Essendon = Entitlement

[The Big Richo]

It might not be an "insurmountable issue", but i cannot see how a guy who has not been closely involved in a football department for a long time until the last half of this season could be the best person for the job, and this kind of "idolising" of great players inevitably gets clubs into trouble.

No doubt he's not the best person for the job, but I think the fact he has been a senior coach and that he would have guys with current experience like McVeigh and Solomon who would jump in with him would mean it would be ok.

For people like me who feel like he was badly treated it would be great to see him come back and coach again, and he was able to deliver a finals win it would be a nice turnaround in a horrible story. I've no doubt a lot of people at Essendon would feel the same.

 

[Bones17]

I just read on The Age website Ross Lyon and Brad Scott have declined to be part of the Essendon Coaching selection process.
The article said that leaves Leon Cameron. According to the article Cameron wants to stay in Sydney as the children are settled in Schools.
Maybe David Barham is going to give the job to Robert Walls like St.Kilda getting Malcolm Blight on the coaching panel.

 

[Number8]

No doubt he's not the best person for the job, but I think the fact he has been a senior coach and that he would have guys with current experience like McVeigh and Solomon who would jump in with him would mean it would be ok.

For people like me who feel like he was badly treated it would be great to see him come back and coach again, and he was able to deliver a finals win it would be a nice turnaround in a horrible story. I've no doubt a lot of people at Essendon would feel the same.

As much as I revel in Essendon's abject incompetence and enjoy seeing its miserable penchant for exceptionalism play out in ever-more humiliating ways, I largely agree with this.

Hird will carry the cheating scandal as an albatross around his neck for the rest of his life. He's paid a heavy price. It's not lost on me that a public pile-on can take an extraordinary toll. I do wish he'd accepted justice as served ... and, on reflection, I think he would agree his stupid club would have been able to move forward if he'd acknowledged the poor appointments, decisions and record-keeping that took place under his watch. It was a failure of epic proportions.

That said ...

Do we believe he's done the time for doing the crime? I do. Continuing to hinder him from going about his life is not cool.

Like others, though, I would consider the club's 'process' to be yet another embarrassing misstep if all it amounted to was a testing of the waters before defaulting to a Hird appointment. You'd like to think he won the job on merit, which is an unconvincing proposition.

But, I do think it's time to let the bloke go about his life.

 

[Brodders17]

No doubt he's not the best person for the job, but I think the fact he has been a senior coach and that he would have guys with current experience like McVeigh and Solomon who would jump in with him would mean it would be ok.

For people like me who feel like he was badly treated it would be great to see him come back and coach again, and he was able to deliver a finals win it would be a nice turnaround in a horrible story. I've no doubt a lot of people at Essendon would feel the same.

I am not against redemption for Hird, but Essendon finally again winning a final will never be "nice".

 

[DavidSSS]

I can't see why Hird would be in consideration given his lack of recent experience, although the prodigal son returning is clearly a factor. Not sure Essendon needs the return of a prodigal son. While the drugs saga is a definite stain on his reputation, my reading of the Boy's Club book tells me he was the scapegoat. Hird has responsibility for the debacle, but it is a very very long way from sole responsibility. The biggest issue there is that he should have been across what was happening, wasn't, and seemed to act as if what he didn't know was not his problem. But there were many culpable who were not penalised at all. Typical AFL behaviour, find as few scapegoats as possible and sweep as much as possible under the copious carpet they seem to have.

To be honest, if I was Essendon, I would have Hird back as he is clearly a popular figure at the club and remains a past champion, just not as senior coach.

The pity for Essendon I see is that earlier this year they were talking like they had finally realised that the road back to becoming a successful team was a long road and they were not far down the road. They have a lot of things to fix, on and off field. But there seems little appetite to do the hard work to get the club and the team in a state where they will again be successful. They also rate their list higher than I reckon is justified, but so do the media.

Appointing Hird as senior coach would not be the best choice, then again, there looks to be little interest from a lot of the other potential contenders for the job.

Oh well, I don't mind seeing Essendon wallow for another decade or so.

DS

 

[jb03]

Not intending to listen, but the James Hird 'charm offensive' has been launched in a tell all interview with Mark Howard.
That's the Mark Howard who worked for Dave Barham ain’t it?
Imagine the value getting Jimbob back to the bombers will bring ... package deal with Tanya in charge of club infrastructure.

I've listened to it. It isn't too bad actually.

 

[leon]

if Hird deserves a second chance the so does Neeld.
All we are saying, is give Neeld a chance.

On that basis - Timmy Watson too; Scott Watters? Hold on; I know the perfect choice - that all-time great (just let him tell you), Micky Malthouse.
After all, he knows footy so well - picked the Bummers to win the flag this year!

 

[year of the tiger]

Interesting reading folks on Hird but I completely disagree on three counts.

1. bringing back Hird reinforces the old boys / coterie club mentality that the club desperately needs to move on from. It reinforces a poor, old school, divided culture that they need to be rid of. Sheedy is another that reinforces that behaviour. You can’t build and run a contemporary organisation where the tail continues to wag the dog.

2. Hird has never properly acknowledged that what he did was wrong re the drugs saga. He may have carried an unfair share of the burden in some peoples mind, but he was part of the small leadership group (ceo, president, head of football and coach) that was responsible and his actions trying to defend it to the death made the problem much worse for the club and dragged it on for many years longer than it should. It is neither deserving nor proper that he return to the club. Of course he should be allowed to move on with his life, but without full public and meaningful acknowledgment that Essendon tried to cheat, that door should forever remained closed.

3. On a pragmatic note, I don’t think Hird would be the best coach out there at the moment in any case for any team, his long absence from the game and limited recent footy experience tells me his days coaching a senior AFL team is past. Note, he is not too young to be a senior assistant coach for a year or two to get himself ‘coach fit’.

 

[waiting]

What a laugh that was with Lyon saying ‘he didn’t feel the vibe’.

Hilarious.

He knows he won’t get the gig so why put himself through the process?

Sheedy wants Hird.

 

[DuD_Delist]

They're re writing history.
This is so us from 1982 to 2009.

 

[Tony Braxton-Hicks]

Interesting reading folks on Hird but I completely disagree on three counts.

1. bringing back Hird reinforces the old boys / coterie club mentality that the club desperately needs to move on from. It reinforces a poor, old school, divided culture that they need to be rid of. Sheedy is another that reinforces that behaviour. You can’t build and run a contemporary organisation where the tail continues to wag the dog.

2. Hird has never properly acknowledged that what he did was wrong re the drugs saga. He may have carried an unfair share of the burden in some peoples mind, but he was part of the small leadership group (ceo, president, head of football and coach) that was responsible and his actions trying to defend it to the death made the problem much worse for the club and dragged it on for many years longer than it should. It is neither deserving nor proper that he return to the club. Of course he should be allowed to move on with his life, but without full public and meaningful acknowledgment that Essendon tried to cheat, that door should forever remained closed.

3. On a pragmatic note, I don’t think Hird would be the best coach out there at the moment in any case for any team, his long absence from the game and limited recent footy experience tells me his days coaching a senior AFL team is past. Note, he is not too young to be a senior assistant coach for a year or two to get himself ‘coach fit’.

4. He has already failed as a coach at Essendon. Twice.

 

[DavidSSS]

Interesting reading folks on Hird but I completely disagree on three counts.

1. bringing back Hird reinforces the old boys / coterie club mentality that the club desperately needs to move on from. It reinforces a poor, old school, divided culture that they need to be rid of. Sheedy is another that reinforces that behaviour. You can’t build and run a contemporary organisation where the tail continues to wag the dog.

2. Hird has never properly acknowledged that what he did was wrong re the drugs saga. He may have carried an unfair share of the burden in some peoples mind, but he was part of the small leadership group (ceo, president, head of football and coach) that was responsible and his actions trying to defend it to the death made the problem much worse for the club and dragged it on for many years longer than it should. It is neither deserving nor proper that he return to the club. Of course he should be allowed to move on with his life, but without full public and meaningful acknowledgment that Essendon tried to cheat, that door should forever remained closed.

3. On a pragmatic note, I don’t think Hird would be the best coach out there at the moment in any case for any team, his long absence from the game and limited recent footy experience tells me his days coaching a senior AFL team is past. Note, he is not too young to be a senior assistant coach for a year or two to get himself ‘coach fit’.

I agree with pretty much all of this, its just that every football club, indeed every organisation, has its politics. The politics at Essendon need fixing, but that ain't going to happen in a hurry. As such, to placate those who have power there and want Hird in as senior coach, I would try and cut the losses and look at bringing him back in another role.

Essendon really need to clear out some of their long time people, but are completely unwilling to do so. What they could do if someone there actually has a good assessment of their current situation is to start to move in some outside people and get fresh eyes on how to improve, all the while placating powerful groups by having some of their favoured people still at the club. It is a judgement call as to how you think you can actually change an organisation given the power dynamics already in place.

DS

 

[leon]

Did you see that Tanya was scammed 30k to fix a downpipe that should have cost $300?

Definitely a quality choice to assist new hubby coach in the financial and legal departments then?

 

[leon]

Chocco is the one I would be chasing.

Seriously doubt Chocco would remotely consider going there with Sheedy on the board and omnipresent. Didn't he renege on the unofficial deal to hand over at GWS to Williams to become new head coach when Sheedy had had enough?

 

[leon]

Its so bad for them. Ross Lyon laughing about “no vibe“ and not even taking them seriously shows how far they’ve fallen.

I don’t think Hinkley even thinks about it. Reckon it’s Leon Cameron.

Yep, Leon Cameron the last man standing of 'experienced coaches' - he might be about to pull off a Stephen Bradbury!

Might not be such a bad choice either - could tighten up their defence and would have more attacking options with developing young talls, others like Perkins, Stringer, than he had at GWS.

 

[JimJessTorp]

Nek Minut...

*David Barham is going through his iPhone6 contacts list*
DB: Neald - Nah... Too wishy washy for me
DB: Cameron - Can he coach? Might have to wait till after the finals as Brissie need him to kick goals this week
DB: Lyon - He'd be good - Shifty eyes though - And has a dodgy past with former work colleagues female family members - Played great for Melbourne in his day though
DB: Hardwick - Never heard of him, how is he in my contacts list?
DB: Hird... Oh, oh, oh, ooooh ...... Oops I need a tissue now
DB: Rutten - Now there's a familiar name. Good background, been a senior coach previously, has been an assistant at a successful club - I reckon he's the one
DB: *pushes button on office intercom* Charlene? Charlene?
Charlene (DBs PA): Yes, Mr Barham?
DB: Get a Mr Ben Rutten on the phone will you? I reckon I've found our new coach!
Charlene: But Mr Barnum he was....
DB: *Interrupting* Not now Charlene - Just get him for me
Charlene: Yes Sir
Charlene: *mumbles* Another blithering idiot in the Chairman's seat - I wish James was here....

 

[TigerForce]

Browneye says Leon Cameron's interested.

Not very good responses from the Bummer ferals.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1567759041153368064

 

[artball]

A world of worry for the Bummers ..

They will find a coach. But only because someone will NEED a job rather than WANT to coach there.

 

[AngryAnt]

As much as I revel in Essendon's abject incompetence and enjoy seeing its miserable penchant for exceptionalism play out in ever-more humiliating ways, I largely agree with this.

Hird will carry the cheating scandal as an albatross around his neck for the rest of his life. He's paid a heavy price. It's not lost on me that a public pile-on can take an extraordinary toll. I do wish he'd accepted justice as served ... and, on reflection, I think he would agree his stupid club would have been able to move forward if he'd acknowledged the poor appointments, decisions and record-keeping that took place under his watch. It was a failure of epic proportions.

That said ...

Do we believe he's done the time for doing the crime? I do. Continuing to hinder him from going about his life is not cool.

Like others, though, I would consider the club's 'process' to be yet another embarrassing misstep if all it amounted to was a testing of the waters before defaulting to a Hird appointment. You'd like to think he won the job on merit, which is an unconvincing proposition.

But, I do think it's time to let the bloke go about his life.

I agree. If a club wants him as a coach then that's fine.

Don't think he's the best candidate but that's up to them.

 

[craig]