From realfooty
Demons, Tigers to turn up heat on coaches next season
By Tim Watson
August 13 2003
For the first time in almost 25 years we might not see a coaching change from one season to the next. It does not mean to say, though, that there have not been some anxious moments along the way.
In a game driven by emotion and results, the spotlight has swung from club to club almost weekly, with only the interstate teams avoiding the glare. The simple answer to that is they are all in the top eight and winning.
No one coach has felt the heat of the glare more than Peter Schwab. Two reasons for that are that the Hawks were losing and he is out of contract at the end of the year.
If you are looking, as we do in the media, for a casualty, best to start at the obvious place. Had Hawthorn buckled under the intense pressure being applied from outside Glenferrie Oval, it could have sacked him and appointed a caretaker. To the club's credit, it held its nerve. To Schwab's credit, he held his, too, and, having ridden the bumps, can expect to be given a new contract.
It's no coincidence that Schwab's fortunes have turned with the availabilty of some extremely talented players. Peter Everitt, Nathan Thompson, Nick Holland and John Barker have missed 37 games between them. Back in the side fit, the Hawks look like a new team. It cannot be underestimated how being able to lock a ball in the forward line by taking a mark can take the pressure off the midfield and the defence.
Schwab would have known all along this was the problem, but would anyone have listened or cared outside of the inner core? In this business winning is all that matters. Who is interested in excuses of inexperience, injury or lack of confidence?
With that in mind, it's worth noting that the problems at Melbourne and Richmond are not easily or quickly fixed, and while Neale Daniher and Danny Frawley are both expected to coach beyond this year, next season looks just as tough. Unlike Hawthorn, the Demons and Tigers do not have the players to challenge at the top. They have lists that with luck, good management and everyone available could finish between sixth and 12th.
If Brisbane is the benchmark, then everyone has to be judged by comparison. The Lions' goal-to-goal line from defence reads Mal Michael, Justin Leppitsch Michael Voss, Jonathan Brown and Alastair Lynch. Last weekend the Demons started with Alastair Nicholson, Brad Miller, Simon Godfrey, Clint Bizzell and David Nietz while the Tigers had Ty Zantuck at full-back, Andrew Kellaway at centre half-back Mark Coghlan in the centre, Ben Holland at centre half-forward and Greg Stafford at full-forward.
It's an extreme example but it illustrates how far both clubs are off the pace. Daniher's plight is more acute then Frawley's, although both could head into next season knowing they are coaching out the last year of their contracts.
Daniher has been given six years to build a premiership team, but looks further away now than he did three years ago.
Kevin Sheedy took eight years between the 1993 and 2000 flag to deliver the silverware at Windy Hill, but it's doubtful whether he would have been given the luxury of time had he not already proven himself with three premierships.
What has drawn criticism in recent times has been Daniher's lack of ingenuity on match day. This has substance. Against the Bulldogs he allowed Luke Darcy to sit back across half-back and dominate the game with 27 possessions.
It played perfectly into the hands of the Bulldogs, whose game plan depends on them being able to free up a player in the back half to run and create. Darren Jolly and Jeff White sat back across half-back but were by-passed and rendered ineffective. It was a tactical blunder that enabled the Western Bulldogs to build their confidence while robbing the Demons of theirs.
Last Sunday the Bombers manned up on Darcy, stopped the flow and effectively shut down the Dogs. And last Friday night the Cats were able to organise themselves to get a free player across half-back and set up their attacking moves. Little, if anything, was done to combat it.
Richmond is backing Frawley because not only does he have admirable attributes and potential, but it also wants to put an end to the sackings that have led to years of instability and a lack of direction.
Around Frawley the Tigers have built a coaching panel that boasts collective football experience comparable to any in the game.
Last Saturday night's performance was the Tigers' worst for the season. For most of the year they have played with purpose.
With a fit Darren Gaspar, Ben Holland, Brad Ottens, Wayne Campbell and Justin Blumfield they can improve their position next season but they are still years off threatening for the flag.
Frawley needs to manage the expectations of their emotional fans to give himself some chance of an extension beyond 2004.
Demons, Tigers to turn up heat on coaches next season
By Tim Watson
August 13 2003
For the first time in almost 25 years we might not see a coaching change from one season to the next. It does not mean to say, though, that there have not been some anxious moments along the way.
In a game driven by emotion and results, the spotlight has swung from club to club almost weekly, with only the interstate teams avoiding the glare. The simple answer to that is they are all in the top eight and winning.
No one coach has felt the heat of the glare more than Peter Schwab. Two reasons for that are that the Hawks were losing and he is out of contract at the end of the year.
If you are looking, as we do in the media, for a casualty, best to start at the obvious place. Had Hawthorn buckled under the intense pressure being applied from outside Glenferrie Oval, it could have sacked him and appointed a caretaker. To the club's credit, it held its nerve. To Schwab's credit, he held his, too, and, having ridden the bumps, can expect to be given a new contract.
It's no coincidence that Schwab's fortunes have turned with the availabilty of some extremely talented players. Peter Everitt, Nathan Thompson, Nick Holland and John Barker have missed 37 games between them. Back in the side fit, the Hawks look like a new team. It cannot be underestimated how being able to lock a ball in the forward line by taking a mark can take the pressure off the midfield and the defence.
Schwab would have known all along this was the problem, but would anyone have listened or cared outside of the inner core? In this business winning is all that matters. Who is interested in excuses of inexperience, injury or lack of confidence?
With that in mind, it's worth noting that the problems at Melbourne and Richmond are not easily or quickly fixed, and while Neale Daniher and Danny Frawley are both expected to coach beyond this year, next season looks just as tough. Unlike Hawthorn, the Demons and Tigers do not have the players to challenge at the top. They have lists that with luck, good management and everyone available could finish between sixth and 12th.
If Brisbane is the benchmark, then everyone has to be judged by comparison. The Lions' goal-to-goal line from defence reads Mal Michael, Justin Leppitsch Michael Voss, Jonathan Brown and Alastair Lynch. Last weekend the Demons started with Alastair Nicholson, Brad Miller, Simon Godfrey, Clint Bizzell and David Nietz while the Tigers had Ty Zantuck at full-back, Andrew Kellaway at centre half-back Mark Coghlan in the centre, Ben Holland at centre half-forward and Greg Stafford at full-forward.
It's an extreme example but it illustrates how far both clubs are off the pace. Daniher's plight is more acute then Frawley's, although both could head into next season knowing they are coaching out the last year of their contracts.
Daniher has been given six years to build a premiership team, but looks further away now than he did three years ago.
Kevin Sheedy took eight years between the 1993 and 2000 flag to deliver the silverware at Windy Hill, but it's doubtful whether he would have been given the luxury of time had he not already proven himself with three premierships.
What has drawn criticism in recent times has been Daniher's lack of ingenuity on match day. This has substance. Against the Bulldogs he allowed Luke Darcy to sit back across half-back and dominate the game with 27 possessions.
It played perfectly into the hands of the Bulldogs, whose game plan depends on them being able to free up a player in the back half to run and create. Darren Jolly and Jeff White sat back across half-back but were by-passed and rendered ineffective. It was a tactical blunder that enabled the Western Bulldogs to build their confidence while robbing the Demons of theirs.
Last Sunday the Bombers manned up on Darcy, stopped the flow and effectively shut down the Dogs. And last Friday night the Cats were able to organise themselves to get a free player across half-back and set up their attacking moves. Little, if anything, was done to combat it.
Richmond is backing Frawley because not only does he have admirable attributes and potential, but it also wants to put an end to the sackings that have led to years of instability and a lack of direction.
Around Frawley the Tigers have built a coaching panel that boasts collective football experience comparable to any in the game.
Last Saturday night's performance was the Tigers' worst for the season. For most of the year they have played with purpose.
With a fit Darren Gaspar, Ben Holland, Brad Ottens, Wayne Campbell and Justin Blumfield they can improve their position next season but they are still years off threatening for the flag.
Frawley needs to manage the expectations of their emotional fans to give himself some chance of an extension beyond 2004.
