Sheedy's age of reason
12 July 2007 Herald Sun
Mark Robinson
FOR the first time, there's an air of vulnerability about Kevin Sheedy – from Kevin Sheedy.
A press conference yesterday was supposed to be about the Essendon coach passing the games record of legendary Collingwood player and coach, Jock McHale. Instead, it was more about his clouded future than his brilliant past.
After much prompting, Sheedy eventually wondered whether the club might want a new, younger coach at year's end.
"They may want to look at different things and different aspects of where footy is going," Sheedy said.
"This club has got its reasons and their foresight, they want to think clearly through whether they should appoint maybe another younger coach, they've got to work all that stuff out."
As much as yesterday was a reflection, there was the occasional reminder -- to the board or to any detractors -- that there was fight in the ol' Tiger yet.
He mentioned iconic American football coach Vince Lombardi and World Cup hero Guus Hiddink, both late-age coaching supremos, and reckoned Graeme McMahon -- his former Bombers chairman, Prahran teammate and close friend who urged the club to re-sign him -- was a wise footy man.
"Graeme McMahon knows . . . it's very difficult to find a good coach, most clubs struggle to find good coaches and that can get teams in finals," he said.
"But I'm not here to create a debate about that, what happens by Round 22 happens and you move on."
Full article at:
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,22059296%255E19742,00.html