Reality bites for Choco - 4 clubs have now said "No!"

[Powerstufff]

Essendon rejects Mark Williams and Dean Laidley as coaches

"...........Williams was told by the Bombers last week he would not be considered, meaning the four clubs Williams spoke to in recent weeks - the Bombers, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney and Brisbane - have all passed on his services............"

Essendon rejects Mark Williams and Dean Laidley as coaches

In the months since Choco was asked to walk the plank we have endured the suggestion that the club and supporter base were wrong, that we had thrown away an unspent talent. I suggest the free market has now spoken.

 

[Steve Dore]

.... In the months since Choco was asked to walk the plank we have endured the suggestion that the club and supporter base were wrong, that we had thrown away an unspent talent. I suggest the free market has now spoken.

You can understand why the board were so keen to extend his contract for another 2 seasons in June 2009 otherwise he would have been free to court offers from other clubs.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Perhaps he is over-qualified as an assistant.

 

[TORRES_9]

I think it shows how people outside the club viewed our performances over the past few years.

Choco made some shocking errors and is now paying the price.

 

[Steve Dore]

Perhaps he is over-qualified as an assistant.

Reportedly he has been going for senior assistant/ director of coaching/ senior coach mentor type roles. It was reported last week that in one of the jobs he went for he was up against Gary Ayres.

Given Choco's reputation as a control freak I'm sure many senior coaches my feel uncomfortable working with him as an assistant though.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Given Choco's reputation as a control freak I'm sure many senior coaches may feel uncomfortable working with him as an assistant though.

Bingo. That's why Pagan hasn't been appointed a full time mentor, Choco wont for a while, maybe never, and Sheedy wouldn't have been. His role at Richmond was more marketing. Mark Thompson looks like a bloke who is tired and may well be able to stay at arms length.

Ayres worked for Sheedy, but Ayres was always the junior. As Ayres said in an interview, when he applied for the job, Sheedy asked him how many games he has coached, told him and Sheedy said, I've lost more games than that.

Coaches have used old wise heads in a less formal way Clarko and John Kennedy, Sheedy and Hafey, Parkin has been a sounding board for a couple of coaches.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

You can understand why the board were so keen to extend his contract for another 2 seasons in June 2009 otherwise he would have been free to court offers from other clubs.

Boulton and James should be kicked up the backside to agreeing to that Ricky Nixon clause in Choco's contract. How the hell can a board sack a premiership coach and having taken the side to a GF 18 months earlier and the side is 6-6 and still in the hunt for the finals. Imagine the destabilisation that would have caused for the last 10 weeks.

 

[FishingRick04]

I can't blame Clubs avoiding Choco.

His game plan was stale and he seemed bereft of idea's. He favoured "certain" types of players, eg the ones with flair, his most recent teams didn't have a real team orientation to them and he isn't the best speaker in the market.

I would have thought as Wharfie indicated 2009 probably was his best time to get another gig, 2010, end of 2009 really shopwed his flaws.

he's still our only premiership coach so good luck to him.

 

[Portia]

Boulton and James should be kicked up the backside to agreeing to that Ricky Nixon clause in Choco's contract. How the hell can a board sack a premiership coach and having taken the side to a GF 18 months earlier and the side is 6-6 and still in the hunt for the finals.

Were you not around at the time? It was a pretty easy decision to not renew.

 

[Killer Power]

maybe choc might consider taking up mcartneys vacated ais role? could position him well for gws at end of next season and allow time to gain experience in the media

 

[Forzaport]

Were you not around at the time? It was a pretty easy decision to not renew.

Not for me. I was a massive Chocophile. Took the rest of 2009 and after Tredders ankle was crushed in 2010 to convince me.

I'm sure many others felt the same.

I would've been upset had choco got the axe in 09, but elated as we probably would've landed Hardwick. In 2010 there was no doubt Choco had served his time and I'm happy that we have matress.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Were you not around at the time? It was a pretty easy decision to not renew.

Of course I was. Yeah for fans who were pissed off with 2008 it was an easy decision. But the board has different responsibities. In 2009 we were going WLWLWL. Would I have reappointed him? I said no at the time and was disapointed we hadn't lined up Hardwick in Christmas 2008 to be in the box ready to take over - but as retired players know, the game gets easier to play once you're on the sidelines and not in the thick of things. No different here.

It's hard to sack a coach mid season when you didn't start the year as a raging premiership favourite and mid season you are still in the hunt for the finals. I reckon a different decision would have been made after rd 22 compared to rd 12.

In 2010 it was a lot easier to give Choco the flick ater 2 bad seasons in a row and going 0-7 after being 5-2 in his third one.

 

[Portia]

Yes, but we were not actually required to sack Choco in mid-2009. We just had to either declare that we would definitely look to re-sign him, or not commit yet and thus allow him talk to other clubs while we decided what to do.

Big difference.

 

[Power Raid]

Sad to see how it all ended

Looks like PAFC and Choco were both losers in the end. But we have all move forward and look toward better days ahead.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Yes, but we were not actually required to sack Choco in mid-2009. We just had to either declare that we would definitely look to re-sign him, or not commit yet and thus allow him talk to other clubs while we decided what to do.

Big difference.

Sure they could have done that and it would have been reported as a sacking or no confidence in him. And if Choco didn't walk out, the bad PR and speculation would have carried on for weeks an/or our board would have been lumped as ineffective. It was better that a decision was made one way or the other on 30 June rather than letting it all drag on for 10 weeks.

They either thought he was good enough for the job or not. But the season being alive was a point in his favour. A 3-9 or 4-8 mid season would have made the decision to go the other way easier.

But its all easy in hindsight.

 

[Portia]

Sure they could have done that and it would have been reported as a sacking or no confidence in him. And if Choco didn't walk out, the bad PR and speculation would have carried on for weeks an/or our board would have been lumped as ineffective.

Oh no! So because the board might've copped a bit of flack for ten weeks, they rushed into a bad decision. That is some sterling management there.

But I guess some shareholders might've been angry when the stock dropped - oh wait, PAFC isn't publicly traded. Well, maybe the shareholders would've caused the board to spill - oh wait, everyone on the board is safe as houses. So hang on, why are they so horribly susceptible to to possibility of ten weeks of public pressure?

**** me, if our board had always lived to such a standard of fear of public pressure, we would not be in the AFL today, and that is a fact.

It was better that a decision was made one way or the other on 30 June rather than letting it all drag on for 10 weeks.

Yeah nah, disagree. We already knew that Choco was a Port man and would not be madly eager to court other clubs while the Port position was still half-open and that was a card in our hand. And hey, what if he had walked out? Fresh start, we move on - the PAFC endures.

They either thought he was good enough for the job or not. But the season being alive was a point in his favour. A 3-9 or 4-8 mid season would have made the decision to go the other way easier.

Your first sentence would seem to be contradicted by the second two. How can Choco's suitability be a black and white thing if you think a slightly different win-loss would make a massive difference?

But its all easy in hindsight.

And sometimes at the time also.

 

[Steve Dore]

Not for me. I was a massive Chocophile. Took the rest of 2009 and after Tredders ankle was crushed in 2010 to convince me.

I'm sure many others felt the same.....

I wanted Choco gone and was ropable that he was given a two year extension in 2009. For me the writing was on the wall.

Yes, but we were not actually required to sack Choco in mid-2009. We just had to either declare that we would definitely look to re-sign him, or not commit yet and thus allow him talk to other clubs while we decided what to do.

Big difference.

Exactly, and hence my early post in this thread.

The board were so scared that if they didn't commit to Choco by the end of June 2009 he would be able to start negotiating with other clubs so that if the PAFC did want to extend his contract at the end of 2009 they'd be in a bidding war with all those other AFL clubs keen to sign Choco.

Where are all those clubs that would be bidding against the PAFC for Choco's services now?

 

[bringbackbucky]

Maybe he can go full circle and coach the Magpies...

 

[Burningleviathan]

His stock may have been a bit higher middle of '09 then after being sacked after a nine game losing streak in '10.

I was 50/50 on his reappointment, after a 5-2 start it wasn't looking so terrible a decision. For all the travesty that was the middle of last season, i still wish him the best and think a club would profit from having him around.

 

[Asgardian]

Not for me. I was a massive Chocophile. Took the rest of 2009 and after Tredders ankle was crushed in 2010 to convince me.

I'm sure many others felt the same.

I would've been upset had choco got the axe in 09, but elated as we probably would've landed Hardwick. In 2010 there was no doubt Choco had served his time and I'm happy that we have matress.

Yep, me too, I'm guilty

 

[klem22]

Maybe he can go full circle and coach the Magpies...

Please no

 

[Powerstufff]

My point when I put this thread up was that the full football community was able to make a judgement on Choco - no need for us to knock ourselves about anymore. I remember good Choco but he is long gone.

 

[CatchTim]

If he spoke Mandarin he'd make a good Foreign Minister

 

[Steve Dore]

If he spoke Mandarin he'd make a good Foreign Minister

If you watch some of his old post-match press conferences he may as well be speaking Mandarin.

 

[Alberton_Magpie]

He is going back to Melbourne no matter what apparently...I think he will end up coaching Port Melbourne which will be vacated by Ayres