Whately interviewing Macca on ABC Grandstand Radio shortly

[Webby]

Will be interesting to see if Hess anything other than his usually measured self..

[EasternWest]

Will be interesting to see if [B]Hess[B] anything other than his usually measured self..

The situation isn't that bad:o!

[Templeton31]

spoke well. said he had his chance and messed it up by not spending enough one on one time with the players. should have provided feedback and discussions with players one on one instead of in review meetings (presumably with whole team). Griffen leaving definitely the tipping point for him (i.e. losing the support of the club). Alluded to their being rumours about griff and GWS throughout the latter half of the year but had no idea it would happen ("coach is the last to know…"). said he thought after the season griff had a bunch of things on his mind but basically said he didn't think leaving would be it. said he looked forward to group going forward and he would watch with some pride and pleasure. (all my quick summary!)

[Templeton31]

also said he got frustrated about mid year about losing close games. lifted the expectations (sounded like he meant he started to deliver a few rockets) and in hindsight should've done things differently. also said he didn't harbour bitterness - he had his chance and didn't take it.

[Go_Dogs]

Thanks, sounds like he spoke well.

[G-Mo77]

https://soundcloud.com/abc_grandstand/brendan-mccartney

[Webby]

Sheesh!!

I'm a lifelong Man Utd fan. Love Fergie, but acknowledge he is a bit of a prick. You tell me players hate Fergie and I don't batter an eyelid! The news that players just couldn't cop McCartney just seemed so strange!

To the end, he just comes across as so decent. Didn't bag anyone. Even Judas. Gave Garlick and Gordon praise and was so dignified. I'd almost prefer that he bag the place out. At least then we could cut the cord and move on. But I almost feel guilty!!

I've never met McCartney, but if I ever wander into a pub and spot him, I'll make a point of buying him a beer. There are a lot of people who've passed through the club who I wouldn't bother giving the time of day to. However Brendan McCartney should be looked back on with some affection.

I think that in future years, we'll look back on Bontempelli, Stringer, Macrae, Dahlhaus, Libba, Wallis, Hunter, Roughead, Smith etc's formative years with some appreciation. I don't think anyone should look back in anger at Brendan McCartney.

[F'scary]

He states pretty clearly that he thinks he could have continued and retrieved the situation over time except that he felt the confidence of PG & Co that he could do so successfully wasn't in evidence enough and therefore chose to resign.

[LostDoggy]

The man oozes integrity. It can't be an act, because if it was, there's no reason now to keep the act up. I've never seen a more sincere football person. We are a poor, pathetic bunch for allowing this bloke to leave. And the day after! Why not ask him if he'd be happy to stay on and assist a new coach? We need guys like this Brendan fellow, but after the events of the past few weeks anybody even remotely like him is going to a) stay clear of the place or b) lay low if they're already there.

If Griffen is allowed to play for us next year, I'm afraid that may break me.

P.S. I know he wouldn't dream of it now, staying on. But we could've handled it to try and get that result, rather than simply sacking the guy.

[azabob]

That eight minutes again proves why we have erred in removing him.

[GVGjr]

He exhibits a lot of integrity and dignity. Genuine football person.

[mighty_west]

We had a chance to finally change the Culture of the Place and we @#/$#@! blew it! Unfortunately alot of supporters don't see the bigger picture, only look for now, you only had to REALLY watch the games we played well and could see what the game plan was going to look like, people just see the win/loss ratio was btw, similar to Clarko after three years as pointed out by Cam Ling.

People might say, yeah but he didn't have players wanting out blah blah, but Hawks had real leaders, not these older players already set in their ways, and I tell you what, those players would have jumped after one season of Clarko!

[AndrewP6]

His dignity and class are undoubted. But the coach needs much more.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

His dignity and class are undoubted. But the coach needs much more.

Some better players would have helped. Macca through no fault of his own inherited a poor list. The results speaks for themselves. He has been very harshly treated.

[bornadog]

Brendan McCartney says fractured relationship with Bulldogs could have been repaired


Former Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney insists his fractured relationship with the players could have been repaired and has revealed he felt "crook in the stomach" when told disgruntled captain Ryan Griffen wanted to leave the club.
The Bulldogs were still finalising their coaching sub-committee on Saturday, having parted ways with McCartney on Friday despite two years left on his contract.

After weeks of grumblings among players and their agents over McCartney's communication skills, his position became untenable when Griffen requested a trade to Greater Western Sydney.
Club president Peter Gordon has said Griffen's decision meant McCartney would have found it difficult in the future to make a tough call or have a tough conversation with a player.

However, McCartney said on Saturday he felt the tense relationship with some of his players could have been eased.
"I felt I could have chipped away at it," he said. "I felt it could have been [done by] restructuring the footy department and freeing me up more.
"There is a real lesson in there for every footy club. The senior coach does less and less coaching than ever now, and [has] less opportunity to work one on one and build relationships with players. And that is even more important that that is in play when teams aren't winning and clubs are in a position where they are not winning as often as they would like.

"There is this really simple rule: if you are not winning games, people will find something wrong with you.
"That's never been any different. I have got no doubt we could have worked through a lot of things and I respect the decisions that have been made and I would like people to respect the decision I have made.
"I have always believed whatever role you have got, the club comes first and what is best for the club. That is why the decision was made by myself."

McCartney's strong post-season reviews of the senior players appeared to exacerbate the feeling among some that the coach was more interested in developing the club's young talent.
Speaking on ABC Radio, McCartney said that "certainly wasn't on purpose".
"There is no doubt in my mind [that] in the middle of the year we were getting a contribution from everyone while our young kids were playing really good footy," he said.

"But there was still an enormous contribution from our senior players too. That is no secret; that is when we played our best footy. Some of the feedback was relayed to me and I am upset that it turned out that way. It certainly wasn't planned that way.
"I think what I did was probably lift the expectations a bit quickly through the middle of the year. I certainly felt some frustration around some close losses and it wasn't a personal thing. It was probably a bit of annoyance that they were games we probably should have got.
"We put ourselves in a position to win and didn't do it. There were probably recurring things in games that caused frustration. If I had my time again, I probably would have had less to say in reviews and more to say one on one with players and more one-on-one interaction with aligning people's behaviours back with the team."

McCartney said he suspected a week after the season finished that Griffen was considering his future at the club. He was with list manager Jason McCartney on Thursday when Griffen confirmed his intentions, setting in motion what would prove to be a "hornet's nest".
"It makes you feel a little crook in the stomach when you hear that and then [that] set the wheels in motion and we arrive at where we are today," the former Bulldogs coach said.
However, McCartney had thought an earlier meeting he had held with Griffen and football director Chris Grant may have salvaged the relationship.

"I did," he said. "I probably still thought he was dealing with a few things in relation to his relationship with me, the captaincy and [I] think he reached a point in his career where he looked and, like everyone, thought, 'How much time have I got left, what's around me and what' coming up underneath me?'.
"It's been well documented that we have had that gap in our list, through the middle 20s, for a while now. I think that caused him a bit of apprehension, but it sounds like, in reflection, he has had other things on his mind and that has unfolded this week. I understand that – that's the modern game, that's footy, people are looking for the new frontier."
McCartney said he was aware there had been "continual doubts" among club chiefs over whether he was the right man to "take the group forward".
"That's how I read it without being given every minute detail," he said.
"That was my gut feel – that I had some doubts about whether I was the right bloke to take them forward or they were a group that was prepared to go forward with me."

Gordon said he still would like Griffen to remain at the club, but the veteran midfielder maintained he still wanted to leave.
McCartney's senior assistant Brett Montgomery, Collingwood assistant Scott Burns and North Melbourne assistant Leigh Tudor are possible candidates to replace McCartney, while Mark Thompson could be sounded out, with doubts about whether the Gold Coast Suns, also on the hunt for a senior coach, are interested in him.




Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/brendan-mccartney-says-fractured-relationship-with-bulldogs-could-have-been-repaired-20141011-114pra.html#ixzz3FoZnoLcZ

[Murphy'sLore]

Well I don't know about anyone else, but I was in tears listening to that interview. Brendan is such a good person, he had a long term plan... And he was still saying 'we' even after being shafted yesterday... I really feel like we've thrown away an opportunity here, even though in the short term there may have been no alternative.

I suppose we have to move on but I'm still feeling very sad today.

[GVGjr]

Well I don't know about anyone else, but I was in tears listening to that interview. Brendan is such a good person, he had a long term plan... And he was still saying 'we' even after being shafted yesterday... I really feel like we've thrown away an opportunity here, even though in the short term there may have been no alternative.

I suppose we have to move on but I'm still feeling very sad today.

It will take some people some time to get over this and most of us will wish Brendan all the best.

Stick with us ML, it will get better soon once those youngsters start arriving at the club ;)

[bulldogtragic]

It will take some people some time to get over this and most of us will wish Brendan all the best.

Stick with us ML, it will get better soon once those youngsters start arriving at the club ;)

I understand the positivity, but it's a little like Melbourne and the kids aren't doing that much.

Like them 3 coaches in 5 years, bad win/loss record, senior players walk out, old guard traded out, membership low, attendance low, poor sponsorship, off field crisis, captain walking out, but lots of draft picks. Take the emotive reference to them, we are very close in things right now.

[Remi Moses]

Where do you start with the Dees.
Pretty unfair to suggest we're near their level yet.
They unloaded their senior guys to early , and pretty sure they didn't knife the coach .
They've been at 12 o'clock on the rabbleometor for 8 years .

[bulldogtragic]

Where do you start with the Dees.
Pretty unfair to suggest we're near their level yet.
They unloaded their senior guys to early , and pretty sure they didn't knife the coach .
They've been at 12 o'clock on the rabbleometor for 8 years .

Take the club names out. Long term coach took them to prelims. Changed to new good development coach. Lasted a few years, sacked. Poor onfield results. Poor membership. Poor sponsorship. Senior players walked out. Talent walked out. Off field team weren't moved on quickly, and their departure took years. Got heaps of draft picks. Hired a third coach in 5 years. Everyone told a new start, again.

Take emotion and the tanking stuff, the above mentioned stuff seems to correlate.

[chef]

Take the club names out. Long term coach took them to prelims. Changed to new good development coach. Lasted a few years, sacked. Poor onfield results. Poor membership. Poor sponsorship. Senior players walked out. Talent walked out. Off field team weren't moved on quickly, and their departure took years. Got heaps of draft picks. Hired a third coach in 5 years. Everyone told a new start, again.

Take emotion and the tanking stuff, the above mentioned stuff seems to correlate.

You could say the same thing about us and Port when they sacked Primus. And we all know how that goes.

[bulldogtragic]

You could say the same thing about us and Port when they sacked Primus. And we all know how that goes.

Yep, they were shit too in that point in time. They turned it around. So can we. What they did differently was get a new president, new board, new media team, new off field team, get a new stadium, keep Boak the captain, make the right call on the 3rd coach.

[chef]

And if we make the right coaching decision and keep drafting the right kids we'll be fine too.

[bulldogtragic]

And if we make the right coaching decision and keep drafting the right kids we'll be fine too.

Maybe to probably. I'm not sure anymore. The club can renew me and will, but it's a tough ask to keep the bandwagoners who thought 2013 would continue.

[LostDoggy]

We had a chance to finally change the Culture of the Place and we @#/$#@! blew it! Unfortunately alot of supporters don't see the bigger picture, only look for now, you only had to REALLY watch the games we played well and could see what the game plan was going to look like, people just see the win/loss ratio was btw, similar to Clarko after three years as pointed out by Cam Ling.

People might say, yeah but he didn't have players wanting out blah blah, but Hawks had real leaders, not these older players already set in their ways, and I tell you what, those players would have jumped after one season of Clarko!
The difference is Clarko finished 5th in his 3rd year and one GF in his 4th.

[Remi Moses]

Maybe to probably. I'm not sure anymore. The club can renew me and will, but it's a tough ask to keep the bandwagoners who thought 2013 would continue.

What band wagoners ? We finished 15th
It's a crap time, but making comparisons to The Dees is a tad premature .
If we're sitting here October 11 2016 and we've fired another coach and on the bottom .
We're at midnight on the rabbleometer

[bulldogtragic]

What band wagoners ? We finished 15th
It's a crap time, but making comparisons to The Dees is a tad premature .
If we're sitting here October 11 2016 and we've fired another coach and on the bottom .
We're at midnight on the rabbleometer

Yep, I think the club pushed our end of season 2013 hard. We acted on the cheer squad, presumably on the thought that the kids would be at many winning home games. The Pres called us 'the threat' citing last year's finish. I'm backing a sharp fall in membership which isn't a big statement. Take the emotion out of the two teams, we are very similar to where Melb were. As chef points out, so were Port. But Port radically changed everything. Melbourne kept bad managers on for stability and never really addressed the culture. But I don't recall their coach and captain leaving in 24 hours. It's not nice to think of, not nice to think, but the reality is one of complete toxicity and dysfunction.

[Ghost Dog]

I'm going to be absolutely miserable if some other club picks him up, and they hurtle past us on the ladder.