Who is the worst coach in the AFL?

[Chasing the Dream]

Did you hear the press conference?

Since when does it make a difference what is said in a press conference.

99% of what comes out of a coaches mouth in a press conference is pure bull****, they are pretty much only there because they have to be, or if you are like Connelly, because he has to keep justifying his job.

I would rather be in the Eagles shoes than the Dockers at this stage. A trip to Adelaide is less daunting than a trip to Sydney, although both will be tough.

 

[Roddy]

2 months ago, Clarko woulda been top of the list here. Now he hasn't even been mentioned!!

 

[Fastback]

Sheedy has to be up there.

 

[relapse]

Grant Thomas, the Saints would have won a flag if they kept Blight. Blight tried to change their culture so they got rid of him, well I hope your culture was worth it.

Laidley is also up there and Thompson, he has has 7 seasons and done sweet FA.

Does anyone disagree that an under 10s coach could get the saints with their talent into the finals. Heck I recon even I could do it. Thomas has done nothing except for that small loss against port in the prelim and that was back in 2004.

 

[Munga]

Blight tried to change their culture

How does playing golf change the culture of the St Kilda Football Club?

 

[Briedis]

Laidley
Thomas


Thompson

 

[Harvey to Hayes]

If my aunty had of been the coach of St Kilda for the past 4 years, they would have won at least two flags.

Thomas sacks a proven Premiership coach and then serves up rubbish for desert.

In the past two seasons they have led by 3 goals at three quarter time to be over run by the opposition. Melbourne did well last night to win, but they were not great.

I just do not understand how he continues to justify his position. MASSIVE UNDERACHIEVERS.

Other than that, he seems like a nice bloke.

Absolutely no idea about football. When did you start following the code? I'm guessing around the time of the second Lions flag.....

 

[relapse]

Absolutely no idea about football. When did you start following the code? I'm guessing around the time of the second Lions flag.....

I'm sorry, but even most Saint supporters would realise that under Thomas St Kilda are nowhere near their full potential.

 

[Harvey to Hayes]

Grant Thomas, the Saints would have won a flag if they kept Blight. Blight tried to change their culture so they got rid of him, well I hope your culture was worth it.

Yes, he tried to change our culture by not turning up to training or club functions despite being on $1m a year. Obviously too big a burden on his precious time. And he bagged our club to the press while senior coach. There were young players on the list who had never spoken directly to Blight when he was canned and anecdotal evidence suggests that he often got some of their names wrong when discussing them with others. Super coach, really wish he'd stayed on.....

 

[Philhawk]

Pagan - The game has moved on and is too fast for him now.

Laidley - Reading his comments in the herald as to 'How i'd coach Melbourne', he really does appear to be rather an astute analyzer of the game, though I feel he really would struggle to convey what he is ACTUALLY trying to say to his boys.

Thompson - Words can't express my thoughts on this guy. I'm sure he's a good coach, but he actually doesn't have the needed respect from his players as a coach. Sure, he might be 'matey' with them and all, but I doubt as to whether they actually listen to him.

Thomas - Dud

 

[Harvey to Hayes]

I'm sorry, but even most Saint supporters would realise that under Thomas St Kilda are nowhere near their full potential.

When we get 75% of our best 22 on the ground for a couple of weeks in a row then we can start discussing our full potential. The players love GT and many have made large pay sacrifices to stay together as a group to play under him - I think I'd trust their judgement on the matter over opposition supporters on a fan site who have probably spent a total of 15 minutes pondering the scenario that we face......

 

[Harvey to Hayes]

Pagan - The game has moved on and is too fast for him now.

Laidley - Reading his comments in the herald as to 'How i'd coach Melbourne', he really does appear to be rather an astute analyzer of the game, though I feel he really would struggle to convey what he is ACTUALLY trying to say to his boys.

Thompson - Words can't express my thoughts on this guy. I'm sure he's a good coach, but he actually doesn't have the needed respect from his players as a coach. Sure, he might be 'matey' with them and all, but I doubt as to whether they actually listen to him.

Thomas - Dud

Two words idiot. Alistair Clarkson.....

 

[Fastback]

Two words idiot. Alistair Clarkson.....

yep, they are words.

You know damn well your coach isn't up to the task, he might be good at teaching the boys the values of life and how to play the the stockmarket but that doesn't get you over the line in hard fought finals - this was evident again against an ordinary Demon outfit.

 

[relapse]

Yes, he tried to change our culture by not turning up to training or club functions despite being on $1m a year. Obviously too big a burden on his precious time. And he bagged our club to the press while senior coach. There were young players on the list who had never spoken directly to Blight when he was canned and anecdotal evidence suggests that he often got some of their names wrong when discussing them with others. Super coach, really wish he'd stayed on.....

He didnt go to functions when he coached Adelaide.

He bagged the club, yeah well thats the way he coaches. He bagged Pittman, Pittman took it on board and turned his career around. That is the type of coach Blight is, he is tough and will use what he can to psychologically get the best out of the players. I know some of what he said cut a bit deep, but if that cant motivate a team to achieve something then they had may as well give it away.

You can say what you like, but the facts are that he is a proven premiership winning coach. St Kilda's precious culture is being upheld now by Thomas, but at what cost.

When will winning at all costs be the most important thing.

All the experts will tell you that Thomas will not win a flag with St Kilda, even though they have a premiership squad. St Kilda are just being wasted while he is there.

 

[relapse]

When we get 75% of our best 22 on the ground for a couple of weeks in a row then we can start discussing our full potential. The players love GT and many have made large pay sacrifices to stay together as a group to play under him - I think I'd trust their judgement on the matter over opposition supporters on a fan site who have probably spent a total of 15 minutes pondering the scenario that we face......

Ah well enjoy the Thomas mediocrity is all I can say.

 

[JeffDunne]

Grant Thomas took over a team that was a rabble in every sense of the word. Sure we had pick #1 & 2 in the draft just prior to him taking over, but in the two seasons before that, our drafting had been a shambles. Furthermore, he had to deal with senior players that had been signed to the club in no small part because of the signing of Blight. Very few rookie coaches would have been able to hold that situation together. If you look objectively at where St Kilda was at when he took over and to were he has the team today then I really do chuckle every time I read threads like this. There's no doubt that he still needs to prove he can win a flag before he can be consider among the best coaches in the league but very few coaches have won a flag in less time than he's been given. The outrageous claims about the quality of our list are merely an attempt to undersell his performances and it grossly undersells his ability to get the most out of some average AFL players.

I know it hurts the lemmings of the BF to admit it, but GT has taken the leagues biggest rabble to one of the leagues most consistent performers. He has done so without the luxuries afford to some of his interstate and Victorian rivals and during a period when we've had to sell home games to keep our head above water. That's not to say he's the best coach going around but given what he's achieved and the circumstances under which he's had to do it, it's a nonsense to suggest he's even close to the worst.

 

[JeffDunne]

He didnt go to functions when he coached Adelaide.

But did he turn up to training?

 

[Molky Saint]

Clarkson
Connolly
Laidley

Overrated:
Eade
Wallace

 

[campbell]

Surely you would have to be asking questions saints fans.
Your team needs decent ruckmen.You coach doesn't believe in them.

I think a better coach,and you would have won a GF before now.Champions like harvs have deserved better.

 

[Brock Machine]

Would be interesting if the results were reversed from Friday night. Would Daniher have made list?

 

[relapse]

Grant Thomas took over a team that was a rabble in every sense of the word. Sure we had pick #1 & 2 in the draft just prior to him taking over, but in the two seasons before that, our drafting had been a shambles. Furthermore, he had to deal with senior players that had been signed to the club in no small part because of the signing of Blight. Very few rookie coaches would have been able to hold that situation together. If you look objectively at where St Kilda was at when he took over and to were he has the team today then I really do chuckle every time I read threads like this. There's no doubt that he still needs to prove he can win a flag before he can be consider among the best coaches in the league but very few coaches have won a flag in less time than he's been given. The outrageous claims about the quality of our list are merely an attempt to undersell his performances and it grossly undersells his ability to get the most out of some average AFL players.

I know it hurts the lemmings of the BF to admit it, but GT has taken the leagues biggest rabble to one of the leagues most consistent performers. He has done so without the luxuries afford to some of his interstate and Victorian rivals and during a period when we've had to sell home games to keep our head above water. That's not to say he's the best coach going around but given what he's achieved and the circumstances under which he's had to do it, it's a nonsense to suggest he's even close to the worst.

All I can say then is that I guess most on here must overate your squad then, as going by what you are saying it is not as good as people think it is.

 

[JeffDunne]

Your team needs decent ruckmen.You coach doesn't believe in them.

That is the most ridiculous comment that continually that gets written about GT.

We have used a #2 & #9 pick on ruckman and drafted/traded for one just about every year GT has been there. Or most senior coaching assistant is an ex ruckman and knows a bit about the skill, and we play arguably our most versatile player (Kosi) in the ruck.

No doubt we aren't getting results from that position atm but it's an absolute nonsense to say we don't rate the position.

GT's comments on the subject, that were taken out of context by morons like Throbbie Walls trying to push his Knobel agenda, is that we'd prefer to have ruckman that are more than just tap-out accumulators and bring other qualities to the team. How on earth is that not rating ruckman, in fact it's quite the opposite. The best ruckman in the league bring far more to their teams than just hit-outs.

 

[Sgt Slaughter]

When we get 75% of our best 22 on the ground for a couple of weeks in a row then we can start discussing our full potential. The players love GT and many have made large pay sacrifices to stay together as a group to play under him - I think I'd trust their judgement on the matter over opposition supporters on a fan site who have probably spent a total of 15 minutes pondering the scenario that we face......

Is that the official party line is it? Injuries? If you haven't noticed, it's been a pretty horrific year for injuries for most clubs in the comp but no other club has sooked about it. There's nothing you can do except get on with the job. Maybe try a bit harder if that's possible. I reckon if every team had their full list on the park, the ladder probably wouldn't be that different to what it is now.

As for the players taking paycuts, there must still be a few of them on monster wages down there as they seemed to have passed on the last 3 or 4 draft picks for the last 3 drafts. 2 players short of a full list so a couple of your players get paid more than they should, and I doubt it was one of them who had to take a cut for the team. Great for team harmony and who knows, you may have picked up a gun player with one of those picks.

And GT? Comes across as a smug, arrogant, prick. That could have filtered down to his players. That's not the major issue though. What is relevant is that he should have made at least 1 GF in the last 3 years. There are definitely champions at the Saints, it just needs to be moulded into a champion team. Is GT the man to do that? Probably not.

I think you need to open the other eye mate. Just for a peek. You might see what everybody else does.

 

[JeffDunne]

All I can say then is that I guess most on here must overate your squad then, as going by what you are saying it is not as good as people think it is.

Depends what agenda they are pushing.

If it's the "GT can't coach" then the "best list" suits their argument.

If it's rating our players, they are crap, or at the least our top 10 are very good at the rest are crap.

Interesting though, go through the vast majority of AA teams posted this year and you'll see that Carlton generally have more representatives than St Kilda. How on earth can our top 10 be that good if they struggle to make AA selection?

There are teams with better midfields, better ruckman, better defences, more effecient forward lines than ours. In fact there's not a part of the ground you'd say we are clearly number 1 in. How on earth could we possibly have the best list if talent wish we aren't rated in any category number 1 in the league?

The fact is we have a good spread of talent and for the most part the "top" part of list has been flattened over the past 3 years because of injury. So the reality is we have made the finals 3 years in a row with a very even list - a credit to GT I would of thought.

 

[earthquake]

John Worsfold

last night time and time again he should have had a loose man in defence to help Glass or Graham out re Hall and if you give ANY forward a mm there away and will mark. He should have had someone to cut off the kicks into Oloughlin and Hall .
He had his fwds bomb away constantly at no one or if they did kick it into the fwd line his team kicked it into a crowd.His fwds or should i say pretend fwds dont chase hard enough constantly if they are beaten and WONT make open space consistently .
These things happened last yr and they are happening again .

WHY JOHN ? its Finals time.
Hunter was thrashed by Oloughlin , Brett Jones thrashed him last time BUT you didnt play him on him .