Footy Dept. Soon to be ex-GM - List & Recruiting Adrian Dodoro #putoutyourjackets

[Lore]

Cliff notes:

• Stepping back from his current senior role following the 2023 AFL Draft
• Transition plan, raised the possibility with Vozzo in April
• Replacement is Matt Rosa, whose thread is here: Welcome to Essendon Matthew Rosa
  Matthew Rosa

  Age

  37

  Ht

  191cm

  Wt

  84kg

  Pos.

  Mid

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  21.1

  5star

  K

  11.0

  4star

  HB

  10.1

  5star

  M

  5.0

  5star

  T

  2.7

  4star

  CL

  1.7

  4star

  No current season stats available

  D

  14.6

  4star

  K

  9.4

  4star

  HB

  5.2

  4star

  M

  4.4

  4star

  T

  1.4

  4star

  – AFL Talent & Operations Manager!

To coincide with this announcement, the Club’s General Manager of List and Recruiting, Adrian Dodoro, has made the decision to take a step back from his current senior role following this year’s NAB AFL National Draft. He will lead the Club through the upcoming 2023 Trade and Draft period in his current position prior to transitioning to and assisting Matt Rosa moving forward.​

​

Dodoro, an Essendon Life Member, has played a significant role at the Bombers over nearly three decades and said the time was right to take a step back.​

​

“I approached Craig back in April to discuss the concept of transition and I feel that now is the right time to make this decision,” Dodoro said.​

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"I sat on the panel to assist in the selection of Matt, and I believe he will be an outstanding acquisition to the Club for years to come. I look forward to working with Matt moving forward.​

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“These roles are very taxing on individuals and their families and it just feels like that. After nearly three decades and with stability in key roles at the Club, now is the right time for me to take a step back in to a role which will provide me and my family with a better work life balance.​

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“More immediately, we have an important few months coming up and I’m looking forward to playing my part to deliver a strong Trade and Draft period for the Club to ensure that the playing list is in a strong position for the future.”​

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Essendon CEO Craig Vozzo acknowledged the significant impact Dodoro has made at the Club since joining in a full-time role in 1998.​

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“Adrian is a highly respected Life Member of the Essendon Football Club and has made an enormous contribution to the Club and the wider AFL industry during his time in football, including assisting to navigate the Club through unprecedented and challenging periods,” Vozzo said.​

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“Throughout his time at the Bombers, Adrian’s commitment and passion to take the Club forward in its list management and recruiting, has been unquestionable. Some of the Champions of Essendon have been identified and selected by Adrian, and we will always be grateful for the important and enduring role he has played.​

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“On behalf of the entire Club, we would like to acknowledge Adrian’s selfless decision and we look forward to his ongoing contribution to the Club.​

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“Adrian will work with Matt to ensure a smooth hand-over and a successful transition of responsibilities.”​

 

[Yoda_]

There's no point sooking it up about the last 20 years. He's stepping back and no longer actively involved in recruiting.

as I said to Ant, until he is completely removed from the football club, people will think he is influencing recruiting deacons (even if he is not meant to)

 

[Old Campaigner]

as I said to Ant, until he is completely removed from the football club, people will think he is influencing recruiting deacons (even if he is not meant to)

While I agree the optics aren’t the best I’m more concerned that the club does the right things to turn the ship around, not simply being seen to be doing the right things.

 

[yodellinhank]

Caroline Wilson: Essendon has had 'wrong people' in recruiting for 'two decades'

Caroline Wilson hasn’t hold back on the state of Essendon’s list, saying they’ve had the “wrong people” in recruiting for 20 years. The Bombers were left reeling after a 69-point hammering at the hands of Port Adelaide on Friday night. The result has shone a spotlight on the club’s recent draft...

www.3aw.com.au

Even c*** sticking the knife into this Sicilian looking fraud. Get him out right now

Caro always goes hard at Dodoro.

 

[jdBombers3598]

There's no point sooking it up about the last 20 years. He's stepping back and no longer actively involved in recruiting.

This scumbag isnt going anywhere, he was in the ****ing coaches box last night

 

[yodellinhank]

as I said to Ant, until he is completely removed from the football club, people will think he is influencing recruiting deacons (even if he is not meant to)

I reckon Dondoros would be a great name for a coterie group.

 

[Happyskeret]

I reckon Dondoros would be a great name for a coterie group.

Maybe they could all wear sombreros?

 

[yodellinhank]

Maybe they could all wear sombreros?

Multiple jackets is the dress code, I believe

 

[Happyskeret]

Multiple jackets is the dress code, I believe

Straight jackets?

 

[Rick Ross]

Multiple jackets is the dress code, I believe

On target!

 

[Rick Ross]

He had to go
I’m not close enough to the clubs inner workings to accurately apportion blame for the last 20 years. But it’s nonsensical that he survives in such a critical role after sustained mid to low table results.
Not seeing any argument on this…


Handovers are valuable
I’m all for a mature hand over and was happy Jackets overlapped to hand over his contacts, thinking (for what ever that’s worth) and understanding on how to influence within EFC.
Could be argued (if you think Jackets in toxic) he should have been walked but it brings material risk to do so.


Every additional day he is there is a failure
Once people are going, do the handover, they need to be exited. The decision is made, was made for reason, so execute the plan. Are we trying to beat Gill’s long goodbye?

- Contracts role : he’s good at contracts? Who will be doing contracts once he leaves? Why aren’t they doing it now? If there is a plan (there had better be), then follow it through. Otherwise he’ll carry through his historical issues into this critical area.

- Influence : as long as he’s there, he has influence. No role works in isolation, recontracting dovetails into list management, performance management etc. So he’ll still be deep in critical aspects. Again… execute on the plan - he’s not our future. Direct influence in his contracts role. Indirect influence from his network (Sheeds - board / rich support groups) from being the barnacle he is.

- Optics - I’m not a fan of doing things to just to look right. But it shouldn’t be discounted. Optics are important in culture. You say you’ll do something, you do it. You don’t let people perceive you’re ineffective, don’t execute plans etc or you loose credibility and support. Losing serious credibility with a host of angry members, the media… and possibly even the team who thought they were replacing Jackets - because he was being exited.


No more excuses.
Execute the plan.
Execute the man*.





*not to be taken literally… he’s not Chad Cornes.

 

[Atavistic]

Just make him coach. It's the only way to get rid of someone.

 

[boncer34]

There's no point sooking it up about the last 20 years. He's stepping back and no longer actively involved in recruiting.

I used to believe in the tooth fairy too

 

[dnbassador]

All I ask is no more of these hybrid players and trying to make so many players multi positional just play them in their best spots and draft for a need

 

[Yoda_]

While I agree the optics aren’t the best I’m more concerned that the club does the right things to turn the ship around, not simply being seen to be doing the right things.

The club has talked alot. Ill openly speak on behalf of most supporters, its time to put up. This whole "Essendon edge", yeah, was nice for a week but to not back it up made us the absolute laughing stock of the industry.

If Dodoro is said to hold a reduced role in the recruiting department, put up and show us not just say it.

 

[Old Campaigner]

The club has talked alot. Ill openly speak on behalf of most supporters, its time to put up. This whole "Essendon edge", yeah, was nice for a week but to not back it up made us the absolute laughing stock of the industry.

If Dodoro is said to hold a reduced role in the recruiting department, put up and show us not just say it.

Honestly I haven’t seen any post mortems complaining about a lack of effort, it’s mainly been about how we were simply outclassed. The fact we won the tackle count by a lot points to a genuine desire to crack in

 

[JayJ20]

Honestly, the brand of football and the list quality is just not good enough. At this point there's seriously nothing to suggest that this list build won't be any different to anything in the last 20 years. We've seen it all before.

Same softness at contests with bigger bodies pushing them away/breaking tackles. The same lack of class by foot. The same inability to defend the transition. The same conceding of easy goals. The same lazy efforts and giving up. The same lack of leadership. The same smashings especially interstate. It's all the same despite the revolving door of coaches. Still no standout top of the competition youngster that can turn the game on its head.

We went through the Dane Swans, Pendleburys, Sidebottoms, Dustys, Dangers, Bonts etc and we have the next generation coming up with nothing to show for it. Now we face yet another generation of JHFs, Daicos', Tom Greens, Rozees, Butters and Harley Reids cutting us up on the outside with class or smashing us on the inside with nothing of that quality to compete.

It's all too familiar

 

[windyhill]

TAS coming in will make us shitter for longer.

 

[Old Campaigner]

TAS coming in will make us shitter for longer.

I would hope that the bulk of our rebuilding is done by then, plus having access to Bewick in Tasmania's inaugural year will give us an advantage over most other sides in that draft.

 

[ant555]

Honestly, the brand of football and the list quality is just not good enough. At this point there's seriously nothing to suggest that this list build won't be any different to anything in the last 20 years. We've seen it all before.

Same softness at contests with bigger bodies pushing them away/breaking tackles. The same lack of class by foot. The same inability to defend the transition. The same conceding of easy goals. The same lazy efforts and giving up. The same lack of leadership. The same smashings especially interstate. It's all the same despite the revolving door of coaches. Still no standout top of the competition youngster that can turn the game on its head.

We went through the Dane Swans, Pendleburys, Sidebottoms, Dustys, Dangers, Bonts etc and we have the next generation coming up with nothing to show for it. Now we face yet another generation of JHFs, Daicos', Tom Greens, Rozees, Butters and Harley Reids cutting us up on the outside with class or smashing us on the inside with nothing of that quality to compete.

It's all too familiar

Do not disagree with with most of this and I am not saying this lot will get it right but the brand of footy and the quality of the list is on the coaches and staff that are no longer here and Scott has had a consist ant message about building a stable base and an elite program and the winning starts after that. People do not want to hear it but this is season 1 of that build.
There was a clear watch and see last year from both Scott and Vozzo. Basic game plan and observe how the players went about everything and how the club worked as a whole. Now many will not like this and see it is a waste of a year but that is what they did. That is why Scott came out at the end of the year and threw the gauntlet down to the players to start living the AFL life. It is why they got David Wrath and a few others and changed the development set up. It is why Caracella was appointed VFL coach.
I understand the complaint and agree our list has holes in it every where but this is not some sort of short term thing that we have landed Scott to fix.

It is all too familiar as what we are doing now started in October 2023. Yes there are a lot of players we are hoping are the future and that Scott has praised as the future but this is year 1 of the build the culture and program. Given we can not change 20 players over the summer there was always going to some similar stuff come out in the play. The sins of the past where never going to be washed away in one year. In fact they where never going to be washed away if you counted last season anyway.
You can not fix the leadership and culture short term. The recent history of Melbourne / Carlton / Richmond shows that. Even going back in time it took Geelong and Sydney a lot of years to build the culture they now have.

I do not know if Scott is a good game day coach. Maybe he is not but he built a culture at North that saw then perform above their ability a lot of the time and his role at the AFL gave him exposure to coaches like his brother and Longmire and Hardwicke who built something or continued something at their club. He may not be the next premiership coach but the fact they are challenging culture and preparation and the football program first is the right move. Problem is it is not sexy for the media or the supporters and it is a bit depressing for supporters who have been served up years and years of shit. That is why Hardwicke was nearly sacked. Goodwin was under pressure from supporters from supporters after their 2018 Prelim smashing and crash and burn in 2019.

You are right the quality of football is not good enough. The list has its issues. Problem is if you spend a year to look over all the issues and then start the next year trying to work through them then you get hat we now have. You are right. Until we eliminate the 50 point plus beatings we will be average. Until we draft or find a super star we will be average. It is what it is. New coach. New CEO. New GM of footy all being here for 1 season and 4 games. It is not like Sydney where Longmire took over from Roos and an established program. It is not like Collingwood where McRae took over a team that had played in a GF and won finals. Not like GWS who also moved on a long term coach but had a list and culture that had won finals.

We are a club that has failed due to its own arrogance after 2000 and then made a monumental poor decision in 2011 in regards to our fitness program that set the club back 15 years and to top that off we tried to hang onto the threads during 2017-2019 and top up only to fall off the cliff again. Then we had a young coach in place in the progression plan that was the wrong bloke for the wrong time due to the list not being where they thought it was for various reasons including older players dropping off and other key guys like Daniher and Smith with long term injuries.

It is all the same because there has not been enough time to do anything about the string of previous **** ups.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Do not disagree with with most of this and I am not saying this lot will get it right but the brand of footy and the quality of the list is on the coaches and staff that are no longer here and Scott has had a consist ant message about building a stable base and an elite program and the winning starts after that. People do not want to hear it but this is season 1 of that build.
There was a clear watch and see last year from both Scott and Vozzo. Basic game plan and observe how the players went about everything and how the club worked as a whole. Now many will not like this and see it is a waste of a year but that is what they did. That is why Scott came out at the end of the year and threw the gauntlet down to the players to start living the AFL life. It is why they got David Wrath and a few others and changed the development set up. It is why Caracella was appointed VFL coach.
I understand the complaint and agree our list has holes in it every where but this is not some sort of short term thing that we have landed Scott to fix.

It is all too familiar as what we are doing now started in October 2023. Yes there are a lot of players we are hoping are the future and that Scott has praised as the future but this is year 1 of the build the culture and program. Given we can not change 20 players over the summer there was always going to some similar stuff come out in the play. The sins of the past where never going to be washed away in one year. In fact they where never going to be washed away if you counted last season anyway.
You can not fix the leadership and culture short term. The recent history of Melbourne / Carlton / Richmond shows that. Even going back in time it took Geelong and Sydney a lot of years to build the culture they now have.

Worth remembering that Scott can't exactly come out publicly and say half the list is garbage and won't be here in three years even if that's what is likely to happen. Just like he can't come out after the Port game and say our midfielders can't hold a candle to Port's.

It's his job to try to get the best out of the playing group and you don't do that by slagging them off in public.

 

[ant555]

Worth remembering that Scott can't exactly come out publicly and say half the list is garbage and won't be here in three years even if that's what is likely to happen. Just like he can't come out after the Port game and say our midfielders can't hold a candle to Port's.

It's his job to try to get the best out of the playing group and you don't do that by slagging them off in public.

True.

 

[bommer16]

Some really good posts - thanks ant555 and Old Campaigner

Explains a few things. To me anyway.

 

[windyhill]

Caro always goes hard at Dodoro.

Water off a ducks back unfortunately.

 

[yodellinhank]

Water off a ducks back unfortunately.

Which it should be. She doesn't do a deep dive into facts, she just fires off shots and it's always based on an agenda. All of the problems and none of the solutions.

 

[ant555]

Which it should be. She doesn't do a deep dive into facts, she just fires off shots and it's always based on an agenda. All of the problems and none of the solutions.

The Big Footy way