How did this team finish 6th?

[Joffa Burns]

Average games played per player 70
Average age 24
Rated #2 in the AFL for the most experienced list that season
Without a doubt the best balanced and experienced list I have seen us assemble
The majority of players featured in finals in 04 & 05 so were experienced and ready to have a tilt at a flag but we dropped to 6th and were eliminated round one of finals by Melbourne.

Why the decline from 04 & 05, what went wrong?
How could this list finish 6th?
2006 was a disaster for the club and we were obviously in serious decline.

10 All Australians throughout their careers
12 first round draft picks ( 2 x no.1 & 2 x no.2)
The only regular first 18 player under 22 was Goddard
Experience, hard bodied mid tier players, elite talent at all age brackets.

Core
Harvey 34
Peckett 33
Thompson 33
Gehrig 30
Hudghton 29
Powell 28
Hamill 28
Voss 28
Hayes 26
Milne 26
Baker 25
Fiora 25
Schwarze 24
Fisher 24
Kossie 24
Riewoldt 24
Clark 22
Montagna 22
Dalsanto 22
Ball 22
Maguire 22
Gram 22
Goddard 20
R Clarke 20
Gilbert 19
Mc Qualter 19
Gwilt 19

Extras
Rix 25
Ackland 25
Murray 24
L Fisher 22
McGough 21
Ferguson 21
Watts 21
Brooks 21
Pfitzner 21
Mc Donald 19
Raymond Corr 19
Sweeney 18

[Shaggy]

Average games played per player 70
Average age 24
Rated #2 in the AFL for the most experienced list that season
Without a doubt the best balanced and experienced list I have seen us assemble
The majority of players featured in finals in 04 & 05 so were experienced and ready to have a tilt at a flag but we dropped to 6th and were eliminated round one of finals by Melbourne.

Why the decline from 04 & 05, what went wrong?
How could this list finish 6th?
2006 was a disaster for the club and we were obviously in serious decline.

10 All Australians throughout their careers
12 first round draft picks ( 2 x no.1 & 2 x no.2)
The only regular first 18 player under 22 was Goddard
Experience, hard bodied mid tier players, elite talent at all age brackets.

Core
Harvey 34
Peckett 33
Thompson 33
Gehrig 30
Hudghton 29
Powell 28
Hamill 28
Voss 28
Hayes 26
Milne 26
Baker 25
Fiora 25
Schwarze 24
Fisher 24
Kossie 24
Riewoldt 24
Clark 22
Montagna 22
Dalsanto 22
Ball 22
Maguire 22
Gram 22
Goddard 20
R Clarke 20
Gilbert 19
Mc Qualter 19
Gwilt 19

Extras
Rix 25
Ackland 25
Murray 24
L Fisher 22
McGough 21
Ferguson 21
Watts 21
Brooks 21
Pfitzner 21
Mc Donald 19
Raymond Corr 19
Sweeney 18

You are being deliberately misleading so I will respond with own stats:

AAs
2006 – 10 but only 4 in the sweet spot age 23-28 years of age
2009 - 12 and 7 in the sweet spot age

1ST Round draft picks
2006 – 12 but only 4 in the sweet spot,
RL - 12 and 7 in the sweet spot age

Injuries
2006 – smashed
2009 – normal

Age demographics of key players and injuries makes a big difference to year by year performance. Bundy clearly thinks the same.

You either do not understand the impact of age and injuries or you do not want to understand because of your obvious dislike of GT.

[Cordz2]

Injuries

[Darth Vader]

Lenny’s knee.

[Darth Vader]

And the 2 points taken from us and given to Fero after the Sirengate game cost us 3rd spot.

[saintspremiers]

And those 12 extras were ALL HACKS!

[skeptic]

No good ruck
Schwarze and Fiora were nothing special
Was Hamil even playing at this stage... certainly not at his best
Gehrig, Thompson and Powell were certainly not at their peak
Goddard and Gram weren’t nearly the players they would become
Voss and Maguire were a step away being out of the top 22 altogether
Raph Clark.

And of course, we lost our first final after struggling to field 18 fit players after halftime. Gehrig standing in the goal square with a torn hamstring was a high point

[shanegrambeau]

Not picking Brooks and hoping Kossie would be the only ruck in a final. Obstinate Thommo selection.

As for the players. They were good enough.
Fiora and X Clark certainly had skills and the Seven Samurai (Hayes, Roo, Goddard, Milne, Ball, Dal, Montagna) were certainly there. Some good soldiers there too, in Powell, Thompson, Peckett and Macquire. Maxy is a fav and beyond judgment. I never appreciated Hamill, didn't he have one and a half good seasons.Just so injured and got sick of hearing about his courage and guts etc. For extras, add pre-concussion Kossie and ageless and wise Rob Harvey..For the G-Train. I can't remember where he was at, but I think he was still effective.

[Superboot]

Could have gone further.

Lost to Melbourne because Gehrig attempted one of his weird run round the man on the mark things and injured his ankle.

[Scollop]

Average games played per player 70
Average age 24
Rated #2 in the AFL for the most experienced list that season
Without a doubt the best balanced and experienced list I have seen us assemble
The majority of players featured in finals in 04 & 05 so were experienced and ready to have a tilt at a flag but we dropped to 6th and were eliminated round one of finals by Melbourne.

Why the decline from 04 & 05, what went wrong?
How could this list finish 6th?
2006 was a disaster for the club and we were obviously in serious decline.

10 All Australians throughout their careers
12 first round draft picks ( 2 x no.1 & 2 x no.2)
The only regular first 18 player under 22 was Goddard
Experience, hard bodied mid tier players, elite talent at all age brackets.

Core
Harvey 34
Peckett 33
Thompson 33
Gehrig 30
Hudghton 29
Powell 28
Hamill 28
Voss 28
Hayes 26
Milne 26
Baker 25
Fiora 25
Schwarze 24
Fisher 24
Kossie 24
Riewoldt 24
Clark 22
Montagna 22
Dalsanto 22
Ball 22
Maguire 22
Gram 22
Goddard 20
R Clarke 20
Gilbert 19
Mc Qualter 19
Gwilt 19

Extras
Rix 25
Ackland 25
Murray 24
L Fisher 22
McGough 21
Ferguson 21
Watts 21
Brooks 21
Pfitzner 21
Mc Donald 19
Raymond Corr 19
Sweeney 18

You are being deliberately misleading so I will respond with own stats:

AAs
2006 – 10 but only 4 in the sweet spot age 23-28 years of age
2009 - 12 and 7 in the sweet spot age

1ST Round draft picks
2006 – 12 but only 4 in the sweet spot,
RL - 12 and 7 in the sweet spot age

Injuries
2006 – smashed
2009 – normal

Age demographics of key players and injuries makes a big difference to year by year performance. Bundy clearly thinks the same.

You either do not understand the impact of age and injuries or you do not want to understand because of your obvious dislike of GT.

Yeah but Paul Roos and Robert Walls were telling us in 2009 that Ross was the best coach in the AFL...it must be true if such esteemed coaches and media commentators and celebrated ex footballers were annointing him the coach of the century. Both these guys spread of the gospel of Lyon the ‘great coach’. They were out of the industry in any direct manner, but you’d see or hear them all the time. They were heavily involved in the perpetual myth and who better to sell the message than a couple of media giants

Forget about the fact that Ross was their mate. Forget about the fact that Walls helped recommend that Lyon be given the job at the Saints. Forget about their links to Fitzroy and forget about the fact that Ross was an assistant coach under Roos when the Swans won the flag...forget all that. This was just their unbiased opinion based on a marvellous home and away record for a team that were mainly full of hacks before Ross arrived

[Joffa Burns]

Average games played per player 70
Average age 24
Rated #2 in the AFL for the most experienced list that season
Without a doubt the best balanced and experienced list I have seen us assemble
The majority of players featured in finals in 04 & 05 so were experienced and ready to have a tilt at a flag but we dropped to 6th and were eliminated round one of finals by Melbourne.

Why the decline from 04 & 05, what went wrong?
How could this list finish 6th?
2006 was a disaster for the club and we were obviously in serious decline.

10 All Australians throughout their careers
12 first round draft picks ( 2 x no.1 & 2 x no.2)
The only regular first 18 player under 22 was Goddard
Experience, hard bodied mid tier players, elite talent at all age brackets.

Core
Harvey 34
Peckett 33
Thompson 33
Gehrig 30
Hudghton 29
Powell 28
Hamill 28
Voss 28
Hayes 26
Milne 26
Baker 25
Fiora 25
Schwarze 24
Fisher 24
Kossie 24
Riewoldt 24
Clark 22
Montagna 22
Dalsanto 22
Ball 22
Maguire 22
Gram 22
Goddard 20
R Clarke 20
Gilbert 19
Mc Qualter 19
Gwilt 19

Extras
Rix 25
Ackland 25
Murray 24
L Fisher 22
McGough 21
Ferguson 21
Watts 21
Brooks 21
Pfitzner 21
Mc Donald 19
Raymond Corr 19
Sweeney 18

You are being deliberately misleading so I will respond with own stats:

AAs
2006 – 10 but only 4 in the sweet spot age 23-28 years of age
2009 - 12 and 7 in the sweet spot age

1ST Round draft picks
2006 – 12 but only 4 in the sweet spot,
RL - 12 and 7 in the sweet spot age

Injuries
2006 – smashed
2009 – normal

Age demographics of key players and injuries makes a big difference to year by year performance. Bundy clearly thinks the same.

You either do not understand the impact of age and injuries or you do not want to understand because of your obvious dislike of GT.

Yeah but Paul Roos and Robert Walls were telling us in 2009 that Ross was the best coach in the AFL...it must be true if such esteemed coaches and media commentators and celebrated ex footballers were annointing him the coach of the century. Both these guys spread of the gospel of Lyon the ‘great coach’. They were out of the industry in any direct manner, but you’d see or hear them all the time. They were heavily involved in the perpetual myth and who better to sell the message than a couple of media giants

Forget about the fact that Ross was their mate. Forget about the fact that Walls helped recommend that Lyon be given the job at the Saints. Forget about their links to Fitzroy and forget about the fact that Ross was an assistant coach under Roos when the Swans won the flag...forget all that. This was just their unbiased opinion based on a marvellous home and away record for a team that were mainly full of hacks before Ross arrived

What has this thread or query got to do with Ross Lyon?

I have started this thread about the 2006 season as I feel this is a massive lost opportunity for the Saints.
With no footy on I think this could be interesting discussion.

The reasons I see this as a lost opportunity is as follows:

- Age and experience demographic of list
- Finals experience of list
- Talent of list 10 x AA at various stages of their careers
- Coach in his 5th full season (plus a part) should have been experienced and at the top of his game

Why did this team fail?
- I believe they were mismanaged physically
- The game plan was floored with no plan B
- We were unprofessional as a club (drug addict president) and a coaching group, installed an inexperienced incompetent coach who did not improve on his weaknesses - I believe the coaches strengths wera as a VG motivator and communicator but had issues with game plan and preparation that were never properly addressed over 5.5 years in the role.

I'd be keen to hear your thoughts on 2006 not on Ross Lyon.

Did you think 06 was a successful season and would have set us up to win 2 or 3 flags under GT like Rendell thinks?

[skeptic]

Do you see it as a bigger missed opportunity than 04 or 05?

From my POV, 04-05 was a bit more overall peak for this list.
Gehrig, Hamil, Peckett, Jones, Thompson, Harvey were more at or closer to their best here and in 06 there was something more towards a decline IMO.

GT also made the mistake of not recruiting/trading well in the off-season over that period.
Ackland had his one ok year in 05 but wasn’t able to back up
Rix was garbage and Brooks was never the same post injury though he was certainly far from a proven player to begin with.
Knobel was a big loss at the end of 04 and Fiora to Black was a big step down as well.

It’s interesting.

I would say by far that 05 was the year of the missed opportunity. If one was ever going to sacrifice a year to properly top up... off-season 04 was the time to do it

[kosifantutti]

Pfitzner 21
Mc Donald 19
Raymond Corr 19
Sweeney 18

Who's Raymond Corr?

Phillip Raymond and Cathal Corr are two different people.

And if you want some plumbing done in the north eastern suburbs, get in touch with Cathal at Corr Plumbing.

Highly recommended by my sister.

[Joffa Burns]

Yeah but Paul Roos and Robert Walls were telling us in 2009 that Ross was the best coach in the AFL...it must be true if such esteemed coaches and media commentators and celebrated ex footballers were annointing him the coach of the century. Both these guys spread of the gospel of Lyon the ‘great coach’. They were out of the industry in any direct manner, but you’d see or hear them all the time. They were heavily involved in the perpetual myth and who better to sell the message than a couple of media giants

Forget about the fact that Ross was their mate. Forget about the fact that Walls helped recommend that Lyon be given the job at the Saints. Forget about their links to Fitzroy and forget about the fact that Ross was an assistant coach under Roos when the Swans won the flag...forget all that. This was just their unbiased opinion based on a marvellous home and away record for a team that were mainly full of hacks before Ross arrived

So you are anti nepotism then?
Do you actually realise how ironic your nepotism rant is given its based in support of GT?

Let's take away your hysteria and look at the facts.

Ross Lyon appointment
- 10 years assistant coach @ Richmond, Carlton & Sydney before being appointed senior coach
- The panel put together by Saints to secure the new coach chose Lyon
- GT reportedly approached Lyon to join the Saints while he was coach
- While saints coach Ross got a grandfather deal to coach Freo
- Got the arse at Freo - first sacking in 23 years coaching
- Approached by Adelaide re discussion for senior job for 2020 but declined

GT appointment
- Coached Old Xavs & Warnambool many years earlier
- Spent 4 months under Stan as assistant in 94 and got the arse
- Got the arse as Chairman of selectors at North Melbourne'
- Got the saints job due to his best mate (the drug addict) who was president
- Got the arse at saints when the club went into decline in 06
- Never got another job coaching in AFL

let me know which of the above listed are incorrect!

[Joffa Burns]

Who's Raymond Corr?

The older non musical brother of Andrea, Sharon, Carolyn & Jim?

[samoht]

By the same token - how did Freo go from a Grand Finalist one year to a cellar dweller and a 0-10 starter the next?
This was a team with plenty of top-end talent - Fyfe, Walters, Brad Hill, Neale, Mundy, etc .. and with a significant home-ground advantage.
Same talented team under the same coach.
How did they totally nosedive like that from one season to the next?

This goes beyond RL vs GT.

Bottom line, the choice is:
We can be fair, balanced and accurate - or we can ignore and bury facts that don't suit our biases, and just bring up facts that do - cherry pick them, just to win arguments.
If we choose the latter, we'd be choosing to have a distorted view of things, ultimately - just to win an argument!! Is this what we want?
In any case, luckily, I"m always here to set the record straight - and rebalance things.

Both GT and RL deserved to be shown the door (Freo finally saw the light after RL's abysmal last 4 year 32.9% w/l ratio), IMO ... for reasons already discussed (in other threads).

[skeptic]

By the same token - how did Freo go from a Grand Finalist one year to a cellar dweller and a 0-10 starter the next?
This was a team with plenty of top-end talent - Fyfe, Walters, Brad Hill, Neale, Mundy, etc .. and with a significant home-ground advantage.
Same talented team under the same coach.
How did they totally nosedive like that from one season to the next?

This goes beyond RL vs GT.

Bottom line, the choice is:
We can be fair, balanced and accurate - or we can ignore and bury facts that don't suit our biases, and just bring up facts that do - cherry pick them, just to win arguments.
If we choose the latter, we'd be choosing to have a distorted view of things, ultimately - just to win an argument!! Is this what we want?
In any case, luckily, I"m always here to set the record straight - and rebalance things.

Both GT and RL deserved to be shown the door (Freo finally saw the light after RL's abysmal last 4 year 32.9% w/l ratio), IMO ... for reasons already discussed (in other threads).

Good post.

My one query was did GT really have the proper opportunity to adapt and change.

Many here assume that he would not / could not.

He went prelim, prelim, 6th and out as one era of stars ran their race and the club needed to reload.
I wonder what that would have looked like

[Mr Magic]

By the same token - how did Freo go from a Grand Finalist one year to a cellar dweller and a 0-10 starter the next?
This was a team with plenty of top-end talent - Fyfe, Walters, Brad Hill, Neale, Mundy, etc .. and with a significant home-ground advantage.
Same talented team under the same coach.
How did they totally nosedive like that from one season to the next?

This goes beyond RL vs GT.

Bottom line, the choice is:
We can be fair, balanced and accurate - or we can ignore and bury facts that don't suit our biases, and just bring up facts that do - cherry pick them, just to win arguments.
If we choose the latter, we'd be choosing to have a distorted view of things, ultimately - just to win an argument!! Is this what we want?
In any case, luckily, I"m always here to set the record straight - and rebalance things.

Both GT and RL deserved to be shown the door (Freo finally saw the light after RL's abysmal last 4 year 32.9% w/l ratio), IMO ... for reasons already discussed (in other threads).

Good post.

My one query was did GT really have the proper opportunity to adapt and change.

Many here assume that he would not / could not.

He went prelim, prelim, 6th and out as one era of stars ran their race and the club needed to reload.
I wonder what that would have looked like

Maybe, the reason GT got sacked was more to do with his relationships at the Club?
Maybe by the end of 2006 his reported intransigence with other opinions may have caused his relationships with other staff at the Club to be too dysfunctional? It certainly had with his 'great mate' the President.

I find it intriguing that there are very few players that he coached who laud him as a coach. Most say he was a 'great motivator' but I don't believe I've ever seen a report of a player from that era calling him a 'great coach' or even an 'astute coach'.
In 2002/3 I was a member of a GT coterie group that got to listen to him talking to the players a couple of times a year. I thoroughly enjoyed those evenings and came away thinking he was a great motivator. BUT I have no idea about his ability to actually coach.

[Joffa Burns]

By the same token - how did Freo go from a Grand Finalist one year to a cellar dweller and a 0-10 starter the next?
This was a team with plenty of top-end talent - Fyfe, Walters, Brad Hill, Neale, Mundy, etc .. and with a significant home-ground advantage.
Same talented team under the same coach.
How did they totally nosedive like that from one season to the next?

This goes beyond RL vs GT.

Bottom line, the choice is:
We can be fair, balanced and accurate - or we can ignore and bury facts that don't suit our biases, and just bring up facts that do - cherry pick them, just to win arguments.
If we choose the latter, we'd be choosing to have a distorted view of things, ultimately - just to win an argument!! Is this what we want?
In any case, luckily, I"m always here to set the record straight - and rebalance things.

Both GT and RL deserved to be shown the door (Freo finally saw the light after RL's abysmal last 4 year 32.9% w/l ratio), IMO ... for reasons already discussed (in other threads).

I believe in patterns, Ross followed the same pattern at freo as at the Saints.
Work unbelievably hard and throw everything at a flag but when they come up short they fall over the edge and the message is shot.

Ross needed to go after 2011 at the Saints and again at freo.

I think he's the right coach for a group who have the talent to challenge and are prepared to buy in 100% and give it everything for the team, but he has a very limited life span.

[Joffa Burns]

By the same token - how did Freo go from a Grand Finalist one year to a cellar dweller and a 0-10 starter the next?
This was a team with plenty of top-end talent - Fyfe, Walters, Brad Hill, Neale, Mundy, etc .. and with a significant home-ground advantage.
Same talented team under the same coach.
How did they totally nosedive like that from one season to the next?

This goes beyond RL vs GT.

Bottom line, the choice is:
We can be fair, balanced and accurate - or we can ignore and bury facts that don't suit our biases, and just bring up facts that do - cherry pick them, just to win arguments.
If we choose the latter, we'd be choosing to have a distorted view of things, ultimately - just to win an argument!! Is this what we want?
In any case, luckily, I"m always here to set the record straight - and rebalance things.

Both GT and RL deserved to be shown the door (Freo finally saw the light after RL's abysmal last 4 year 32.9% w/l ratio), IMO ... for reasons already discussed (in other threads).

Good post.

My one query was did GT really have the proper opportunity to adapt and change.

Many here assume that he would not / could not.

He went prelim, prelim, 6th and out as one era of stars ran their race and the club needed to reload.
I wonder what that would have looked like

Maybe, the reason GT got sacked was more to do with his relationships at the Club?
Maybe by the end of 2006 his reported intransigence with other opinions may have caused his relationships with other staff at the Club to be too dysfunctional? It certainly had with his 'great mate' the President.

I find it intriguing that there are very few players that he coached who laud him as a coach. Most say he was a 'great motivator' but I don't believe I've ever seen a report of a player from that era calling him a 'great coach' or even an 'astute coach'.
In 2002/3 I was a member of a GT coterie group that got to listen to him talking to the players a couple of times a year. I thoroughly enjoyed those evenings and came away thinking he was a great motivator. BUT I have no idea about his ability to actually coach.

Good points, I attended quite a few functions and GT seemed a great motivator and even a father figure to the younger guys.

He spoke in management terms not footy terms, I've met Ross a few times and I see him as a relationship builder but not a great motivator, but when he talks football it is a whole different level than what was heard from GT presentations which were amateurish by comparison.

[samoht]

I think he's the right coach for a group who have the talent to challenge and are prepared to buy in 100% and give it everything for the team, but he has a very limited life span.

If coaching was like a sprint - a quick fly in and fly out job - a wham, bam, thank you premiership-tilt, and then a quick wave goodbye and I'll leave you to pick up the pieces if it doesn't go to plan type arrangement - then, yeah - he might be the guy.

[skeptic]

By the same token - how did Freo go from a Grand Finalist one year to a cellar dweller and a 0-10 starter the next?
This was a team with plenty of top-end talent - Fyfe, Walters, Brad Hill, Neale, Mundy, etc .. and with a significant home-ground advantage.
Same talented team under the same coach.
How did they totally nosedive like that from one season to the next?

This goes beyond RL vs GT.

Bottom line, the choice is:
We can be fair, balanced and accurate - or we can ignore and bury facts that don't suit our biases, and just bring up facts that do - cherry pick them, just to win arguments.
If we choose the latter, we'd be choosing to have a distorted view of things, ultimately - just to win an argument!! Is this what we want?
In any case, luckily, I"m always here to set the record straight - and rebalance things.

Both GT and RL deserved to be shown the door (Freo finally saw the light after RL's abysmal last 4 year 32.9% w/l ratio), IMO ... for reasons already discussed (in other threads).

Good post.

My one query was did GT really have the proper opportunity to adapt and change.

Many here assume that he would not / could not.

He went prelim, prelim, 6th and out as one era of stars ran their race and the club needed to reload.
I wonder what that would have looked like

Maybe, the reason GT got sacked was more to do with his relationships at the Club?
Maybe by the end of 2006 his reported intransigence with other opinions may have caused his relationships with other staff at the Club to be too dysfunctional? It certainly had with his 'great mate' the President.

I find it intriguing that there are very few players that he coached who laud him as a coach. Most say he was a 'great motivator' but I don't believe I've ever seen a report of a player from that era calling him a 'great coach' or even an 'astute coach'.
In 2002/3 I was a member of a GT coterie group that got to listen to him talking to the players a couple of times a year. I thoroughly enjoyed those evenings and came away thinking he was a great motivator. BUT I have no idea about his ability to actually coach.

I think you’re pbly correct

[Trev from the Bush]

Who's Raymond Corr?

The older non musical brother of Andrea, Sharon, Carolyn & Jim?

You're forgiven.

Not forgotten!

[Ghost Like]

By the same token - how did Freo go from a Grand Finalist one year to a cellar dweller and a 0-10 starter the next?
This was a team with plenty of top-end talent - Fyfe, Walters, Brad Hill, Neale, Mundy, etc .. and with a significant home-ground advantage.
Same talented team under the same coach.
How did they totally nosedive like that from one season to the next?

This goes beyond RL vs GT.

Bottom line, the choice is:
We can be fair, balanced and accurate - or we can ignore and bury facts that don't suit our biases, and just bring up facts that do - cherry pick them, just to win arguments.
If we choose the latter, we'd be choosing to have a distorted view of things, ultimately - just to win an argument!! Is this what we want?
In any case, luckily, I"m always here to set the record straight - and rebalance things.

Both GT and RL deserved to be shown the door (Freo finally saw the light after RL's abysmal last 4 year 32.9% w/l ratio), IMO ... for reasons already discussed (in other threads).

Good post.

My one query was did GT really have the proper opportunity to adapt and change.

Many here assume that he would not / could not.

He went prelim, prelim, 6th and out as one era of stars ran their race and the club needed to reload.
I wonder what that would have looked like

Maybe, the reason GT got sacked was more to do with his relationships at the Club?
Maybe by the end of 2006 his reported intransigence with other opinions may have caused his relationships with other staff at the Club to be too dysfunctional? It certainly had with his 'great mate' the President.

I find it intriguing that there are very few players that he coached who laud him as a coach. Most say he was a 'great motivator' but I don't believe I've ever seen a report of a player from that era calling him a 'great coach' or even an 'astute coach'.
In 2002/3 I was a member of a GT coterie group that got to listen to him talking to the players a couple of times a year. I thoroughly enjoyed those evenings and came away thinking he was a great motivator. BUT I have no idea about his ability to actually coach.

Good points, I attended quite a few functions and GT seemed a great motivator and even a father figure to the younger guys.

He spoke in management terms not footy terms, I've met Ross a few times and I see him as a relationship builder but not a great motivator, but when he talks football it is a whole different level than what was heard from GT presentations which were amateurish by comparison.

Yes GT was the salesman, a motivator of type. Rendell was more about the game plan, pretty much a copy of the Brisbane Lions blueprint. Nathan Burke was the one who impressed me when he spoke, he seemed the most like a coach. It surprises me he never went further with it.

[BarryGrogan]

Wasn't that the year that Kosi got knocked out and never recovered?

And Goose broke his leg?

And Hamill only played 9 games cause of his knee?

And Ball's OP restricted him to barely a jog?

And Penny retired before the season?

Oh, and Lenny did his knee.


After all that, still finished 1 win off 3rd spot.