Oppo Camp Non-Essendon Football Thread XVI

[Eleven 38]

What a bizarre legacy he leaves.

At the end of 2016 he’s nudging the podium for the worst tenured coach of the AFL era, keeps his job somehow, then he puts his game plan completely in the bin and catches lightening in a bottle and is a bees dick away from winning 4 flags on the trot, then immediately back to bog average.

It’s like a fairytale, makes absolutely no sense.

I reckon there's 10 teams that would have won the same amount of flags in that time with Dustin Martin in his prime. More than half of the game plan was give it to Dusty.

 

[citizen-erased]

Don't see Carlton moving on Voss for a while yet. And don't see the point replacing Simpson right now given their injuries and list. Absolute poison chalice to be coach of WCE at moment. Mind you if they keep losing by 100 points (here's hoping for this week anyway), then they may have no choice.

Shows you what a tough gig it is. Longmuir and Hinkley were under big pressure a few weeks back but have turned it around but wont take much for the heat to get turned up again. And two of the toughest in Clarkson and Dimma have had enough (I do assume Clarkson will be back and obviously another issue at play there). There weren't really any knives out for Hardwick either and given his record he could have coasted until end of next year at least.

The media love a good coach sacking/change too, so will be annoyed they didn't see this coming (yes it doesnt seem to be a sacking). Might go harder at Voss and Simpson to make sure they are on top of those situations.

agree on both, but reckon Dimma sets a bit of a cat amongst the pigeons.
GCS another team who could see potential in taking the next step.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Is Dimma the first coach to quit in order to spend more time with the club staff?

 

[Old Campaigner]

 

[Zach Package]

I reckon there's 10 teams that would have won the same amount of flags in that time with Dustin Martin in his prime. More than half of the game plan was give it to Dusty.

I’m very hesitant to discredit anything they've done. They drafted a very specific type of player to plug into a very specific role and profited, they drafted enough elite repeat sprint animals that Martin essentially didn't have to even feign participating defensively and could focus on what he did best.

This may also be why some of their younger players are looking a little bit lost at the moment because there isn't that very narrow role for them to operate in.

What I will say, and Richmond fans will obviously push back on this was that when Richmond were in their pomp the game was not in a good way and it took some pretty serious reform to the rules to bring the product back to a more watchable state. Hardwick's legacy is he essentially broke the game for a period of time and cashed in while everyone else was trying to put it back together.

 

[mike ross]

This is how I remember him. My favourite tough hard player.

 

[Falcon27]

Has a week ever seen 2 or 3 coaches go the same week outside the end of season

Dimma
Simmo?
Voss?

Voss won’t go just yet.

Simmo should have gone yesterday.

 

[Pweter]

This is how I remember him. My favourite tough hard player.
View attachment 1694542

That backline. Hardwick, Solomon, Wallis, Johnson. A fair bit of... let's say mongrel... in that backline. Fletcher knew exactly where his knees and elbows were at all times too, then there was Wellman who simply played footy.

 

[DERO]

That backline. Hardwick, Solomon, Wallis, Johnson. A fair bit of... let's say mongrel... in that backline. Fletcher knew exactly where his knees and elbows were at all times too, then there was Wellman who simply played footy.

As good a back 6 as you will see I reckon.

 

[Don Won]

Is Dimma the first coach to quit in order to spend more time with the club staff?

I read a good one on another board
”Dimma can now relax, take a break and spend some time with someone else’s wife and kids”

 

[boncer34]

Clarko is still on a different level to Dimma. Four flags and a genuine three-peat is the reason. They can't be mentioned in the same breath. People held on because Clarko was done and Hardwick was still coaching, but it's pretty clear now.

And I think even he'd admit that he got a little lucky with some of the talent he had to work with. That's not to dismiss his blueprint though, in hindsight, he had his fingerprints all over the club since as early as 2013.

Which is why people banging on about his possible "sacking" in 2016 and then using that as a reason for why not to sack coaches shits me to no end. 5th in 2013, 8th in 2014, and 5th in 2015. Yeah they didn't eventuate in finals wins, but that's three Top 8 finishes in a row and stone's throw away from Top 4 on two occasions. By that point even before the flags he was Richmond's most successful coach since 1980. In hindsight, he wasn't going anywhere, and there was enough seen to see a reason to stick fat, unlike in other scenarios.

If you were to put both Clarko and Dimma as coaches of clubs that had a chance, I'd bet on Clarko (if no scandal as well, of course) every time before Dimma, but since even Superman couldn't fix whatever North is, you'd say Dimma would have a better chance than anyone else with at least some structure and cohesion behind him.

As opposed to the spuds Clarko had to work with?

 

[Nicholas61]

This is how I remember him. My favourite tough hard player.
View attachment 1694542

I remember him standing in front of leading forwards knowing the pain was coming. After the hit he would be on the ground, knees drawn toward the chest taking deep breaths until the worst had passed then up and going again. He was one of the first professionals at taking those big hits.

 

[dank420_]

Dimma looks very happy

 

[Nifft]

How do you wear a flag? Like a cape?

 

[Ati Tude]

View attachment 1694707

Was good cape wearing weather.

 

[Beerfish]

This is how I remember him. My favourite tough hard player.
View attachment 1694542

Would come from any part of the ground to get in the middle of/enflame any dust up that happened. Him and Mark Johnson. Used to ****ing love it lol.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Would come from any part of the ground to get in the middle of/enflame any dust up that happened. Him and Mark Johnson. Used to ******* love it lol.

We really were a hated team back then, loved it!

 

[jmoo wan]

Would come from any part of the ground to get in the middle of/enflame any dust up that happened. Him and Mark Johnson. Used to ******* love it lol.

yep - just like Andrew McGrath - good private school boys like that.

 

[ant555]

Will be interesting to see what Dimma does next. And even if he wants to coach again. Tough to do what Clarkson is doing and start from the bottom. Better off going to a club with a list you can work with eg a Carlton if they do get sick of Voss.

Winning 4 flags for a coach is a massive thing. True definition of brilliance. And the coaches know it. Have seen it talked about before. That is part of why Malthouse basically changed his mind about the succession with Bucks when Mick realised how good their list was. He got stuck on 3 flags. Sheeds got 4. Matthews got 4. And obviously Clarkson. For as good as Geelong have been, Bomber got two flags and Scott now with 2. Could Bomber have got 4 if he stayed at Cats? Who knows. Scott will have to do a rebuild to get there and he been there a long time already for 2 flags. Allan Jeans "only" got 4 despite how good Hawks were in the 80s (1 was with Saints). Was robbed of 1 due to health with Joyce took over a got 1 from memory.

Getting 4 flags is so extra special as it generally means you have to have either done a rebuild or changed clubs. Not sure how many Hawks played in all 4 flags with Clarko but very rare to do that. Matthews had to do it at 2 clubs and couldn't quite get a 4th at the Lions despite how good they were. Sheeds reinvented himself several times and had a couple of very strong teams.

Does Dimma have that drive to go for a 4th? He obviously won't know until can go away and take a break.

My totally uninformed opinion based on zero fact or inside knowledge is he will not coach next year but may consider jumping back in for the 2025 season.

 

[fairbump_playon]

I don't wanna boast but we have killed quite a few coaches lately. I recall we got one a year or two back.. was it Teague? Noble? Someone. Doesn't matter.

Sometimes it's after a 100 point blowout. Sometimes a 1 point streak breaker.

Dimma can say he made his mind up two weeks ago but we all know he only went because they are out of flag contention now.

People say we haven't won a final for ages. I ask.. on what comp are they focused?

 

[VelvetSledge]

Carlton re-signing Pittonet on a four year deal hahahahahahahahaha

WHAT. Surely there weren't other clubs lining up to sign a bloke who's been in the system for 9 years and hasn't even played 50 games yet

TDK is goneski.

 

[Pweter]

Carlton re-signing Pittonet on a four year deal hahahahahahahahaha

WHAT. Surely there weren't other clubs lining up to sign a bloke who's been in the system for 9 years and hasn't even played 50 games yet

TDK is goneski.

Hoping nobody will notice by announcing at the same time as the media hype of Hardwick quitting and the ensuing coaching movement guesswork that the media is obsessed with.

 

[Zach Package]

Carlton re-signing Pittonet on a four year deal hahahahahahahahaha

WHAT. Surely there weren't other clubs lining up to sign a bloke who's been in the system for 9 years and hasn't even played 50 games yet

TDK is goneski.

Plowman 7 year deal incoming.

They’ve gone full chicken oriental there.

 

[Ati Tude]

Carlton re-signing Pittonet on a four year deal hahahahahahahahaha

WHAT. Surely there weren't other clubs lining up to sign a bloke who's been in the system for 9 years and hasn't even played 50 games yet

TDK is goneski.

Maybe it is 4 months to take them through to August.

Carlton board is amusing on this one too. Best explanation anyone had was it was in case clubs have to give up a contracted player to Tassie when they come in.

 

[VelvetSledge]

Plowman 7 year deal incoming.

They’ve gone full chicken oriental there.

Just bizarre list management.

Footy is rather enjoyable at the moment. We're looking like we've got our bundle together, whilst Carlton is an utter mess, we can start to like Dimma Hardwick again, and the Hawkes are down the bottom of the ladder.