know if his actual game style can work as we lack the cattle in key areas and have no super stars that can win a game themselves if needed.
Right now they are basically working out if the build started in 2020 is stuffed and despite Scott not playing all the young blokes he put plenty of games into 3rd and 4th years players who if they take the next step will be the base going forward.
He is stubborn. He does back his ability but he is also being expected to build a racing car to compete out of some dodgy components and we have had to replace 90% of the engineers.

 

[HumphreyBBear]

There have been a lot more factors going on that are also having an impact. I am not totally sold on him as coach. His selections have sometimes been questionable. he has backed in a few guys for a fraction too long and we are not in a spot list wise to really know if his actual game style can work as we lack the cattle in key areas and have no super stars that can win a game themselves if needed.
Right now they are basically working out if the build started in 2020 is stuffed and despite Scott not playing all the young blokes he put plenty of games into 3rd and 4th years players who if they take the next step will be the base going forward.
He is stubborn. He does back his ability but he is also being expected to build a racing car to compete out of some dodgy components and we have had to replace 90% of the engineers.

I hope you're right. I have a vested interest due to a family member being one of his charges. I'll leave you guys to it now - good luck for 2025.

 

[P Money]

I come in peace. As a NMFC supporter I have no love for Brad. One of the things that irks me is the constant claim that he took bad lists to preliminary finals.

These players all played in the finals in 2014.
Brent Harvey
Daniel Wells
Drew Petrie
Jack Zeibell
Todd Goldstein
Ben Cunnington
Andrew Swallow
Ben Brown
Nick Del Santo
Michael Firrito
Scott Thompson
Lindsay Thomas

No disrespect to your current batch, but I would take some convincing that their 2014 versions wouldn't all be walk-up starts at EFC.

Yeah with all due respect (and obviously only my opinion) if that's the top 12 players on the list competing against teams like the 2014 Hawks I think my point stands.

 

[justlookingaround]

Every coach has doubters. I'll back Scott till when/if it goes proper pear shaped. Obviously everyone was sick of each other by the end of his time at NMFC, but you'd still be pretty hard pressed to find anyone from inside North during his time there that would straight up argue he isn't a good footy person.

That being said his selection habits are pretty frustrating. I think he's trying to set standards from a senior group downwards... but yeah, it's rough watching a group of players battling against generational mediocrity while trying to take control of their fortunes. Plus... I just don't really have much faith in the list in the first place. I feel like there's a strong chance mid-table is its ceiling.

So I think there's a good chance the 'improved standards' he's supposedly setting don't really bear any fruit for this particular group of players. Then do the standards carry over into whatever the next administration is? You can imagine neither Scott nor Barham surviving a spill of the other. I wouldn't be surprised if the club ends up pushing some sort of Malthouse at Collingwood succession plan where he's made our head of footy.

 

[HumphreyBBear]

Yeah with all due respect (and obviously only my opinion) if that's the top 12 players on the list competing against teams like the 2014 Hawks I think my point stands.

Sure. We were miles off it. Which is why we were smacked in both of those prelims. But I don't think the list overperformed (and I was watching very closely).

 

[Zach Package]

So if we were that deadset on excising Stringer to the point we view just getting him out the door as a win with nothing in return, and we see Perkins in that role, and they're all dead rubbers. Why does Scott pick Stringer in the seniors for the last month of the season?

 

[Old Campaigner]

Because he’s a best 22 player?

 

[joey_jo_jo]

So if we were that deadset on excising Stringer to the point we view just getting him out the door as a win with nothing in return, and we see Perkins in that role, and they're all dead rubbers. Why does Scott pick Stringer in the seniors for the last month of the season?

Almost like Scott was not thinking about the long term despite preaching patience at start of year.
I have to offer you a mea culpa, argued with you a couple of times mid season when you warned about this but I've definitely switched more to your thinking with the back third of the year.

 

[yodellinhank]

9 goals?

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Because he’s a best 22 player?

Then why trade him for a packet of chips?
Old mate wright wasn't best 22 by end of season and causes as much structural issues as Jake/langford minus any x factor, other clubs have shown contracts don't have to matter so why didn't we test the market with Peter. We just took the easiest option to show everyone we are "taking a stand".

 

[straightuplazy]

So if we were that deadset on excising Stringer to the point we view just getting him out the door as a win with nothing in return, and we see Perkins in that role, and they're all dead rubbers. Why does Scott pick Stringer in the seniors for the last month of the season?

We were still a chance to make finals and Stringer was best 22.

 

[Lore]

So if we were that deadset on excising Stringer to the point we view just getting him out the door as a win with nothing in return, and we see Perkins in that role, and they're all dead rubbers. Why does Scott pick Stringer in the seniors for the last month of the season?

Him leaving was his own choice.

The better question is “why did we play him in the seniors if we were only willing to offer him one year on less money?” Which probably answers itself tbh.

Also we could still mathematically make finals until ~R23 and Perkins’ form has dropped off a heap. Perkins talked about it here: https://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/1651541/year-in-review-archie-perkins

It’s certainly a big change from the start of the year where a fit and firing Stringer was seen as an integral component of any finals aspirations, and stated publicly.

 

[dank420_]

Then why trade him for a packet of chips?

A little bit happened in the off season not sure if you saw it.

 

[dank420_]

Also what was Perkins doing to take the position from Stringer? Are we not against gifting games?

 

[joey_jo_jo]

A little bit happened in the off season not sure if you saw it.

Overblown issue used by the club to get supporters to accept his departure.
Look where the club who has taken him continues to finish, Look at who the Cats took this trade period, Look who the hawks took a chance on in last years trade period. Look who the tigers best player was during their run? Good coaches/systems have a broad church of personalities in their squad and get them all working in same direction.