Worst coach sacking in VFL/AFL history

[peetoo]

Carlton is the gold standard

Even appointing Brendon Bolton was cringe

 

[Mr.X]

Col Deane.

St kilda were ruthless at the end of the 1933 season, and were disappointed they werent contending for a flag

 

[javaguice]

Damian Drum found out from a reporter

 

[Aut Vincere Aut Mori]

It was not like he(Norm Smith) was past it either.

Took South to their first finals series in a generation in 1970. He still had a big of magic in him.

Norm was in ill-health during his time at South and Ian Thorogood took most of the responsibility for the weekly coaching at training. South were last in 1971 and second last in 1972 in his final years of coaching. His record in his last five years as a coach (Melbourne and South) was fairly unimpressive. 1966 Melbourne - 11th W 3 L 15; 1967 7th W 8 L 10; South 1969 8th W 7 L 13; 1970 4th - W 14 L 9; 1971 12th - W 3 L 19; 1972 11th W 2 L 20.
While this doesn't include the 1965 sacking, Melbourne had been finalists in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and had failed to make the Grand Final in any of these years. There may have been a belief among the Melbourne board that Smith had underachieved with the list given him; very much along the lines of current dialogue in the media regarding Ken Hinkley and Luke Beveridge. Also, the Melbourne board were at loggerheads with Smith regarding him not opposing Ron Barrassi's move to Carlton.