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What does Neil Craig have to do to keep his job?
- Thread starter alex_is_on_fire
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Re Craigy, I emailed Triggy today and raised the following concerns....
1. Inconsitency
We are too inconsistency, not only from week to week but also from qtr to qtr.
2. Lack of competitiveness
Our inexperience and injuries are no excuse for our insipid performances, if your selected you have a crack at the contest. Craigy needs to encourage players to push the unsocialble football boundaries, Craigy's presser after the St Kilda game was a joke.
3. The gap
The gap between our best and worse is increasing and for me this is a real concern and a sign that something is very wrong at the AFC.
4. Game plan
Inability to develop a game plan that is appropriate to where our playing list is currently at.
5. Structure
Our forward structure is far too top heavy, this has resulted in a lack of forward pressure and this has magnified Walker's deficiencies.
6. Match day
Coaches are too slow to react, again yesterday Danger was starved of game opportunity (up forward) when we badly needed a midfield spark.
7. Selection
Cook's selection and the handling of Tambling, Walker and Vince has been confusing and inconsistent.
I was also critical of Camporale and stated that it was no coincident that the Bomber midfield has improved significantly in 2011 and that ours had declined.
Back to the question - What does Neil Craig have to do to keep his job?
Answer, just to get a review, fix all the above, make the finals and win at least 1 final
1. Inconsitency
We are too inconsistency, not only from week to week but also from qtr to qtr.
2. Lack of competitiveness
Our inexperience and injuries are no excuse for our insipid performances, if your selected you have a crack at the contest. Craigy needs to encourage players to push the unsocialble football boundaries, Craigy's presser after the St Kilda game was a joke.
3. The gap
The gap between our best and worse is increasing and for me this is a real concern and a sign that something is very wrong at the AFC.
4. Game plan
Inability to develop a game plan that is appropriate to where our playing list is currently at.
5. Structure
Our forward structure is far too top heavy, this has resulted in a lack of forward pressure and this has magnified Walker's deficiencies.
6. Match day
Coaches are too slow to react, again yesterday Danger was starved of game opportunity (up forward) when we badly needed a midfield spark.
7. Selection
Cook's selection and the handling of Tambling, Walker and Vince has been confusing and inconsistent.
I was also critical of Camporale and stated that it was no coincident that the Bomber midfield has improved significantly in 2011 and that ours had declined.
Back to the question - What does Neil Craig have to do to keep his job?
Answer, just to get a review, fix all the above, make the finals and win at least 1 final
Nice thread Alex and good supporting posts
Personally I think to keep his job NC must find a way of curing what seems to be a disconnect with the very players he put faith in to carry the transition from the old guard.
In 2009 we stormed the competition with an electric, high octane brand of footy that blew sides away. This charge was led by Vince, McKay, Otten, Tippett, Knights, Porplyzia, Dangerfield...and these guys were complimenting solid input from Thompson, Johncock, Rutten, Doughty, Stevens. Of course the veterans rounded things out but if we are honest it was only Goodwin who was a consistently effective player.
My point is that the nucleus of that machine is still here. Yes there are some injuries but NC must quickly find a way to get the most out of some these plyers he has already invested in.
McKay and Porps are gone but he must find a way through to Vince and Otten in particular, while finding some more consistency in Danger, Knights, Tippett. Rich Douglas has for mine, been the most disappointing player this year. I think NC might be forgiven for having believed that his midfield should have been Thompson, Vince, Otten, Douglas with Danger/Knights rotating and creating havoc. Yes we have plenty of newbies but we also have a host of 50-70 game players upon whom NC was entitled to rely.
These are the guys who will bail him out....not Wright, Henderson, Walker, McKernan etc etc. These are the guys who NC must find a way to inspire. Failure to ignite these guys will = season failure without any doubt
Personally I think to keep his job NC must find a way of curing what seems to be a disconnect with the very players he put faith in to carry the transition from the old guard.
In 2009 we stormed the competition with an electric, high octane brand of footy that blew sides away. This charge was led by Vince, McKay, Otten, Tippett, Knights, Porplyzia, Dangerfield...and these guys were complimenting solid input from Thompson, Johncock, Rutten, Doughty, Stevens. Of course the veterans rounded things out but if we are honest it was only Goodwin who was a consistently effective player.
My point is that the nucleus of that machine is still here. Yes there are some injuries but NC must quickly find a way to get the most out of some these plyers he has already invested in.
McKay and Porps are gone but he must find a way through to Vince and Otten in particular, while finding some more consistency in Danger, Knights, Tippett. Rich Douglas has for mine, been the most disappointing player this year. I think NC might be forgiven for having believed that his midfield should have been Thompson, Vince, Otten, Douglas with Danger/Knights rotating and creating havoc. Yes we have plenty of newbies but we also have a host of 50-70 game players upon whom NC was entitled to rely.
These are the guys who will bail him out....not Wright, Henderson, Walker, McKernan etc etc. These are the guys who NC must find a way to inspire. Failure to ignite these guys will = season failure without any doubt
Couple of posters have added finals and one final win as what they believe will save the coach.
The reason I've gone 2 for my own criteria is that 2 finals wins has never been done under craigys philosophies. If he can show he can truly contend he can stay. He has had the time to do so.
The reason I've gone 2 for my own criteria is that 2 finals wins has never been done under craigys philosophies. If he can show he can truly contend he can stay. He has had the time to do so.
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One of your other reasons for putting the standards so high was the fact that Neil has had 6 years to prepare for the loss of Goodwin, McLeod & Edwards so their departure shouldn't be factored into the equation was it not? Or was that Slippery Pete?
Either way it is going to take a hell of a turn around for us to get a look in on finals, let alone win one. I am beginning to come to term that this is a bottom 4 or 5 year for us & as bitter as that is a pill to swallow it means goals have to be readjusted.
But via our preference for talls in the previous few years drafting it has left us insanely vulnerable around the middle. If Scott Thompson goes down with an injury we won't win another game. Vince's knee/hammy/general form is another massive downer & Douglas hasn't been terrible, he has shown that he isn't good enough to be our number 2 mid.
For Craig to keep his job he has to show he is willing to change & adjust. He has lost the faith of me & many a supporter this season. Showing that the current game style isn't working and manufacturing something for the players we have (echoing Vader's post earlier). Our key strength at the moment is our key forwards in Tippett & Walker (even though he is injured now as well), we need a game plan to maximise their potential. If he can do this then I would almost be happy to see him stay on.
Given most here accepted that we would be middle of the road this year (position 7-9), I think the finals expectation is a bit rich. Personally, I would just like to see a brand of footy that is competitive. Im sick of structure and gameplan - just go and get the bloody ball. I think Neil needs to throw away the play book for a while and just get back to basics and let them play with a couple of simple structures.
Having said that, I think the weight of public opinion makes him a dead man walking
Having said that, I think the weight of public opinion makes him a dead man walking
Having said that, I think the weight of public opinion makes him a dead man walking
Public opinion will have nothing to do with it. The day the club make decisions like this, based on public opinion, I'm gone.
If and when NC leaves it will be because he has failed in his role as senior coach of the football club. Pretty sure the board will work this out for themselves.
If I was Neil Craig and this was my job on the line I would do everything within my power to hang on to it.
The question for me is whether the board have the balls to pull the pin if NC is digging his heals in, which he has every right to do.
I think the club needs to let Craig coach the year out but let the supporters and Neil know that it is looking for its next coach for 2012.
Whilst I was hoping for a 2013 handover to Goody, too much damage is being done and the club needs to act, now. 3 of the past four weeks have been totally unacceptable, the club is going backwards.
We need a similar coaching model to Essendon. Young coach with a mentor from outside the club, not Bickley!
I also can't see how the club is going to attract anyone half decent if they are told that Craigy will be the mentor... If Craigy will still be on staff, it will be interesting to see which role he will plays....Surely he must be distanced from the playing group...
After hearing Chris Scott on the couch last night it really made me realise we are wasting valuable time... He spoke of not curbing a players natural flair, being able to adapt gameplans to oppositions strengths and periods of a game, how Geelong had team rules but only a few....
Craig did well at Adelaide and I think he has been our best coach * apart from Blighty*but this must be his last year, no matter what happens! Its time
Whilst I was hoping for a 2013 handover to Goody, too much damage is being done and the club needs to act, now. 3 of the past four weeks have been totally unacceptable, the club is going backwards.
We need a similar coaching model to Essendon. Young coach with a mentor from outside the club, not Bickley!
I also can't see how the club is going to attract anyone half decent if they are told that Craigy will be the mentor... If Craigy will still be on staff, it will be interesting to see which role he will plays....Surely he must be distanced from the playing group...
After hearing Chris Scott on the couch last night it really made me realise we are wasting valuable time... He spoke of not curbing a players natural flair, being able to adapt gameplans to oppositions strengths and periods of a game, how Geelong had team rules but only a few....
Craig did well at Adelaide and I think he has been our best coach * apart from Blighty*but this must be his last year, no matter what happens! Its time
Only thing i can disagree with what you are saying is that Craig was our best coach. Blighty might have something to say about that!
Everything else was spot on, especially Chris Scott!
Woops, fogot about that, Im going to edit!
Wow, that's like the anti-craig.
Really shows how out of touch Craig is with the game.
Imagine if we had that as our underpinning philosophy at the AFC.
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Decision to be made at end of year. He needs a miracle to hang on given the injury count.
And that will mean the end of Ben Hart, Camporeale and Mark Bickley too... Our ruck coach seems to be doing a half decent job.
NC has stuffed up big time with these recruits and its the bed he has to lie in now. They were gutless recruitment decisions and someone has to to wear responsibility for it. For me it highlights an inability to work with outside ideas.
We did well with Todd Viney cos he gave us ip from a premiership winning side. This year we decided to choose between Matthew Knights and Camporeale. Where was the sense in that? Mark Bickley and Ben Hart are nothing but puppets.
And that will mean the end of Ben Hart, Camporeale and Mark Bickley too... Our ruck coach seems to be doing a half decent job.
NC has stuffed up big time with these recruits and its the bed he has to lie in now. They were gutless recruitment decisions and someone has to to wear responsibility for it. For me it highlights an inability to work with outside ideas.
We did well with Todd Viney cos he gave us ip from a premiership winning side. This year we decided to choose between Matthew Knights and Camporeale. Where was the sense in that? Mark Bickley and Ben Hart are nothing but puppets.
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alwayscrowing
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Listening to Chrs Scott was a real eye opener - made me realise just how restrictive Neil Craig appears all the time. If he coaches anything like he appears to the public we are really missing the boat. After 5 minutes listening to Scott I would swap Craig for him in a heartbeat.
taylor_walker_13
Club Legend
Martin Mattner
Of course, Chris Scott has a slightly different list to work with than Neil Craig does with Adelaide..
Scott has a physically hardened, mature squad that's played featured in 3 of the last 4 grand finals. The strengths of this playing group far outweigh their weaknesses, making it far easier to plan around the opposition's team and gameplan.
Neil Craig has one of the youngest and least experienced teams in the competition. Last I checked, the teams we were fielding were 3rd or 4th youngest and about the same on the inexperience scale. Our players don't have anywhere near the strengths of the Geelong outfit, meaning that Craig can't do what Chris Scott can.
I look forward to seeing how Scott goes in maintaining his current philosophies, when the current Geelong stars all retire in the next 3 years, leaving him with a team list even less experienced than our current outfit.
Scott has a physically hardened, mature squad that's played featured in 3 of the last 4 grand finals. The strengths of this playing group far outweigh their weaknesses, making it far easier to plan around the opposition's team and gameplan.
Neil Craig has one of the youngest and least experienced teams in the competition. Last I checked, the teams we were fielding were 3rd or 4th youngest and about the same on the inexperience scale. Our players don't have anywhere near the strengths of the Geelong outfit, meaning that Craig can't do what Chris Scott can.
I look forward to seeing how Scott goes in maintaining his current philosophies, when the current Geelong stars all retire in the next 3 years, leaving him with a team list even less experienced than our current outfit.
Are you suggesting he should make his game plan more complex, more physically exhausting, less intuitive, less responsive to the opposition's momentum and game plan when his team becomes younger and less experienced?
Hmmm, actually sounds like his current philosophies would be quite a sound, conservative approach for a young group.
It is a good point that you make Vader. Geelong are certainly a different squad to Adelaide. But, even when we had experienced sides, no one could ever accuse us of playing with too much flair.
The thing I found most interesting of the interview was when they spoke about gameplans and how they at times revert back to the handball at all costs through the corridor. He said it depended on the opposition and what was happening in the game. On sunday in the last quarter, to not try anything was criminal and fatal in my eyes. The game has passed Craig by.
birdmanptr
Norm Smith Medallist
Last night as i am every Monday night i was on air with Mark Fine SEN and Gus for a segment called team talk.They asked me about Craigy and i said Sacking him is not the answer but in these situations history shows its not if but when.
No.. I'm suggesting that coaching is a very easy thing to do when you have a player group like Geelong's current team. Things are very different when you don't have that level of talent to work with.
In no way, shape, or form am I defending Craig's ridiculously complicated game plan.
Craig achieved some pretty decent results with the team he inherited, even if our perpetual finals encounters with a pharmaceutically enhanced Weagles outfit meant that we never got to the big dance.
I can't recall too many of our players in those years who had their flair curtailed. Then again, most of them were B-grade talents at best anyway. Martin Mattner is the only one who springs to mind.
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