Rocket Man

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Rocket Man

I tend to think that Rocket has done a pretty good job. He inherited a list that needed a bit of an overhaul and has got a lot of development out of guys that didn't seem to be going places prior to his arrival.

He really needs to make sure that this is a successful year though, anything like the 2007 disaster should not be tolerated.

I'm confident that he's capable of winning us a flag in the next few years.



For interests sake, do any of the other coaches going around appeal?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Rocket Man

I think our biggest problem has been finding a top class marking forward, i dont think i would blame the coach

You know how you play a sports video game like NBA Live and you're hiring a recruting manager and each manager has individual strengths and weaknesses? I'd say Clayton's weakness should he appear on a video game would be key position players (pretty obvious).

As for Eade I can't see him moving anywhere other than Tasmania. If we were to look somewhere else I think we'd look at Chris Bond or Leon Cameron. Both of them seem to be coaches in the making and they both have been at the Bulldogs/still at the Bulldogs so it wouldn't be such a big deal.

[GVGjr]

Re: Rocket Man

I tend to think that Rocket has done a pretty good job. He inherited a list that needed a bit of an overhaul and has got a lot of development out of guys that didn't seem to be going places prior to his arrival.

He really needs to make sure that this is a successful year though, anything like the 2007 disaster should not be tolerated.

I'm confident that he's capable of winning us a flag in the next few years.

For interests sake, do any of the other coaches going around appeal?

Has he really overhauled the list? I tend to think he has been cautious with the list management.

As for other coaches, not that many that are coming out of contract would interest other than Williams and of course there is always the chance that Matthews could be swayed to get back into coaching.

I'm pretty happy with Eade at the helm though but he still needs to consolidate and improve on last seasons progress.

[azabob]

Re: Rocket Man

Has he really overhauled the list? I tend to think he has been cautious with the list management.

As for other coaches, not that many that are coming out of contract would interest other than Williams and of course there is always the chance that Matthews could be swayed to get back into coaching.

I'm pretty happy with Eade at the helm though but he still needs to consolidate and improve on last seasons progress.

I think he has done a good job with the list. We only have one or two players that I would class as dead wood. And both of them could play 10+ senior games this year as they can fill a need those being Eagleton and Wight. He has moved on players or let players go that will not win us a flag such as Ray, Power, McMahon and then there are others who were just fringe players.
What else do you think he should've done with our list?
If talking coaches why wouldn't you look at Malthouse or Buckley?

[GVGjr]

Re: Rocket Man

I think he has done a good job with the list. We only have one or two players that I would class as dead wood. And both of them could play 10+ senior games this year as they can fill a need those being Eagleton and Wight. He has moved on players or let players go that will not win us a flag such as Ray, Power, McMahon and then there are others who were just fringe players.
What else do you think he should've done with our list?
If talking coaches why wouldn't you look at Malthouse or Buckley?

My guess is that he could have been a lot more active, yes he has moved on some players but Ray, Power and McMahon forced his hand for trades rather than the other way around.
We initially tried hard to keep Ray last year.
On top of that we took the easy road by adding experienced players with not long use-by dates like Hudson, Akermanis and Welsh.

Malthouse would be an interesting one but I'm not so sure about Buckley. I'm always skeptical on coaching appointments for star players that haven't done their apprenticeship.

[lemmon]

Re: Rocket Man

Very happy with Eade, has really grown with this list and has stamped his own authority and flavour on it. It really is no longer inherited but is his baby and i think thats important with a senior coach. In saying that though a new contract is still fairly results driven with 07 still fairly fresh. If he did have a poor year there would be a few options for the club with guys like the highly rated Damien Hardwick, Nathan Buckley, Matthews (if he wanted another go) and Mark Williams (probably wants to coach a more high profile club) potentially coming back to Melbourne.

[Bornadog]

Re: Rocket Man

Malthouse would be an interesting one but I'm not so sure about Buckley. I'm always skeptical on coaching appointments for star players that haven't done their apprenticeship.

Would Malthouse really contemplate a home coming?

[Bumper Bulldogs]

Re: Rocket Man

[QUOTE=The Coon Dog;73474]
I reckon he's the bloke to take us all the way for sure.

Sign him up now, though I guess there will be some who might ask why the urgency & he may get 'too comfortable' if he's not under the sort of pressure to perform that he might be if he was coaching for his career.

I wouldn't say we've recruited well over recent years, only for the fact we have traded on many of the first rounders we selected in Penny, McMahon, Alvey, Power & Ray & haven't got the power forward we've been dreaming about.

1. I fully support Rocket as I would hate to become a club like the Saints that turn over and lose stability, Also with the current administration changes in recent times a stable coaching set up may just be the trick. He has been at 'Mission control" with little resources for a while to

2. Yes sign him up and tell the market his ours, Not sure that anyone else would be better

3. I wouldn't feel too bad about recruitment as we have some real gems and 3 to 4 years ago it was about speed not the height although I do get excited about the prospects of J Grant, J Mulligan, A Cordy & J Roughead could bring to the table.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Rocket Man

I'd re-sign him now.

Proven good coach, who, even if he had a shocker of a year, would still be a better coach than any other recycled guy you could get.

Why would you go for an untried coach like Bond, Cameron or Buckley? Massive risk to take on someone who may not cut it at the senior level at all. (Buckley, FFS! We don't even know if he could coach the local under 10's)

[LostDoggy]

Re: Rocket Man

Couldn't agree more SS.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Rocket Man

My guess is that he could have been a lot more active, yes he has moved on some players but Ray, Power and McMahon forced his hand for trades rather than the other way around.
We initially tried hard to keep Ray last year.
On top of that we took the easy road by adding experienced players with not long use-by dates like Hudson, Akermanis and Welsh.

Malthouse would be an interesting one but I'm not so sure about Buckley. I'm always skeptical on coaching appointments for star players that haven't done their apprenticeship.

Certainly a legitimate perspective on our trading etc., but I've been quite happy with our recycled players:

1. Huddo has been an unqualified success in a weak area (and a big reason for our slide in '07), and has definitely given breathing space for your Cordys and Roughheads to develop at the right pace.

2. Aker - was a real 'catch' and boost for the reputation and 'standing' of the club; a couple of other clubs were sniffing around as well, and he's still the 'highest profile' player on the list, although we're keeping him under wraps this year. Good for our media profile. Oh, not to mention that he's been a bloody good player as well, and I think a real role model for the likes of Harbrow, Hill and Lynch in terms of professionalism and attitude.

3. Welsh - probably prolonging the career of Johnno by 2 years by taking the focus off Brad up forward, and like Huddo, allows the younger forwards some breathing space to develop instead of having to come in prematurely. Proven quality too.

I guess I'm saying that we haven't really gone out and gotten recycled players just for the sake of it, and they seem to have been very well thought out and the upside has been massive when you consider the flow-on effects of not having gaping holes on the list and the development of our younger players.

With Ray, Power et al, a trigger happy coach would have pulled the plug a season or two earlier, but Rocket did move quite a few players on (West, anyone?) and this is a delicate issue that has big ramifications on the rest of the list -- if a coach is seen as being too 'ruthless' even the remaining players can start to get a bit jumpy, especially the bottom half of the list, which you need performing without worrying about their futures.

While we can debate the details and I certainly don't agree with every decision Rocket's taken, I think on the whole he's gotten the balance pretty right, and the stability and composition of the list is testament to that.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Rocket Man

And as for those suggesting that Rocket will get 'complacent' if offered a contract, just don't see that happening. He's the kind of guy who is driven by the desire to win that elusive premiership, not by a big fat noose hanging over his head.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Rocket Man

Rocket has been on a steady upward curve since his arrival at the Whitten oval. Whilst there has been troughs along the way, the curve has always pointed in the right direction. He took a basket case from cellar dwellars to a prelim in 4 years.

I believe the next 2 years to be crucial for the big boss man, he has the list available to win the flag, there is no doubt about it. What he needs to discover is how to coach out the fear of success in the group and the club as a whole. We shit ourselves against Hawthorn and had no reason for it!

[GVGjr]

Re: Rocket Man

Certainly a legitimate perspective on our trading etc., but I've been quite happy with our recycled players:

1. Huddo has been an unqualified success in a weak area (and a big reason for our slide in '07), and has definitely given breathing space for your Cordys and Roughheads to develop at the right pace.

Hudson had a lot to prove last year to show Adelaide that they were wrong and he sort of did that. This season will tell a vastly truer story on his dedication and desire which he hasn't earned a terrific reputation for. Looks good so far but I'd wait until the end of the season before saying it was a success for us.
My issue with the Hudson trade isn't really Hudson at all but more that we really didn't have the players on the list coming through to justify getting and older ruckman.

2. Aker - was a real 'catch' and boost for the reputation and 'standing' of the club; a couple of other clubs were sniffing around as well, and he's still the 'highest profile' player on the list, although we're keeping him under wraps this year. Good for our media profile. Oh, not to mention that he's been a bloody good player as well, and I think a real role model for the likes of Harbrow, Hill and Lynch in terms of professionalism and attitude.

Aker was a promoters dream and gave us significant impact for memberships and excitement but this will be his last year to take us into the uncharted territory all us good supporters have been hoping for. We won't know until late in the year if he has really made that much difference to us on the field.
He virtually cost us nothing as well.

3. Welsh - probably prolonging the career of Johnno by 2 years by taking the focus off Brad up forward, and like Huddo, allows the younger forwards some breathing space to develop instead of having to come in prematurely. Proven quality too.

I don't see it like that. Johnson had a bad year by his standards in 2008 because of niggling injuries. The form of Welsh and Johnson really aren't linked at all.
From what I have seen so far Johnson will have a vastly better 2009 with or without Welsh on the field.

With Ray, Power et al, a trigger happy coach would have pulled the plug a season or two earlier, but Rocket did move quite a few players on (West, anyone?) and this is a delicate issue that has big ramifications on the rest of the list -- if a coach is seen as being too 'ruthless' even the remaining players can start to get a bit jumpy, especially the bottom half of the list, which you need performing without worrying about their futures.

He is a conservative list manager by nature which isn't a bad thing. My initial response was to challenge Griffen#16's statement that he had overhauled the list. Clarkson overhauled his list whereas Eade had made vastly more subtle changes.

I'd rather not comment on the West debacle again because the appalling manner in which it was managed still grates me.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Rocket Man

I'd re-sign him now.

Proven good coach, who, even if he had a shocker of a year, would still be a better coach than any other recycled guy you could get.

Why would you go for an untried coach like Bond, Cameron or Buckley? Massive risk to take on someone who may not cut it at the senior level at all. (Buckley, FFS! We don't even know if he could coach the local under 10's)

My sentiments also,I actually reckon Rocket wont be going anywhere. Surely Buckley would be smart enough to take an assistants role somewhere[Tony Shaw]Personally I'd be please if we maintained our ground in the top 6,as time is required until our young Key Forwards are ready to have an impact.