Exploding the Terry Wallace myth.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Terry Wallace has built his reputation and career on the '97 and '98 years with the Dogs.
The general perception is that he, as a genius coach, took a shabby list of perennial losers into two consecutive preliminary finals.

Let's diagnose this perception.

The Bulldogs had already made the finals in '92 (prelim) '94 (1st semi) and '95 (Qual).
So after the disaster of '96 Terry inherited a team that had played finals 3 out of the last 5 years.
This was a good list and a good team. 3 Brownlow medalists. ( Wynd, Libba and Chris)
Young gun leaders in West Johnson Smith and Darcy, and a solid line up of finals experienced players. '96 was an unexplainable aberration. '97 prelim was a tragedy I'm still not over, but '98, when he left Smith on Robran, and Robran,( who was never really a GREAT player) tore us apart was unforgivable. Robran was about 2 foot taller than Smith so they just bombed it long to him and Smith just had to cop the humiliation as Robran kicked 6 easy goals on him.

After that we slipped from 6th to 8th to 10th to 12th (Terry jumped ship) to WOODEN SPOON.

Along the way he traded away Loved players like Leon Cameron and Brett Montgomery,
which damaged the very fibre of the club. ( I know Eagleton FINALLY came through, but along the way Monty collected a best and fairest, an all Australian and a premiership.) Wallace also (we all know) STOLE Nathan Brown. He persisted in drafting skinny midfielders year after year and that's one of the reasons why we still have no key forwards today.

Then came the fanfare of Terry signing a 5 year deal with the Tigers ( surprise surprise, see above accusation).
At the time he said he chose the Tigers over the Hawks because the Tigers list was more advanced and closer to premiership success.......... But then last year he told impatient Tiger fans he had " inherited a train wreck of a list and don't expect any success until 2011". Meanwhile the Hawks look genuine top 4 material.
Hello?!?!?

And once again he is insistent on drafting wave upon wave of skinny midfielders.......


His win loss ratio since joining the Tigers is 36%
Myth busted?

Any thoughts?

[hujsh]

Because he wins the occasional game he shouldn't he gets the genius tag (see Essendon 2000 and Adelaide 06)

A greasy rat in my eys

[katemeehan]

A greasy rat in my eys

same goes here

[The Coon Dog]

I'm trying to couch this in the nicest possible way without meaning to offend anyone, so sorry to anyone (especially DD as the thread starter), but there just seem to be too many threads (perhaps a combination of BF & here) about Terry Wallace.

I loved what he did when he was our coach, but would much rather read about another Terry W who coached us. His blood, like all of ours is not only red, but has white & blue in it too.

I suppose I'm saying I'm over Plough, though you are spot on with your analysis DD.

[mjp]

I will say only this.

Firstly, much time has passed. We all need to move on.

Secondly, in '97 and '98 he was a key part of the two most enjoyable seasons of footy I have had as a Footscray supporter - remembering I was WA born (and in 1971). I try to remember him from those seasons.

Thirdly, he is a life member of our club and has contributed far more than many others who came before and others still who have gone since (though, I happily admit not as much as some others).

Fourth, players who he coached have moved on and are now in regular contact with him - they were disappointed at the time but most have forgiven him and moved on.

Fifth, whatever he is like as a coach is now Richmond's problem - but he does have the ability to get his players believing in his plans (otherwise events such as the Essendon win never would have been possible).

[westdog54]

If this thread were a Bay 13 thread on Bigfooty, I'd be all over it.

Here though, I'm with MJP and TCD. Its time to move on.

[Dancin' Douggy]

OK mjp and westdog 54. Time to move on but just let me say this.

My main point is that the bulldog team he inherited was not a bunch of no hopers, as is the popular perception, and his whole reputation is built on what he achieved with that list. Other than that, his track record as a coach is pretty poor

Also, he is actually still out there coaching so I'm not dredging up a long forgotten figure from the past.
I went to the Richmond v Geelong practice match and Richmond played like the team that's paid to look like goof balls against the Harlem Globetrotters. ( the Washington Generals?).
It was the worst I've ever seen an AFL club play. And I went to every dogs game in '96!

I guess I'm more interested in analysing his career and his carefully constructed image rather than just bitch and moan about him..............
Though bitching and moaning about Terry is obviously a very popular pastime!

[LostDoggy]

Terry is very similar to Rocket Eade. Both seem very good at motivating players for one or 2 yrs. Normally their best work is done in that period. Then they struggle to keep players up at the same level ( the message wears thin).

[Twodogs]

Thirdly, he is a life member of our club and has contributed far more than many others who came before and others still who have gone since (though, I happily admit not as much as some others).

Damn straight!

Terry didnt just front up halfway through '96 and stay until R21 2002. He was a double best and fairest, long term match commitee member and was a member of the coaching staff for more than 10 years.


My comment on him and his departure is while the method could've been it was time for us and him to move on anyway.

[westdog54]

OK mjp and westdog 54. Time to move on but just let me say this.

My main point is that the bulldog team he inherited was not a bunch of no hopers, as is the popular perception, and his whole reputation is built on what he achieved with that list. Other than that, his track record as a coach is pretty poor

Also, he is actually still out there coaching so I'm not dredging up a long forgotten figure from the past.
I went to the Richmond v Geelong practice match and Richmond played like the team that's paid to look like goof balls against the Harlem Globetrotters. ( the Washington Generals?).
It was the worst I've ever seen an AFL club play. And I went to every dogs game in '96!

I guess I'm more interested in analysing his career and his carefully constructed image rather than just bitch and moan about him..............
Though bitching and moaning about Terry is obviously a very popular pastime!

LOL, Washington Generals.

Might have to use that analogy on Bay 13.

If you were to post your OP word for word in a bay 13 thread, the response you'd get would be huge.

[bornadog]

I will say only this.

Firstly, much time has passed. We all need to move on.

Secondly, in '97 and '98 he was a key part of the two most enjoyable seasons of footy I have had as a Footscray supporter - remembering I was WA born (and in 1971). I try to remember him from those seasons.

Thirdly, he is a life member of our club and has contributed far more than many others who came before and others still who have gone since (though, I happily admit not as much as some others).

Fourth, players who he coached have moved on and are now in regular contact with him - they were disappointed at the time but most have forgiven him and moved on.

Fifth, whatever he is like as a coach is now Richmond's problem - but he does have the ability to get his players believing in his plans (otherwise events such as the Essendon win never would have been possible).

Spot on. His contribution to our club both as a player and coach must not be forgotten. I don't think we have ever played in finals four years in a row. As a player, he played some great games and won a B&F .

We were all upset the way he left the club, but from his point of view, the club was in dire straights with finance & facilities at the WO and big money was put on the table for him to jump ship - you can't blame any one for that. He didn't know that Rose was going to do what he has done.

As a coach, you are only as good as the players available to you and at Richmond, you have got to say, he is only now starting to build a team around the young players they have. Its going to be at least a few more years before they will play finals, but with the culture there, Terry may not be around to see it and some other coach will take the glory.

[col]

Nice work Dancin' Douggie - Wallace's feats as a footy coach have never impressed me at all.

I've included your post on our footy-tipping forum, http://dgesfootytalk.wordpress.com/

Hope that is ok with you.

Cheers Col

[Dancin' Douggy]

Nice work Dancin' Douggie - Wallace's feats as a footy coach have never impressed me at all.

I've included your post on our footy-tipping forum, http://dgesfootytalk.wordpress.com/

Hope that is ok with you.

Cheers Col

No worries Col.
By the way, a lot of people have stood up to defend Wallace as a clubman and a person on this thread. I have no problems with that but I'm merely assessing him as a coach. It's hard to defend his record and Richmond on Sunday were woeful again. Feel free to revise his win loss ratio down as well!

[1eyedog]

Terry who?

[DHP]

Plough made a great contribution to the FFC. No doubt about that. We were all there in '97 and it was great. I think if Plough had his time again, playing a young N. Brown and and a seriously hurt Jose R. against Billy who had come out of suspension would cross his his mind.

But full marks to what the man did in his time.