The Good Things About Dean Laidleys' as Coach of the NMFC.

[Giveadogabone]

This off the web:

For one reason RESPECT. Nathan Buckley commands respect when ever he speaks. When Nathan Buckley speaks players will listen. In my short experience at Collingwood Football Club on what was back then the Supplementary List, I experienced first hand what Buckley is like as an athlete and a leader of a football team. The presence he has is amazing. The professionalism and dedication he had for playing for the Magpies was second to none, only Robert Harvey in my opinion would come close.

Buckley is a ready made AFL senior coach, and things are already falling into place for him to return to Collingwood and take the senior coaching position. Mick Malthouse has just signed a deal that will take him up to the end of the 2009 AFL Season, by then Buckley will have had basically 3 years of coaching experience (including 2007 when he missed most of the year with that hamstring injury and spent a lot of his time with Malthouse and the coaching staff). He has just begun his position as the AFL High Performance Coach at the Australian Institute of Sport where he will help mould the careers of the best youngsters in the land. That coupled with the relationship that he still maintains with Malthouse will only further enhance his coaching aspirations.

He has talked today about his ambitions to coach and in AFL circles you quite often see players and coaches beat around the bush with their answers to questions from the media. But Buckley knows what he wants to do, he wants to coach an AFL side, and he is not afraid to express his desire to do so.

In 2 years time Buckley will be the hottest property on the AFL coaching market and one wonders whether Collingwood is dong some behind the scenes ground work to have him back as their main man again.

For the Stat Lovers

Career Games: 280
Kicks: 5075
Handballs: 1812
Disposals: 6887
Marks: 1408
Goals: 284
Behinds: 262
Tackles: 642
Hit outs: 90
Frees For: 213
Frees Ag: 152
Brownlow Votes: 178

 

[Urmoe]

What are your thoughts about this Urm?


FORMER Pies captain Nathan Buckley says Ben Cousins poses too great a risk to be worth drafting because of his age and personal history.

Both Collingwood and St Kilda have shown interest in the 30-year-old former West Coast skipper, who still needs to convince the AFL he has sufficiently recovered from drug addiction to be allowed to return to the game.

But Buckley, who retired last year after becoming the Magpies' longest serving captain, said if it was up to him the club would not take a punt on Cousins.

"No, (he's a) little bit too old," Buckley told Melbourne radio station 3AW.

"He's probably got one or two good seasons left in him and that's if he comes back cherry ripe, because I know how quickly the game has changed in recent years.

"He's missed a lot of football and that's not to mention the issues that you're going to have or you may have with him personally.

"I think if he does become available to a club he'll be in good nick because the AFL will have ticked him off ... but on top of that it will still be risk, a football risk to a footy club because of his age."

haha....I nearly spat out my coffee through my nose....you honestly using this as evidence that this guy knows how to recruit?

use the search function mate, there are about a thousand potential coaches on this forum

 

[Giveadogabone]

its about Buckley no?

Former Collingwood Football Club captain Nathan Buckley has accepted a 12 month apprenticeshhip as the AFL’s High Performance Coach. This position means that Buckley will be assisting developing, promoting and implementing strategies in the AFL’s push for the country’s elite young athletes.

Although Buckley has been quoted as saying:

“I’d like to think that, in two or three years’ time, if I found I had the passion, I’d be better placed and more rounded, with a greater understanding of my strengths and weaknesses, and ready to have a crack,”

There is no doubt Buckley is a ready made AFL coach, given he was injured for most of the 2007 season and spent alot of his time along side Mick Malthouse, he has already served a type of apprenticeship. If a coaching position arises at the end of the 2008 season Buckley would be number one on my shopping list.

 

[Urmoe]

Im not looking for personal endorsements from his mates.

I want to know how winning a brownlow is going to help him with recruitment (trading and drafting), man management, list management, game plan, opposition strengths and weaknesses, our strengths and weaknesses, leading, developing, teaching and all the other things associated with coaching.

 

[Giveadogabone]

NATHAN Buckley will work with the Geelong Falcons as he builds towards a senior AFL coaching job.

The former Collingwood captain is likely to work with the local TAC Cup team one day a week, with the option of joining it on match days.

Have your say on the feedback form below

The 36-year-old last week declared he wanted to coach at some level in the AFL next season, whether that's as an assistant or senior coach.

Since retiring at the end of 2007, he has worked with the AIS/AFL Academy squad, and this year will coachs the Vic Country under-16s team at the national championships in June.

Falcons regional manager Michael Turner has always been vocal in saying that the TAC Cup competition was as much about training and promoting coaches as it was about young players.

"We're open to suggestions. Anything we can do to help Nathan Buckley - whether he wants to concentrate on training the boys or mentoring or in games - whatever it is, we want to help," Turner told the Sunday Herald Sun.

"Obviously he's a potential AFL coach and he knows the AFL very well, so this is just Nathan broadening his knowledge of the TAC Cup and seeing how we do things."

Details of Buckley's involvement at the Falcons are still yet to be confirmed.

"We don't have a timeframe as yet, but I've been in touch with Nathan via email and he is very keen to get involved," Turner said.

"He is very keen on our program. He'll be coming down to training. He'll certainly be welcome on game days."

 

[Urmoe]

You can keep throwing up these articles all you like, I dont mind, Im not reading them, I just want to know why you would produce a list of on field achievements as evidence that the guy can do a better job than what laidley is doing in the areas that laidley is failing in?

 

[Giveadogabone]

FIRST-YEAR coach Michael Voss urged Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley to follow his instincts and take a senior role next year.

Voss has led the Lions to a 5-3 win-loss record this year after taking over from Leigh Matthews as coach.

Buckley is in a remarkably similar situation, keen to become a senior coach but with a legend in place at the club at which he is a natural fit.

Voss said yesterday his former Brisbane Bears teammate should back his ability, despite his lack of a traditional apprenticeship.

"He will have a very definite thought about what he thinks the right way to go about it is. If he thinks that's next year, then go for it," Voss said.

"If he's ready to do it, go for it. You have to back yourself in eventually. You don't want to do it flippantly without any background at all. But if you have got a belief you can do it, then back yourself in, because that takes courage also to be able to do that."

Just as Voss coached only elite juniors, Buckley has not had a full-time stint at an AFL club.

Voss was about to take up a lucrative assistant coaching post at West Coast, before Matthews' retirement cleared the way for his former club to hire him.

"It's very much an individual thing. I only hear the byplay of what's going on, but I heard 'Bucks' has got a fair interest in heading down that path," Voss said.

"I think Bucks would definitely have his own coaching pathway that he feels he needs to be on, and he would be quite adamant about what he needs to do.

"I don't think that whatever happens between now and the end of the season will change that."

Voss said Buckley should ignore the critics who said he had something extra to prove because of his relative inexperience.



"You have a job to do and that's the way I look at it," he said. "There is nothing to prove other than you have a job and you get on and do it."

 

[Long Live the King]

some good debating going on with this thread...

On Bucks

no one can argue with his on field credentials...first class

we will never know but I get the feeling that Bucks would have been exposed to a significant amount of football / operations / business management at Collingwood..as captain Im sure he would have a sound understanding of how footy clubs are run...from the importance of sponsors through to the boot studders....working with Eddie / Malthouse / Pert / Swann and Eug would at least given him an understanding of how a professional club is run...

I was given his book for xmas....interesting read....the themes are pretty consistent....this guy is fanatical about his preparation....in all facets....but then again he wrote it..


Will he make it as a coach....who knows...but lets put this into perspective....none of us know if Longmire / hardwick etc will make it as a senior coach....what I am confident of is that Bucks will bring profile and commercial credibility with him....Id suggest the others wont ....and I reckon thats why Bucks is the man we should get....

 

[Urmoe]

Lets face it Buckley can't do it on his own, would love to know who would be on Buckleys coaching ticket (and to a lesser extent could we afford the package).

Similar to Voss and Brittain at Brisbane, would be nice for him to bring coaching experience with him as an assistant or part of his immediate team.

Its a dream but imagine a Buckley/Lethal partnership. lethal pretty much said head coach is out of the question, but assistant? Dreaming?

 

[Zondor]

yeah 2006 was an absolute shocker... but then I was told recently you never make mistakes if you learn from them??? confussed the hell out of me... but I'll use that argument now... of those games you mentioned last year... well the Essendon and Port we were beaten with pace... something we don't seem to be able to fix... maybe our pre-occupation with drafting talls instead of quality fast midfielders... something I believe we are rectifying now... we will know more after this draft...

Mate I'm on record as saying 2007 was Laidleys best effort as coach. He learnt from his mistakes in 2006 with a great 2007 but gee this year at the start of the season the game plan looked like 2006 all over again. Is that really learning from your mistakes? Quality posters like Vlad were getting concerned with our style of play. You could see it in the preseason. The effort to move the ball quickly just wasn't there. You do learn from your mistakes. Problem is Laidleys keeps on making mistakes. 7 years is long enough mate. That is enough of a chance.

I have not heard Laidley say he did this just USC repeated it about 20 times... therefore it must be fact... but if true that was about the same time he was being embarrassed by our then incompentent board... almost forcing him to resign... crikey imagiung having to fight for more money for the football club...

Mate he was serving his own self interests by chasing the StKilda job. Pure and Simple. You simply can not argue or justify these actions.

yeah I saw Rich an 18 year old tear Harris a new one only a few weeks back... Harris needs to grow up and realise midfielders need to be able to run at full tilt for more then 20% of a game... I love Harro and boy I wish he could do this... an really don't understand why he can't by now... He could have been better then Greg Williams... but he has let himself and North down...

Harris has let himself down as much as Dean Laidleys has let him down. Since the spray he has been a shadow of the player he was before that. Surely the coach must take some of the responsibility for this. Mate you just have to put your hand up on this one and concede. Laidleys is partly to blame for the Harris we have currently running around at the NMFC.

Remember the glory years??? our coach then had no time for the media either... People are talking about Buckley as he would be good with the media... but crikey we are talking about a bloke that chose Collingwood over North and Brisbane... we need some great dicision makers like that at the head of our club... well at least he would be good in interviews...

I think that we have all conceded in these discussions that people make mistakes. Buckley has made mistakes as well. No doubt. But as for Laidleys, go to numchuks the Laidleys Files thread. Mate enough is enough. I'm done with accepting mediocrity. Bottom line is that when its all said and done Dean Laidleys is a middle of the road coach. The NMFC can do better.

wrote that off a bit lightly... seems like a pretty important issue if you ask me... after some carrying on about him being selfish...

No doubt it was important. But he is as self serving as you and I are. This notion that he isn't selfish as presented by your good self is bullshit. He chased the StKilda job, he has blamed others for when things have gone wrong at North. You gots to say it as it is.

that was abit of fun at Denny Crane... but then why should he have to be incharge as some suggest of recruiting... surely we should have a recruiting department that does not need our coach to have the final say... Dean should say get me some quality human beings that have great skills and can run the 100 in 9.8secs... and they go and find them... or does Dean have to do it all... or are you saying he chooses this??? and is that opinion or fact...

Not for a moment have I blamed Deans for the recruitment of Trotter or Grima or Urch or any other young guy that didn't make it. But Laidleys is responsible for bringing mature age recruits to our club like Thompson, Hay, McConnell, Green etc. Hey they may have not been completely his decision to make but he was certainly part of the decision making process in getting those guys to the club.

did those he rubbed the wrong way deserve it??? if so tough... I don't blame him sometimes... have a look at our team at the moment... it aint Simmo or the 21 year old stuffing up its the blokes that have been around long enough to know better... it would frustrate the hell out of any sane man...

Hamish could have been handled better. Putting him up for trade was a nonense. Sure he has had a good season thus far but I put it to you had he had an injury free summer he would have had a good season anyways. Laidleys man management skills are for the tip. Wells copped it thru the media but didnt deserve it. The guy was playing injured FFS. Gee Gibbo had a cry to Laidley admitting his efforts weren't good enough and Laidleys felt compelled to tell the world about it. And should I start with Harris? How abouts Jones who has played good game after good game in the VFL to not be rewarded when 2 other forwards in Hales and Thomas have stunk up the place? He handles some players well, he handles others poorly. Not good enough IMO.

the 7 years worries me... but then I lean to the idea that he was hamstrung for a majority of the first five and has only been able to do what he wanted to all along in the last 18 months... surely yopu have notice a different philosophy in regard to team selection and recruitment???

Look paying 92.5% of the salary cap is a restriction. No doubt but 7 years is 7 years. He has had his chance. He has tried but he simply isn't good enough IMO. Once again I'll say it. Too many mistakes. Just too many.

 

[Rooboy 96]

Lets face it Buckley can't do it on his own, would love to know who would be on Buckleys coaching ticket (and to a lesser extent could we afford the package).

Similar to Voss and Brittain at Brisbane, would be nice for him to bring coaching experience with him as an assistant or part of his immediate team.

Its a dream but imagine a Buckley/Lethal partnership. lethal pretty much said head coach is out of the question, but assistant? Dreaming?

crikey we would want to win a flag quickly... probably two of my most hated footballers... and you want both of them...

 

[The Zebra]

Harris has let himself down as much as Dean Laidleys has let him down. Since the spray he has been a shadow of the player he was before that.

Has he?

Or is it just that this year Laidley has decided to take away his support for him as a senior player despite sub standard performance? Harris was no good last year - before the spray. The ocassional up game, but completely inconsistent and unaccountable defensively. And he has been unable to address his stamina issues.

As Thommo said recently, the mistake made with harro is that he should have been dropped last year. Do you really think Harro is still sitting around thinking about that spray and that makes him not chase when he doesn't have the ball, or not get to the next contest quick enough?

Absolute crap. The game has passed Harris by. It seems he couldn't have been told more forcifully what he has to do to make it back, maybe he did it maybe he didn't, eitehr way, it has nothing to do with a spray by the coach.

 

[Giveadogabone]

The farewell tour will highlight:

1) How much the players are willing to play for laidley
2) If our terrible interstate record can be turned around
3) Whether we have a gameplan
4) If selections are for the here and now or the future
5) If players completely out of form remain automatic selections
6) If percentage will continue to drop
7) Whether we have any spirit
8) Whether Euge, JB and the board are willing to make a tough decision for the future of the NMFC or just stick with what they know and miss the chance to get Buckley
9) How Laidley reacts having to bite his tongue in front of the media and kick many a goal in front of the cameras

Should be an interesting few weeks, with, in reality a smaller review of the competence and legacy of the board.

 

[Rooboy 96]

you skirted the pack a few times mate...

Mate I'm on record as saying 2007 was Laidleys best effort as coach. He learnt from his mistakes in 2006 with a great 2007 but gee this year at the start of the season the game plan looked like 2006 all over again. Is that really learning from your mistakes? Quality posters like Vlad were getting concerned with our style of play. You could see it in the preseason. The effort to move the ball quickly just wasn't there. You do learn from your mistakes. Problem is Laidleys keeps on making mistakes. 7 years is long enough mate. That is enough of a chance.

Have we fixed the speed issue??? or is he stiil having to use a game plan that combats this deficency???

Mate he was serving his own self interests by chasing the StKilda job. Pure and Simple. You simply can not argue or justify these actions.

you avoided my question here...

Harris has let himself down as much as Dean Laidleys has let him down. Since the spray he has been a shadow of the player he was before that. Surely the coach must take some of the responsibility for this. Mate you just have to put your hand up on this one and concede. Laidleys is partly to blame for the Harris we have currently running around at the NMFC.

I think Harris is mostly to blame... Laidley just had had a gutful... and I don't blame him... Harris has been a footballer longer then Laidley has been a coach... yet he is permitted to not get it right and continue to make the same mistake... if you were Harro wouldn't you be working your guts out to improve your endurance???

I think that we have all conceded in these discussions that people make mistakes. Buckley has made mistakes as well. No doubt. But as for Laidleys, go to numchuks the Laidleys Files thread. Mate enough is enough. I'm done with accepting mediocrity. Bottom line is that when its all said and done Dean Laidleys is a middle of the road coach. The NMFC can do better.

that fools thread could be written about any coach... they have all made mistakes... to create a thread like that and then mention the suicide of a member was poor form... and to me says more about numnuts then Laids...

No doubt it was important. But he is as self serving as you and I are. This notion that he isn't selfish as presented by your good self is bullshit. He chased the StKilda job, he has blamed others for when things have gone wrong at North. You gots to say it as it is.

if... and again if he chased the St Kilda job... (remember USC told us the good money was on us being on the Goldcoast... she aint always right) I think the reasoning behind that would be to get the bullshit board we had at the time to move... how long did they make him wait... it was bloody embarrassing... that our club would do that...

Not for a moment have I blamed Deans for the recruitment of Trotter or Grima or Urch or any other young guy that didn't make it. But Laidleys is responsible for bringing mature age recruits to our club like Thompson, Hay, McConnell, Green etc. Hey they may have not been completely his decision to make but he was certainly part of the decision making process in getting those guys to the club.

so have you seen a change??? so has he learnt from these mistake that I beklieve the board insisted on... TOAD... "whatever you do Dean we can't afford to bottom out"...

Hamish could have been handled better. Putting him up for trade was a nonense. Sure he has had a good season thus far but I put it to you had he had an injury free summer he would have had a good season anyways. Laidleys man management skills are for the tip. Wells copped it thru the media but didnt deserve it. The guy was playing injured FFS. Gee Gibbo had a cry to Laidley admitting his efforts weren't good enough and Laidleys felt compelled to tell the world about it. And should I start with Harris? How abouts Jones who has played good game after good game in the VFL to not be rewarded when 2 other forwards in Hales and Thomas have stunk up the place? He handles some players well, he handles others poorly. Not good enough IMO.

did they deserve it??? I'll ask the question again...

Look paying 92.5% of the salary cap is a restriction. No doubt but 7 years is 7 years. He has had his chance. He has tried but he simply isn't good enough IMO. Once again I'll say it. Too many mistakes. Just too many.

I think we will not change iether of our minds and we will both abide by the boards decision.. just hope it aint Bucks... and we will have a beer and a chat about it in a few years when we both know better...

 

[Rooboy 96]

Just spotted this while surfing the net... never realised he is the 33rd most successful coach in all time history... and his experience now ranks him at 40th over all...


# Coach Games W L D Win%
33 Laidley, Dean 148 72 74 2 49.32


and some want us to lose this and replace it with an untried??? just imagine how good he will be now that he no longer has to trade for hacks to ensure we don't bottom out... JB Euge and Dean all the way...

 

[Zondor]

Has he?

Or is it just that this year Laidley has decided to take away his support for him as a senior player despite sub standard performance? Harris was no good last year - before the spray. The ocassional up game, but completely inconsistent and unaccountable defensively. And he has been unable to address his stamina issues.

As Thommo said recently, the mistake made with harro is that he should have been dropped last year. Do you really think Harro is still sitting around thinking about that spray and that makes him not chase when he doesn't have the ball, or not get to the next contest quick enough?

Absolute crap. The game has passed Harris by. It seems he couldn't have been told more forcifully what he has to do to make it back, maybe he did it maybe he didn't, eitehr way, it has nothing to do with a spray by the coach.

Now The Zebras, isn't it fair to say that we are all different and that we respond differently to certain situations? I put it you that indeed that spray that Harris received did him no good. If anything it has made him a lesser player and also upset other players. Maybe the game has past Harris by? You do make some good points but to suggest for a moment that Dean Laidleys is not responsible what so ever for Harris' current form but is responsible for McMahon's and McIntosh's is having it one way but not the other.

 

[r_boy]

Just spotted this while surfing the net... never realised he is the 33rd most successful coach in all time history... and his experience now ranks him at 40th over all...


# Coach Games W L D Win%
33 Laidley, Dean 148 72 74 2 49.32


and some want us to lose this and replace it with an untried??? just imagine how good he will be now that he no longer has to trade for hacks to ensure we don't bottom out... JB Euge and Dean all the way...

This is sickening lol.

 

[The Zebra]

to suggest for a moment that Dean Laidleys is not responsible what so ever for Harris' current form but is responsible for McMahon's and McIntosh's is having it one way but not the other.

Isn't that exactly what you suggested in the post I quoted? That Laidley's spray brought Harris down, but his handling of McIntosh has nothing to do with his current form?

I didn't agree with the handling of Hamish if it was used as a motivational tool, as I said at the time, but I also don't think you can put one spray down to Harris' demise - especially when you look at his form prior to the spray (form that prompted the spray).

Do you honestly think Harris would be a very good player if the spray hadn't occured? If anything, some home truths seemed to have been laid down. We heard he took his fitness to another level this pre-season - yet he still can't be botehred chasing down a debutant when there is a contested mark situation at a crucial time of a game? If the spray hadn't occured, and his future wasn't on the line, do you think he would have worked harder over the pre-season? What a joke.

And I sure last year, after Hale stood up and won a game for us against West Coast, you were saying it was only due to Laidley finally giving a well overdue spray, something you criticsed him for not doing earlier. Are you saying that he should only spray someone only if it is going to mean they start to dominate? I wonder if our next coach will have that crystal ball - and if not, he better not deliver a group spray or half of our best 22 could be playing VFL 6 months later.

 

[Giveadogabone]

Just spotted this while surfing the net... never realised he is the 33rd most successful coach in all time history... and his experience now ranks him at 40th over all...


# Coach Games W L D Win%
33 Laidley, Dean 148 72 74 2 49.32


and some want us to lose this and replace it with an untried??? just imagine how good he will be now that he no longer has to trade for hacks to ensure we don't bottom out... JB Euge and Dean all the way...

Hows his finals record compare? Swans game tactics?
Cant wait till we battle our way to 8th in 2012 with Laidley and get pumped again.

 

[Zondor]

you skirted the pack a few times mate...

Did I?

Have we fixed the speed issue??? or is he stiil having to use a game plan that combats this deficency???

What? Laidleys would have liased with Nifty Nev and told him exactly what he was after in the years of recruitment that have taken place under Laidleys tenure. Dont tell me for 7 years Laidleys just sat there and said "Nifty, go your hardest, I don't have a clue or an idea what sort of player we need."

Remember that Nifty told Deans that Davey should be picked up and what does Deans do?

you avoided my question here...

I've avoided no question because you haven't asked one. You just made a statement. Use one of the these "?"

I think Harris is mostly to blame... Laidley just had had a gutful... and I don't blame him... Harris has been a footballer longer then Laidley has been a coach... yet he is permitted to not get it right and continue to make the same mistake... if you were Harro wouldn't you be working your guts out to improve your endurance???

You say that Harris is "mostly" to blame. So a part of you accepts the fact that Laidleys is also to blame.

that fools thread could be written about any coach... they have all made mistakes... to create a thread like that and then mention the suicide of a member was poor form... and to me says more about numnuts then Laids...

Really? It only mentions the mistakes of Dean Laidleys.

if... and again if he chased the St Kilda job... (remember USC told us the good money was on us being on the Goldcoast... she aint always right) I think the reasoning behind that would be to get the bullshit board we had at the time to move... how long did they make him wait... it was bloody embarrassing... that our club would do that...

You are still trying to justify his actions. I tell yah if I was coach of the NMFC I would not have entertained the idea of coaching anywhere else.

so have you seen a change??? so has he learnt from these mistake that I beklieve the board insisted on... TOAD... "whatever you do Dean we can't afford to bottom out"...

I still maintain there was no need to recruit the countless hacks as has been mentioned previously in this thread. Had we gone for youth with these picks we would have been not worse off.

did they deserve it??? I'll ask the question again...

C'mon. Gibbo didn't deserve to have a private conversation aired in public about his form. Neither did Wells who has been struggling with injury. Hamish should have been handled better and so should have Harris. If you don't accept this then you lack an understanding of the correct way to deal with people. Having said that I can be a prick but firstly I admit it, that I can be a prick, and secondly I aint coach of the NMFC.

I think we will not change iether of our minds and we will both abide by the boards decision.. just hope it aint Bucks... and we will have a beer and a chat about it in a few years when we both know better...

That's right mate. You have your opinion and I have mine. We aint gonna change each others minds. But we are both North supporters and we simply want what is best for the NMFC.

 

[Rooboy 96]

Hey Zondor... I need your wisdom on this one mate... no avoidance... yes or no...

Laidley's philosophy to selection trading and game plan since JB and Euge arrived.... have you seen a change???

 

[R00StaR]

Hows his finals record compare? Swans game tactics?
Cant wait till we battle our way to 8th in 2012 with Laidley and get pumped again.

To some around here that is the ultimate success.

 

[Zondor]

Isn't that exactly what you suggested in the post I quoted? That Laidley's spray brought Harris down, but his handling of McIntosh has nothing to do with his current form?

I'll say it again. People are different and handle situations differently. Coaches always talk about how they can spray player X but must handle player Y with kit gloves. I'm not against giving someone a spray but firstly it must be done behind closed doors. Not so the media get a wind of it and it becomes general knowledge. That was mistake number 1. Mistake number 2 is that Harris obviously is the wrong person you give such a spray to because he has gone backwards since that moment. Surely you understand these differences the all knowing The Zebras?

I didn't agree with the handling of Hamish if it was used as a motivational tool, as I said at the time, but I also don't think you can put one spray down to Harris' demise - especially when you look at his form prior to the spray (form that prompted the spray).

I think you can. Turning points in life occur in many situations. Certainly a turning point if you ask me.

Do you honestly think Harris would be a very good player if the spray hadn't occured? If anything, some home truths seemed to have been laid down. We heard he took his fitness to another level this pre-season - yet he still can't be botehred chasing down a debutant when there is a contested mark situation at a crucial time of a game? If the spray hadn't occured, and his future wasn't on the line, do you think he would have worked harder over the pre-season? What a joke.

No doubt he has worked harder. No doubt he is busting his gut. But look at the net result. It hasn't worked. Yeah Harris is to blame for his own actions but the way Laidley blasted him has not helped him. I just think that he hasn't been the same since that blast. Has he been the same?

And I sure last year, after Hale stood up and won a game for us against West Coast, you were saying it was only due to Laidley finally giving a well overdue spray, something you criticsed him for not doing earlier. Are you saying that he should only spray someone only if it is going to mean they start to dominate? I wonder if our next coach will have that crystal ball - and if not, he better not deliver a group spray or half of our best 22 could be playing VFL 6 months later.

Don't get me wrong Zebs. I'm all for sprays. The spray Laidleys gave to the boys at quarter time against Freo was warranted. And it worked. But it was aimed at the team. Embarrising an individual in front of his mates is garbage if you ask me. That's what Harris had to endure. And mate the tactic didn't work. All it managed to do was to upset Harris and he wanted a trade by years end. Not good man management I say.

 

[muttley45]

I'll say it again. People are different and handle situations differently. Coaches always talk about how they can spray player X but must handle player Y with kit gloves. I'm not against giving someone a spray but firstly it must be done behind closed doors.

seemed to have worked for gibbo,ever since laidley said his form was PUTRID,hes played well,b&f votes for sure

 

[Zondor]

Hey Zondor... I need your wisdom on this one mate... no avoidance... yes or no...

Laidley's philosophy to selection trading and game plan since JB and Euge arrived.... have you seen a change???

Selection of youth has been somewhat forced. Good to see young faces deserving a shot in the seniors. However Laidleys inherent playing of players out of form continues. Hales, Thomas' and Powers should have all been dropped and stayed dropped over the year but haven't. My answer is No.

No trades last year and an aim to select quality midfielders that can kick. So Yes. Why this couldn't have been the case in the first 6 years baffles me. Yeah lets pick up Kasey Green. Yeah lets pick up Lance Picione. Yeah lets pick up Daniel McConnell. ****ing Stupidity.

The Game Plan is all over the shop. We have gone backwards from last season. Our Kick Outs are a Mess. Our Zones are a Mess. I Say there has been a change. So Yes.