Pretty devastated with the decision the club has made. Particularly seeing as they are saying they have no replacement in mind.
To echo TCD's excellent sentiments - I had the opportunity to meet Rocket and talk footy and he is simply a great bloke with a great footy mind.
He's done some great work at the footy club. I hope he coaches Melbourne or Adelaide next year and is successful.
Agree with OP - Rocket has been great for this club - he is a lovely bloke and I would have liked to see him continue. Thanks Rocket for everything you've done for us.
Official Cartoonist for the Western Bulldogs. True!
As everyone has said here today, I echo the same sentiments.
I think we have moved backwards today and there will be more pain then gain over the next 5 years.
Don't piss off old people
The older we get the less "LIFE IN PRISON" is a deterrent...
I echo the thoughts of everyone in this post, nicely put by TCD.
I don't know any other coach who was so approachable and friendly with fans. Last year he gave my daughter and her friend and myself a personal tour of the training centre and he was fantastic. Despite it being an official training session he still kept checking on the girls to see if everything was ok.
The club has just let go one of the best coaches we have ever had, despite us never making a grandfinal.
Good luck Rocket and thank you.
FFC: Established 1883
Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.
I'd like to echo the sentiments of TCD.
I'm still amazed that an AFL coach would take the time to sit around talking footy with a bunch of nobody supporters like us.
I feel genuinely privileged that Rocket would allow me to quiz him on his thoughts about our club even more amazed that he would answer every question (and man, there were lots of them) with such honesty.
I was playing football with my pup after the East-West day when Rodney saw me as he walked back to his car and came over and said hello (credibility boost much with the pup?) and stayed to chat with me and my pup for the next 20 minutes.
It's a shame that all my pups snapshot goals that he was sure were impressive enough to get him drafted were in vain.
I really hope the club has made the right decision here.
Can't help feeling that the club has looked towards the next couple of years which could be ugly and is concerned about the impact on membership numbers (already expect social club membership to plummett).
Whilst most on this board appear to be well and truly in the Eade camp, there are many bulldog members who have called for change. Clubs need hope, none moreso than ours. Is it possible that the club believes a new coach gives supporters the hope to continue their commitment to the club.........a new approach, a new gameplan?
I know this should not drive our decision making......just saying.
Anyway...I fully endorse all the comments about Eade. What an approachable bloke he's been. I wish him all the best and thank him for what he's done for our club.
I think the tone of this thread is testimony to the work Rocket has done with both the club & the fans - you assume when a coach is let go, that a good-bye thread may have a touch of the 'good riddance' but to a poster everyone is gutted the club have taken this direction.
All the best Rocket, I thought you were the right man to rebuild (or refresh, whatever) and am bitterly disappointed you won't be given that opportunity.
Float Along - Fill Your Lungs
I thought they had more of a love-hate relationship? Is Lake's relationship with Cameron any better?
All I could take from the press conference was that this is exactly the reason they let him go.
We may have just given the Demons a flag. I for one hope he gets it, even if it's with the Crows. It'll hurt like hell, but if Rocket coaches the Crows to a GF (and we're not there) I'll barrack for the filth.
TCD any chance of passing on our good wishes and we share in his dissappointment and that he will always be respected by the fans, even those who think his time was up, he was honest and sincere.
Even when he coaches at another club he will never get jeered by us.
Bring back the biff