The mega gnashing of teeth, save the players etc

I have awoken this morning with two very clear feelings about the club moving forward

Our list has the bones of a premiership contender. People go on about our spine, but these last few weeks have shown me that its our bottom end of the 22 where our biggest advancements will come. Zerrett, Laverde, Edwards, Langford and Daniher are all 21 or under and have the ability to legitimately become stars of the comp. All of them have shown at time in the last 8 weeks that they have tools that can win games of football. They are all exciting, and all have that class that has been so rare to the red and black the last few years.

I am really starting to become certain, we cant move forward with Hird as coach. It pains me to say, because if there is any man on earth who could pull this off against the odds, it James Hird. But here is the thing, this is a pro sports team, a business, with a million stake holders. You cant make a decision with the intent to move your business forward based on someone defying the odds from this far back. Even if that man is James Hird. We will never know if James Hird can be a premiership coach, sure, but we cant afford to make a decision on what moves a list of 44 forward over one man.


Is it just A pro sports team? Or is it Essendon. Because if it’s just A pro sports team, I don’t really give a ■■■■ what happens to it.

That’s the problem FS, to many choices and non choices being made because this IS Essendon and not what’s for the best

I've got more of a problem with the whole raping of Essendon by the AFL for political reasons. But if you think making choices in the spirit of "Essendon means something" is the problem. Each to their own. Must be nice to have the media on your side for a change.

We let that cat amongst those pigeons FS, and we either kill the pigeons or remove the cat.

We need to make a decision as to which course to take, and stick to it.

That really is the key, if we back Hird, then we must do so without any restrictions or constraints. If we are to continue to ties his hands then we must depart and go for a complete clean sweep. Board chairman , CEO and Coach.

I dont give a ■■■■ if the club go 0-23 next season with Paul Corogan coaching, if they regain some sense of hope and fulfilment then everyone else can go and get ■■■■■■.

Good on Shane Crawford for not being a slave to the machine.

Like.

“I want to make it clear I do not condone any sort of injections program at any football club. In fact, I am totally opposed to it”

Just tweeted this to Crawf. Lets see what the response is.

Personally, I think Crawf should be applauded for setting aside his personal opinions on supplements when it comes to objectively assessing Hird’s coaching. Shows an ability to let go of bias. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to all the articles espousing the idea that Hird is Machiavellian drug lord and should be removed as coach.

Kind of also implies that he doesn’t blame Hird for the supplements saga.

So it’s a long way to say sack everyone related to the saga and everyone you don’t like.

Far from boycotting games and turning our backs on the ground or whatever we should just show up in unprecedented numbers for the last 2 melb games and create a finals atmosphere for our boys. It’s a bit rich to stick the boots into them for not putting in sufficent effort or being mentally shot when each week fewer and fewer of us are showing up (and I put my hand up for being guilty of that)

Probably semantics.
We weren’t like this Dank was there. Nor when he was at GC nor Melbourne nor Manly or Cronulla or when he was consulting to RObinson at Geelong etc. Some of them improved, some went slightly backwards, some pogoed up and down and ended up where they were.

The cancer is the inquisition.
Not Dank.

He played apart in opening the door to the inquisition, to the Saga, the cancer.

But he’s not the one keeping this going.

■■■■ what any fan feels, myself included. Every single decision made from this moment on needs to be made with the paramount point being the repairing the damage that has been done to every person who has worn the red and black at any level since 2012. If that means spearing Hird, sacking Doc Reid, removing Simon Maddens life membership so be it. None of those guys deserve that, but if they are not the best people for the task ahead, move them on. Everyone has to justify their position from here in with results that improve things for these players.

No one person loyalty should usurp the loyalty that is shown to these players. They trump all.

Fkg concur though.

Some people on here are going to go full Smythy the Monday after Round 23 if they don’t start entertaining the possibility now.

FWIW I get why people back Hird, he has been the public face of being ■■■■■■ over, and having him moved on due to the weight of public sentiment is just plain wrong, and he does not deserve that for all he ha sacrificed for the club and the respect he has earn’t as a player and a person. However, that could also putting what’s right by Hird ahead of whats right by the players, the ones who have truly being wronged more than anyone.

It needs to be about the players, not just say it is.

yay another thread.

Will be interesting to see how many of the " if Hird goes Im done with the club" nut jobs follow through if Hird gets the ■■■■
Those nut jobs have been one of the reasons the club has been so resilient during this crap and why he didn't get the sack last year. We would lose many thousands of members if Hird is sacked while the elephant is still in the room. The club would do well to grow some bigger nuts and let him at least coach out his contract.
If Hird goes into 2016 as senior coach he will be a lame duck. If he loses a few early he will be gone, if he wins a few early then the noise will die down but he's never going to be trusted to take this list to a premiership after the disgraceful performances of the last 10 weeks.

We need someone new, preferably either a new coach from a progressive program (eg Dew) or an older coach with a history of success (eg Lyon, Longmire, Worsfold). I’d even look at Ratten and McCartney as guys who deserve a second chance as senior coaches.

Hird is not a premiership coach who has had a bad luck year, his only coaching experience is with his son’s U14s. The AFL is not the place to learn how to turn an underperforming team around.


I could have sworn he’s coached before.
Like 3 or 4 years’ worth?
Must be crazy.
FWIW I get why people back Hird, he has been the public face of being ■■■■■■ over, and having him moved on due to the weight of public sentiment is just plain wrong, and he does not deserve that for all he ha sacrificed for the club and the respect he has earn't as a player and a person. However, that could also putting what's right by Hird ahead of whats right by the players, the ones who have truly being wronged more than anyone.

It needs to be about the players, not just say it is.


The players have done everything they can to support Hird. Hird has done everything he can to support the players. Everyone understood that for the past couple of years until the players started losing games of football.

I’ve heard some arguments for why sacking Hird is a brutal professional necessity. That argument generally goes hand in hand with the brutal axing of no longer AFL standard players that Hird is too soft on due to feeling over protective. I’m not sure I understand the argument where the effected players need Hird sacked.

Far from boycotting games and turning our backs on the ground or whatever we should just show up in unprecedented for the last 2 melb games and create a finals atmosphere for our boys. It's a bit rich to stick the boots into them for not putting in sufficed effort or being mentally shot which each week fewer and fewer of us a showing up (and I put my hand up for being guilty of that)
spot on Ivan, this is what im saying, people have to stop talking about supporting the player, and start supporting the players
Will be interesting to see how many of the " if Hird goes Im done with the club" nut jobs follow through if Hird gets the ■■■■
Those nut jobs have been one of the reasons the club has been so resilient during this crap and why he didn't get the sack last year. We would lose many thousands of members if Hird is sacked while the elephant is still in the room. The club would do well to grow some bigger nuts and let him at least coach out his contract.

I want Hird to coach next year but I’d never quit on my club. Giving it away because Hird isn’t there is moronic.

Will be interesting to see how many of the " if Hird goes Im done with the club" nut jobs follow through if Hird gets the ■■■■
Those nut jobs have been one of the reasons the club has been so resilient during this crap and why he didn't get the sack last year. We would lose many thousands of members if Hird is sacked while the elephant is still in the room. The club would do well to grow some bigger nuts and let him at least coach out his contract.

They’ve always been around from save sheedy to sack knights to Hird has to be sacked to stand by Hird. If Hird is sacked there will be a drop of probably 15k. If he stands down maybe 5k in my opinion.

I have awoken this morning with two very clear feelings about the club moving forward

Our list has the bones of a premiership contender. People go on about our spine, but these last few weeks have shown me that its our bottom end of the 22 where our biggest advancements will come. Zerrett, Laverde, Edwards, Langford and Daniher are all 21 or under and have the ability to legitimately become stars of the comp. All of them have shown at time in the last 8 weeks that they have tools that can win games of football. They are all exciting, and all have that class that has been so rare to the red and black the last few years.

I am really starting to become certain, we cant move forward with Hird as coach. It pains me to say, because if there is any man on earth who could pull this off against the odds, it James Hird. But here is the thing, this is a pro sports team, a business, with a million stake holders. You cant make a decision with the intent to move your business forward based on someone defying the odds from this far back. Even if that man is James Hird. We will never know if James Hird can be a premiership coach, sure, but we cant afford to make a decision on what moves a list of 44 forward over one man.


You can’t make a decision to move the business forward full stop at the moment.
Every one of the ‘34’ boys look limp, look like they want to be anywhere else but on the field and so do a fair few that aren’t part of it.

The business side of it just doesn’t enter into it until the ASAGA wraps up. It’s impossible to separate the one from the other.

If we return to good mental health, and on field success with Hird as coach that is awesome. But I actually dont want this to be a thread about Hird, I want this to be a thread about what is best for the players.

If that means hiring Waleed Aly as media manager then ■■■■ it, do it. left field fellas

First thing everyone needs is no WADA hanging around then players can choose what they feel is best to move forward.

In the mean time I’d suggest a media blackout from the club. Only do interviews required so we don’t get fined by AFL.

If you’re a fan and you see a player leave them alone or if you do approach them don’t talk about the saga at all.

Keep supporting the team with messages of support.

There’s a big assumption that once Hird is gone or once CAS is finished, all will be over and it will be business as usual.

Given what has happened to our boys and their mental state what I am thinking is how long will it take them to recover?

What if some don’t recover, given the level of trauma being suffered, this may be a possibility.

I don’t know the answer to these questions but I am also starting to think that the bounce back may not be immediate.