The Sacking of John Cahill

[Us against the rest]

All i know is, we had more balls, grit and determination as a club than we do now.

 

[Winestoppable]

Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk

 

[Us against the rest]

It was the right call imo Jack is old school & Choco (love or hate him) was a bit of a pioneer in modern stats analysis, tactics, skills coaching etc. it had gone past rev ups & running through brickwalls.

I'm sure had we entered with the first bid Jack would've had probably 4 or 5 years though.

Williams also had the very capable Clarkson by his side until late 2004.

 

[JimmyBC]

Williams also had the very capable Clarkson by his side until late 2004.

Clarkson was here for less than two years, if anything he was a Choco pupil at the time it's no surprise he loaded Hawthorn with elite by foot players from the 2004 Port example. He then stole half our staff & continued to evolve.

 

[manureid]

As much as we love Cahill, would we have traded maybe 1 or 2 more years of him to lose Tredders? In hindsight I think not.

 

[tribey]

I only skimmed the umpteen replies, so apologies if it’s already been mentioned, but a lot of what forced the club’s hand was Tony Shaw going down the gurgler at Collingwood (9 wins, 10 wins and 7 wins in 96/97/98) and Kevin Sheedy having a couple of tough years with the Bombers in season 17 (97: 9 wins) and 18 (98: 12 wins & EF exit) at Windy Hill.

With Choco seen as one of the inevitable next generation of coaches, and having connections to both, Port didn’t want to lose him back east.

 

[Harlott]

I find it hard to believe Jack would have been willing to let a generational talent like Tredrea go for not stepping up.
My recollection is a bit hazy as well but I remember Jack saying after the fact that Tredrea was a bit lazy early days and needed to become more professional and do the work required to become a top AFL footballer. And I remember Tredrea saying he was probably right. I don’t think that situation had anything to do with Cahill not getting another year. He did say he thought he deserved one more year for how the side performed in 97,98 but I think the club was always going through with the plan of Choco stepping in from 99.
We surprised a lot of pundits in those early years to the point I recall a coach at the time (Parkin?) saying post game how he commented to his assistant during the match against us saying “have a look at how this mob cracks in”.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I find it hard to believe Jack would have been willing to let a generational talent like Tredrea go for not stepping up.
My recollection is a bit hazy as well but I remember Jack saying after the fact that Tredrea was a bit lazy early days and needed to become more professional and do the work required to become a top AFL footballer. And I remember Tredrea saying he was probably right. I don’t think that situation had anything to do with Cahill not getting another year. He did say he thought he deserved one more year for how the side performed in 97,98 but I think the club was always going through with the plan of Choco stepping in from 99.
We surprised a lot of pundits in those early years to the point I recall a coach at the time (Parkin?) saying post game how he commented to his assistant during the match against us saying “have a look at how this mob cracks in”.

Brian Cunningham and Rob Snowdon weren't going to let Tredders walk, so its a moot point. When Tredders said he wanted out, Jack's coaching future had already been resolved by management, if not announced.

 

[Macca19]

Tredders wanting to leave at the end of 98 because of oppourtunity has always condused me considering by mid year he was our main KPF.

Also interesting to hear on his podcast this week that he went to Eddie's house at the end of 99 and Collingwood put a big package in front of him.

 

[1954]

I find it hard to believe Jack would have been willing to let a generational talent like Tredrea go for not stepping up.
My recollection is a bit hazy as well but I remember Jack saying after the fact that Tredrea was a bit lazy early days and needed to become more professional and do the work required to become a top AFL footballer. And I remember Tredrea saying he was probably right. I don’t think that situation had anything to do with Cahill not getting another year. He did say he thought he deserved one more year for how the side performed in 97,98 but I think the club was always going through with the plan of Choco stepping in from 99.
We surprised a lot of pundits in those early years to the point I recall a coach at the time (Parkin?) saying post game how he commented to his assistant during the match against us saying “have a look at how this mob cracks in”.

I remember reading a monthly footy paper ( Football Times?) from about mid way through our first season where the front page headline was `Port Are the Real Deal,' and where the writer quoted a number of coaches of Victorian based teams who said how hard the Power players worked to win the ball in tight situations, and I think Parkin was one of those coaches.

My recollection from watching games in the two Cahill years was the quality of our reflex handball in those tight situations.

 

[Power Raid]

Tredders wanting to leave at the end of 98 because of oppourtunity has always condused me considering by mid year he was our main KPF.

Also interesting to hear on his podcast this week that he went to Eddie's house at the end of 99 and Collingwood put a big package in front of him.

I heard Eddie's package isn't as big as he boasts

 

[dirty2]

Cahill as coach into the early 2000s would of been interesting... Would of definitely given a grand final or 2 a big shake...

 

[TazD]

Lmao, could you imagine how much more hated Tredders would've been if he was playing for Collingwood.

 

[manureid]

Lmao, could you imagine how much more hated Tredders would've been if he was playing for Collingwood.

At least he might have got the proper recognition in Victoria.

 

[dirty2]

At least he might have got the proper recognition in Victoria.

That is a bit annoying... Tredders is absolutely champion of the game... But didn't play for Vic team so doesn't get the accolades he deserves.

 

[raptalia]

Cahill as coach into the early 2000s would of been interesting... Would of definitely given a grand final or 2 a big shake...

I am not sure he would have and as much as I admire Jack's legendary achievements in the SANFL his star had faded by 1999 while Chocco was on the rise.
At one stage Jack appeared to have had enough and his, 'you burned me, you burned me' comments to Mick Moylan as he picked his gear up and walked away virtually put the writing on the wall. Maybe Jack had a point but there was obviously some friction off the field.

Choc was from the Williams dynasty, had AFL/VFL experience and as Port man he was the undisputed heir apparent. As soon as Choc took the reins we recruited the players we needed to go that step further. Schofield, Montgomery, Bishop, and Wakelin all signed with Port within two years of Choc's appointment and we started to play a different brand of footy. It was not all plain sailing as we slumped to 14th in 2000 but from then on it was mainly upwards until Choc basically lost the plot.

There was an Ansett Cup game early in 2001 at AAMI, I think it was against Richmond and as I sat there I clearly remember thinking this is different, much more direct and easier to watch. We won the Ansett Cup that year when we defeated Brisbane by 85 points in the final. Would we have done that with Jack calling the shots who knows?

An agonsingly hard decision was made back in 1998 but I am confident it was the correct call at the time. Mind you ten years later I was one of those calling for Chocco to be replaced much as I now think Hinkley's time is up. We haven't had a senior Premiership in 18 years so it is time to make another big decision. Calling time on a Club legend like Jack would not have been easy but as others have posted back in those days we had a Board that did not back away from hard decisions.

Footnote: Make that a senior Premiership in 20 years! It is not getting any better as time rolls on.

 

[TeeKray]

The problem is we have gone from being a club with management that was ruthless in its pursuit of success to a club whose management are so scarred by the events of now over a decade ago that they see their role as navigating the club through a constant existential threat where surviving rather than thriving is the goal ala North Melbourne.

 

[Steve Dore]

The problem is we have gone from being a club with management that was ruthless in its pursuit of success to a club whose management are so scarred by the events of now over a decade ago that they see their role as navigating the club through a constant existential threat where surviving rather than thriving is the goal ala North Melbourne.

We exist to exist, just.

 

[JimmyBC]

In a period where Tredders has copped a lot of stick you should all be thankful he turned Eddie down all those years ago, can you imagine the off the books sweeteners he would've been offered? great bloke I reckon.

 

[tribey]

That is a bit annoying... Tredders is absolutely champion of the game... But didn't play for Vic team so doesn't get the accolades he deserves.

If Tredders had the exact same career — cut down in his prime and all — at Collingwood or Carlton, there’d be a statue or a stand naming coming.

His non-football position of the past couple of years notwithstanding, the lack of anything actually being named after him here is baffling (one of his teammates and contemporaries, Wanganeen, has a junior medal and part of a stand at AO, etc).

 

[FourthTimeAround]

That first year in '97 might be the best coaching Jack ever did. All the "experts" had us dead certs as wooden-spooners, winning four games max. To come so close to making the finals, ugh.

Still, it was such an exciting year...

Would love to find the vid 97 preseason that had Lethal Leigh Matthews saying we wouldn't win a single game.

 

[tribey]

Would love to find the vid 97 preseason that had Lethal Leigh Matthews saying we wouldn't win a single game.

You can understand his rationale, having just watched Fitzroy circle the plughole to oblivion with just 1 win the year before, but a powerful cashed-up Port Adelaide ain’t Fitzroy, Leigh.

 

[Power Raid]

You can understand his rationale, having just watched Fitzroy circle the plughole to oblivion with just 1 win the year before, but a powerful cashed-up Port Adelaide ain’t Fitzroy, Leigh.

especially given we "tucked away" some very good players, any reasonable analysis would of said "who are these no namers"

 

[tribey]

especially given we "tucked away" some very good players, any reasonable analysis would of said "who are these no namers"

Someone like David Brown going from neglected squadbod forward pocket in a poor Crows outfit to 20ppg frontline onballer at 27/28yo wouldn’t have crossed (almost anyone’s) mind either.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Would love to find the vid 97 preseason that had Lethal Leigh Matthews saying we wouldn't win a single game.

My memory is that it was a news article where Matthews gave his footy tipping advice for the 1997 season, one of which was do not tip Port as they wont win a game (he may have also reiterated this on TV). I remember he was commentating our third game where we pumped Geelong at home (Bowen Lockwood kicked 4 from memory and was the rising star that week…sigh) and Lethal pretty quickly changed his tune after that.

Even as a young lad it was evident Port had a fairly basic gameplan in 97/98. Play Primus behind the ball which left our forward line one down. This would work more often than not at home, but we were often picked apart away. Also after beating Essendon away in 97 Pooley’s back gave out and he was the master of halving or winning 2 or 3 on 1 contests across CHF. Without him Jack’s plan fell to pieces so it was pretty evident we needed a fresher approach in the box. That’s not to say Jack didn’t do an exceptional job and in 97 had Port challenging for finals when almost everyone thought we’d be wooden spooners.