Andrew 'Mini' McQualter

[Cooper O'Reilly]

Dylan Grimes gave Compact McQualter (refuse to call a senior coach "Mini") a big pump up this morning. Only thing that worried me was when Dylan said he'd freed them up and to play a bit more "lase fair" and just do their thing. That usually works well for takeover or interim coaches short term, but not sure about that approach long term. Maybe he has a different long term outlook that he's keeping up his sleeve if he gets the job. Dunno. But "freeing" blokes up usually only goes so far.

To use a F1 term, he's set the fastest time in practice and looks good for the race.

This is classic interim coach behaviour. Release the shackles and free them up. The players love the all care no responsibility type footy as the pressures off.

Then the interim coach gets the job and decides he better start coaching and implements a game plan and suddenly the party’s over and everything changes.

You end up looking for another new coach within 3 years.

Which might be okay if you’re a fan of Newy or Grigga becoming coach but you waste 3 years in the process.

 

[Carter]

Wheels could’ve easily have fallen off when Dimma left. Players had the ultimate alibi to loaf and get paid handsomely to do it. Especially with the success they’ve had.

Mini has maintained a competitive standard and even cobbled together a functional forward line from a chunk of driftwood and some clag.

No small thing whatever happens

 

[toothless]

Let it rip with Dan.

Fair chance he gets a genuine tag this weekend against one of the best in the business (Maginness) especially coming off a bog performance last round.

 

[Cooper O'Reilly]

Wheels could’ve easily have fallen off when Dimma left. Players had the ultimate alibi to loaf and get paid handsomely to do it. Especially with the success they’ve had.

Mini has maintained a competitive standard and even cobbled together a functional forward line from a chunk of driftwood and some clag.

No small thing whatever happens

By asking the players what they wanted to do. He clearly had a changed game plan in mind otherwise he wouldn’t have asked the players if he could change it. The tail wagged the dog and Mini didn’t change the game plan as he wanted.

Nothing in this scenario screams senior coach to me. Put it this way, if a prospective coach says at his interview that his game plan is predicated on what the players want to do, do you think Benny would give them the job?

 

[Carter]

By asking the players what they wanted to do. He clearly had a changed game plan in mind otherwise he wouldn’t have asked the players if he could change it. The tail wagged the dog and Mini didn’t change the game plan as he wanted.

Nothing in this scenario screams senior coach to me. Put it this way, if a prospective coach says at his interview that his game plan is predicated on what the players want to do, do you think Benny would give them the job?

Interim coach is an incredibly difficult position I reckon.

Nigh impossible to apply your own tactical system without a summer of drills.

Mini asking the question always seemed like a “nice anecdote” more than anything else.

I genuinely believed we were just gonna fade into the also rans when Dimma left. The fact we haven’t is impressive.

 

[waiting]

Interim coach is an incredibly difficult position I reckon.

Nigh impossible to apply your own tactical system without a summer of drills.

Mini asking the question always seemed like a “nice anecdote” more than anything else.

I genuinely believed we were just gonna fade into the also rans when Dimma left. The fact we haven’t is impressive.

That’s what I thought & expected too Carts.

And I said as such.

He asked the players as he was given the interim coach gig.

He has been with group a very long time.

He has done a terrific job to get us in a position to possibly play finals, but the Lions loss still has me concerned .

 

[AngryAnt]

We are getting suck into 'The Gesh" whirpool again.
I reckon they need to do the process, check out who's out there including Quack Quack and then make a decision.
Personally McQualter would be my 3rd or 4th option behind Carr, Enright or even Caracella.
**he was the one that invented our 2017 game style

Caracella lol

 

[Tony Braxton-Hicks]

Personally McQualter would be my 3rd or 4th option behind Carr, Enright or even Caracella.
**he was the one that invented our 2017 game style

It was Caracella, then it was Rutten. Perhaps it was Mini pulling the strings all along.

**The VFL team under McRae changed game style from possession to chaos in mid-2016 and then, after a poor first half of the season, just missed finals.

 

[Dyer'ere]

What would be a pass mark out of the nex batch of 6 games?

For me if we manage to win 4 out of the next 6, it would be a brave coaching committee not to give Mini the job. That would be 9 wins out of 13s since he took over.

We can lose two games and still make the finals, SA. We put players on the park we can get some results. Assuming we put players on the park Mini will have succeeded if we lose only two more games. He is free to coach more wins.

MC decisions? How much is Mini, how much the club? We don't know. But I think we all like the new personnel coming in.

 

[Dyer'ere]

Where is RFC headed this year?

The byes are behind us. It's big city football time. RFC is the big city club. That bloke who used to be good at football, Whatsisname, seems to know that. It's as if he thinks he's a big deal. Who knew? Does he look sound? The most he has all year? Is he fresh? Explosive? Can he kick now? Can lift his leg now.

I can never remember his name. Is it Damyon Martin? Anyway he's a much bigger deal than Mini for 2023.

Prestia looks to be on a knife edge but I'm ok with the way we're handling him. He is on the park. It's a big deal. If we can get him real strong our triple premiership dominant mid may yet again carry us into the finals.

Two outta three aint bad. Mini will be grateful if he can field a side including the two Whatsisnames going into the finals.

Mini can only work with what he has. Could he level up a Hopper this year? Hopper on the park is a big deal. Level him up is a very big deal.

*On what I've seen Banks is just a plodder.*

Mini knows who Banks is. If he can cultivate Banks (who now is desperate and defends) into an AFL player this season it gives us another lift going into finals.

It's not just about Mini. We have to field a side. But our young coach can take us somewhere and has to if we can just get 18 AFL players on the park, including Prestinobody and Whatsisname.

Melbourne. Geelong. Collingwood. Maybe Brisbane, Pt Adelaide. Maybe even a random selection from a basket of unmentionables.

Mini can read a formguide, can't he?

 

[Dont Argue]

Not sure Grimes’s referral fills me with the utmost confidence.
Basically said the main difference between the two is that Dimma could wring out the very best ability in every player whilst Mini lets them play with a bit more freedom.
And he’s a good bloke.
Am I to believe that a good coach just lets his charges play whilst he holds the white board to look important?
If I knew it was that easy I might have given it a crack myself

 

[tigerdell]

Fair chance he gets a genuine tag this weekend against one of the best in the business (Maginness) especially coming off a bog performance last round.

He's had games where the bad guys put work into him. Agree with you it probably happens again.
Its why Shorty is so important behind the ball, why Shorty and Bach worked tandem and peeled both left and right.
Hope we tell Banks to take that attacking role

 

[tigerdell]

Interim coach is an incredibly difficult position I reckon.

Nigh impossible to apply your own tactical system without a summer of drills.

Mini asking the question always seemed like a “nice anecdote” more than anything else.

I genuinely believed we were just gonna fade into the also rans when Dimma left. The fact we haven’t is impressive.

Nice anecdote it is. Takes pressure out of the media hyperbole.

But also i'd think theres a mental component. Its not asking the players to choose the strategy.
Its Do They Believe?

The big question Mini needed to answer was were the players wholly committed? Would they give everything, play roles and sacrifices and trust each other.
Lot of evidence pre dreamtime was they werent 100% onboard.

Its a Pagan hats in the ring moment.
Impressive people management

 

[jb03]

Dunno. The feelgood and warm & fuzzy notion is to give the gig to Mini. But despite some of the media and player comments we haven't really changed much at all.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Prestia has given him another big endorsement. Was asked directly & didn't hesitate or play politics.

 

[Smoking Aces]

Dunno. The feelgood and warm & fuzzy notion is to give the gig to Mini. But despite some of the media and player comments we haven't really changed much at all.

I think he has made changes. We retain the footy much more than we did with Hardwick.

 

[tigerdell]

I think he has made changes. We retain the footy much more than we did with Hardwick.

We are better at moving the ball out of the backline

 

[fastin bulbous]

Ummm don’t forget the ol we are wining games of footy change. It’s a really good one

 

[123cups]

Wheels could’ve easily have fallen off when Dimma left. Players had the ultimate alibi to loaf and get paid handsomely to do it. Especially with the success they’ve had.

Mini has maintained a competitive standard and even cobbled together a functional forward line from a chunk of driftwood and some clag.

No small thing whatever happens

Great post.

Dimma left and we didn’t skip a beat. The club looks strong, professional, and united in the shadow of a coach’s exit.

McQualter scores highly for his role in setting the table for next year.

 

[TigerMasochist]

Well, after Hawthorn we finish off with Melbourne, Footscray (at Marvel), St.Kilda (at Marvel), Norf (at Marvel) and Port in Bogelaide.

That's gonna present a fair gauge of things where Compact is concerned.

Three games to finish off at Marvelarse stadium. If we are serious about any chance of playing finals this year. We better stop sooking about hating to play there n learn to play under a *smile* roof.