Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

[The Coon Dog]

Jon Ralph - Herald Sun - 16 February



WESTERN Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade expects to wait until the end of the season before his future at the club is resolved.

Eade is the highest-profile coach out of contract at season's end, having taken the Dogs to three consecutive preliminary finals.

But in Round 21 he will break John Northey's record (315 games) as the longest-serving coach in AFL/VFL history not to have won a premiership.

Eade, 52, said he was in no rush for an answer about his future.

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[ReLoad]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

Ok, ill play devils advocate here.

So what does Rocket have to do to get another deal? what is his measuring stick for us in a simplistic term: is it make a GF? prelim again? what is considered a pass and re-sign mark?

[Murphy'sLore]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

We need to get to the prelim. But if we don't make a GF because of bad luck with injuries, that wouldn't be Rocket's fault. Of course we need to wait and see how the season pans out but there don't seem to be any signs of the wheels falling off just yet.

(Hope that statement doesn't come back to bite me...)

[SlimPickens]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

Prelim isn't good enough for me, we need to be playing on that one day in October!

I like Rocket as a coach, but he and the team really need to take the next step and i think this year is a good opportunity to do this.

[GVGjr]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

Ok, ill play devils advocate here.

So what does Rocket have to do to get another deal? what is his measuring stick for us in a simplistic term: is it make a GF? prelim again? what is considered a pass and re-sign mark?

In the 8 will get him another 2 years. Out of the 8 might out him under a bit of pressure.
I can't see a reason why he wouldn't get another deal.

[Bornadog]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

In the 8 will get him another 2 years. Out of the 8 might out him under a bit of pressure.
I can't see a reason why he wouldn't get another deal.

Out of the eight may mean time for a change?

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

In the 8 will get him another 2 years. Out of the 8 might out him under a bit of pressure.
I can't see a reason why he wouldn't get another deal.

We love Rodney, because actually, he does look like a bit like a Bulldog.


Rocket, what's your answer to Malthouse and his Roman Phalanx?
How about the D-day pincer movement?
Or the Sir Jhon Monash 'Box'?

Please come up with something and give it a fancy name eh?.

"longest-serving coach in AFL/VFL history not to have won a premiership." well he and the Bulldogs are a good match!

[LostDoggy]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

You would hope that while the final ladder position and finals perfromance are a factor that the decision is made based on Rocket's perfromance across the following key areas.

Leading Selection
Last year, perhaps due the the pressure of expectation I think a lot of us felt that Rocket and the MC were often too conservative, sticking with senior players who were injured or out of form as opposed to bringing in younger players. That being said all of Wood, Jones, Grant and Roughead made considerable strides during the year.

The other selection aspect is trying to ensure the right mix of players are selected to meet the opposition. In previous seasons we have often seemed to go with a best 22 approach not a best for this week approach, especially when compared to StKilda and Collingwood.

Man Management
His half time sprays are infamous as is his habit of yelling at Brian Lake but I think there has to be a question on whether this is acheiving results in having the players take responsibility for thair actions. While several players have flourished under Eade, Lake, Harborw, and Ward for example there are other talented players who have not fulfilled their potential such as Everitt, Hill and Stack. While a lot of that falls to the player one of the coaches role's is to help players reach their potential, it seems with Rocket sometimes players can feel that they have lost his support and they stagnate.

Game Strategy
Over the last three years there have been examples of specific games where Rocket has shown superior tactical flare, eg breaking down Hawthorn's zone at Aurora in 08, or the 09 prelim where had we held to the gameplane we would have beaten St Kilda. However we have not led a major tactical refinement in the last 4 years as each year's top teams have.

Elements of our gameplan have certainly been developed over this time, the strong marking performance of our defense, the use of interlacing runners behind the ball at stoppages, and the rotating leads of our forward line, but we have never yet seemed to have this gel in big games against the top opposition, at least not for four quarters. The three things we definitely need to improve on are our frontal tackling pressure, our protection of the ball carrier, and our forward 50 retention and tackling pressure.

While the above sounds ultra critical I should say I am a big supporter of Rocket and what he has acheived. I would just hope that these are areas that we see some improvements in this year.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

^^^ Very well reasoned argument there. But I've had enough of "being reasonable". Harsh I know but I can't help feel Rocket's been outcoached in crucial games last season. The difference b/w prelim and GF is small these days, a kick or two, a key coaching move at the right time. : Prelim or out

[LostDoggy]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

It would be hard (not to mention pretty cruel) to remove a coach who makes 4 prelims in a row -- the nature of how we bow out of finals would be crucial though. A bang and a whimper would just be not good enough.

The other factors to consider are:
- Are the kids coming on? ie. is his list development working and therefore worth persevering with?
- Is there a clear succession plan in place? Who else is available if we're not promoting from within? It's no good getting rid of a reasonably good coach just to go with an unknown or inferior coach (if Malthouse really comes onto the market next year and wants to keep going, it may make for an interesting 'what if'...)
- Off-field dramas

[GVGjr]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

Out of the eight may mean time for a change?

I could live with it but it would apply plenty of pressure I would have thought.

He's done a good job so I think he will get 2 more years

[mjp]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

... talented players who have not fulfilled their potential such as Everitt, Hill and Stack. While a lot of that falls to the player one of the coaches role's is to help players reach their potential, it seems with Rocket sometimes players can feel that they have lost his support and they stagnate.

Nothing since 2007 indicates Everitt is an AFL player.
Nothing EVER indicates Stack is an AFL player.
Hill has not changed his attack on the ball in 4 years...he is who he is.

These guys have not been getting a game because they have not deserved to get a game. Blame Rocket. Blame German. Blame Maple. Blame their parents (in Hill's case). Blame whoever you like...but perhaps they are just flawed and are never going to make it?

[ledge]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

We talk about whether we want him, but does he want to stay, he will get offers I have no doubt, the timing of signing him and him wanting to stay is another question.

[GVGjr]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

We talk about whether we want him, but does he want to stay, he will get offers I have no doubt, the timing of signing him and him wanting to stay is another question.

Of course we talk about whether we want him to stay or not or for how long but lets face it there has been no indication that he wants to leave us.

He's contract expires at the end of the season so of course that is the focus.

[chef]

Re: Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade happy to wait on deal

I would love for us to go after MM if Rocket can't deliver us a flag this year.