When will Bernie go !!

[AngryAnt]

Well I apologise for being less than civil but you are arguing for the sake of arguing,

It's OK - I am argumentative. But I do actually enjoy reading your posts even though I don't always agree. And I don't get upset when people call me names on here, it's par for the course.

On the broader issue of Dimma and success this year, the counter-argument is that Dimma got the best out of the list that he could with the strategies he used. And we've seen he's used a number of different strategies, changed to the more defensive/lateral kicking etc etc post 2013/4(? I forget the year now) and that served us well for two years - we got higher on the ladder than we'd been for years and all looked great until a few brainfades and slip ups cost us top four. But we could have easily made top four in 2015 WITH that game plan. I know you and others will argue against that til the day you day, which is fine.

Hindsight is 20:20 of course and the pain of last year meant that game plan was no longer tenable, as you and your gang of merry men had pointed out. But like I said in previous posts, Dimma was actually BOLD to take that constipated tack and it nearly paid off. It didn't, but it nearly did.

Now, as he said last year, we had a shocker and there is some (debated) evidence that he trialled the new more aggressive plan last year as per the Doggies game, and in the VFL, and definitely in the preseason. And he/Balme/the review also said if we want to make this work we need new assistants to help him execute. Job done.

We put a lot of faith in Griffo to perform and stay fit to fill the CHF hole - a calculated risk that didn't pay off. A shame since he showed some good signs early. Such is life.

Anyway, I'm back on the Dimma bandwagon. Congrats on the midseason AA honour Dimma.

 

[Ian4]

It's never been a more confusing time to be a Damien Hardwick hater.

Disagree. many of us in the anti Hardwick brigade said before the season that a finals win is the minimum expectation for him to keep his job. I admit I am very surprised at our ladder position and we are tracking well for finals, but he's a long way from satisfying his critics.

 

[leon]

Disagree. many of us in the anti Hardwick brigade said before the season that a finals win is the minimum expectation for him to keep his job. I admit I am very surprised at our ladder position and we are tracking well for finals, but he's a long way from satisfying his critics.

Have all you guys in the AHB once again confused your participation on PRE with being in charge of RFC coach contracts? [Luckily no earthly connection]

 

[Baron Samedi]

I think you mean "vacuous riposte" but I'll concede they are hard words to spell for some. And if you can point out the years of posts where darksiders said "appoint a midfield spread coach, play an incredibly short forward line and where the smalls role is to tackle and pressure manically as well as kick the odd goal", be my guest.

What do you actually think about Dimma's AA coach of the mid-season award? Well-deserved? A total farce? Should have gone to Leppacella?

laughable.

first of all, correcting Lamby's spelling is a sign of desperation. the last refuge of the intimidated.

second, RFC clearly had their hands tied with the Hardwick extension. the addition of Balme, Leppa and Caracella is reflective of Dimma's overall failure. he ain't done nuttin' of substance. as Ian rightly points out, september beckons.

as ever, your point of view is an amalgam of others' opinions and what you think sounds sensible and reasonable.

problem is, it rarely takes into account the reality of football :hihi

 

[Puntrd64]

dimma , the AA coach whose innovation saw him want to pull an entire team off the ground in JLT Rd 3 2016. And we all know how 2016 fared.

 

[Bullarto Tiger]

Maybe sometime in 2018, but then again ...

 

[Aegean Tiger]

Wonderful that we are now arguing the merits of a coach that has just been named provisional AA coach and has his team in the 4 at the half way point.

Still, one week at a time......

 

[pete and tys]

A massive and complete change in game plan this year. Just has to be due to input from new assistants.

 

[pete and tys]

PS...the game style last year was diabolical.

 

[Baloo]

Disagree. many of us in the anti Hardwick brigade said before the season that a finals win is the minimum expectation for him to keep his job.

I'm pretty sure that sentiment was universal and not just the domain of the "anti-Hardwick".

 

[Brodders17]

i am still a little confused how a coach who has a hopeless recruiter and a dud list manger can be in the gun after making finals 3 out of the last 4 years, and now has us sitting top 4.

 

[Baloo]

i am still a little confused how a coach who has a hopeless recruiter and a dud list manger can be in the gun after making finals 3 out of the last 4 years, and now has us sitting top 4.

Because he started reading and following the advice in PRE

 

[TigerMasochist]

Perhaps I'm going mad, or maybe just getting old n senile. Don't see all that much difference to our game style this year compared to our game of 2013, still swarming n charging forward, trying to use the corridor to attack. Except for the fact that we are working far better defensively all over the ground, instead of just all out attack n nil defense from our forwards n mids.

Elite senior players are pretty much the same, but now fully matured. There's a much quicker brigade of youngsters than some of the heavier plodders we had. But I reckon Dimma has finally got the right balance of defensive work ethic right across the ground to allow and enable us to attack when the opportunity and momentum allows. Far more resilient at absorbing opposition pressure without conceding blow out scores n counter punching our way out of trouble.
Still got a couple of holes in the list that will make finals difficult, especially that second key forward / ruck support.

 

[AngryAnt]

laughable.

first of all, correcting Lamby's spelling is a sign of desperation. the last refuge of the intimidated.

second, RFC clearly had their hands tied with the Hardwick extension. the addition of Balme, Leppa and Caracella is reflective of Dimma's overall failure. he ain't done nuttin' of substance. as Ian rightly points out, september beckons.

as ever, your point of view is an amalgam of others' opinions and what you think sounds sensible and reasonable.

problem is, it rarely takes into account the reality of football :hihi

Yeah yeah ,whatever Baron. Try to keep up mate.

 

[AngryAnt]

Because he started reading and following the advice in PRE

Better late than never. Perhaps we can petition the AFL to give the AA coach recognition to the PREnders who were calling for this exact game plan for the last few years. They are the real heroes in all of this.

 

[Baloo]

Better late than never. Perhaps we can petition the AFL to give the AA coach recognition to the PREnders who were calling for this exact game plan for the last few years. They are the real heroes in all of this.

We can be heroes, just for one season

 

[Puntrd64]

I'm presuming AA Coach stands for attack averse......... I 'm sure Jack enjoyed playing on the wing with an empty forward line all those seasons.

 

[AngryAnt]

I'm presuming AA Coach stands for attack averse......... I 'm sure Jack enjoyed playing on the wing with an empty forward line all those seasons.

Perhaps, but you have to bear in mind that Bernie won the mid-season AA award for this year, not previous years.

 

[lamb22]

i am still a little confused how a coach who has a hopeless recruiter and a dud list manger can be in the gun after making finals 3 out of the last 4 years, and now has us sitting top 4.

Maybe the club followed some good advice albeit 12 months too late.

"So in summary the list is good but unbalanced in relation to age profile, The game plan and the limitations of our coaching staff cant get the best out of our list and ignore to our detriment some class that lays mostly dormant at lower levels. Finally our list is short changed by game day coaching.

I have always acknowledged and applaud Hardwick for the change to culture, his ability to gel the group, his basic decency and likeability. His defensive set ups have improved us immensely from our very low base.

But I put him in the Ross Lyon category. His absolute belief makes him blind to other (and mostly better) options. Like Lyon he continues to stick fat with role players who can only play up to their limit and therefore are found wanting in big games.

He skews list development towards Hardwick drones ( Note how Lyon left St Kilda's list in a shambles) at the expense of balance.

He does not trust those that make the game look easy as it goes against his DNA.

If we had picked Hinkley we would be a vastly different team even with identical players. The coach matters!!

If there are no obvious contenders Hardwick stays but we must give him some help in the areas he lacks, match day, forward structure, identifying modifications to the game plan and players who are not naturals to the game plan which or who will make the team better.

Someone like Bomber would be ideal in a football sense although he is likely to be disruptive. Maybe some senior assistants like knights or someone with a different coaching philosophy who could challenge the ruling mentality on occasions.

If Hardwick was not coach and we had say Hinkley or Clarkson Id be confident of top 2 this year as I think our list is that good.

Sadly Hardwick's greatest skill is never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity."

Interesting to see how the rest of the year pans out

 

[T-Shirt Tommy]

I didn't realise that the mid-season AA coach of the year award was a thing.