I can only reply to this after having a couple of days to calm down from the game on Saturday. I thought I was disappointed more than I could be after the Bulldogs game but I think it was worse this time. We were playing much better than them and they are not in the same class as the Bulldogs, and to capitulate like that just about gutted me. So, after a cooling off period and instead of wailing in to the various debates about blame I thought it would be more constructive to reply to this excellent thread. In all my (now getting too long) life I have never, ever seen a satisfactory outcome to a problem come from an emotional knee jerk reaction and I doubt this time will be any different. I posted a few weeks ago on my thoughts about keeping the game plan simple and I also think our best chance is to keep the 'bigger picture' plan to resurrect our club simple, whatever it turns out to be.
I would:
1. Not make any wholesale changes to the board or key personnel. The job they have done in turning around the off-field position after the Casey disgrace is nothing short of magnificent and they have every right to feel proud of the job they have done. It stands as an equal to the much vaunted job that Costa, Cook etc did with Geelong all those years back and if success follows for us on-field then the appropriate accolades will flow. Yes, there are moments when we might not agree with a comment or decision but overall they have done a fantastic job and need to keep on doing so.
2. Begin the interview process for our next coach now. This would take away the media influence by putting it in the public domain that Wallace will not be coaching next year and that the club will be using the following few months to assess every facet and finalise it's review of the coaching and playing requirement going forward.
3. Ask Wallace to either coach to a pre-determined game/team plan. If he rejects that then allow him to submit an "offer of resignation" - very important subtle difference to resigning outright - and accept that, replacing him with a caretaker from the current assistants. Gives Wallace a 'get out of jail' card that allows him to leave with a measure of dignity and does not compromise the club's position as an employer. It is obvious now that the disconnect between the coaching group and the playing group is too wide to recover from and regardless of who is ultimately to blame, it is the fundamental role of the coaching group to mould the playing group it has been given into a cohesive and successful unit. It has failed to do this and that's why the change is necessary. The playing group must now be played and coached with next year in mind - 'who' plays and 'where' is now the most important thing - 'how' will be up to the next coaching group.
4. Inform Bowden, Brown, Johnson and Simmonds that their time is up at season's end. We need to make some changes to the list and this is the minimum starting point for the last crack at a relatively uncompromised draft for some years. None of these players will benefit the team by playing on next year. Having said that, the team this year has missed the on-field leadership of Johnson much more than many would care to admit but leadership-wise, Brown and Bowden (and to a lesser extent Simmonds) have just plain let everyone down.
5. Not make wholesale changes to the list except to remove the older non-performing players (Pettifer and Schulz are 2 that spring to mind immediately - Polak is another depending on circumstances). That is 7 changes already without delisting one kid. This is the part that many (or maybe most) will probably disagree with but I don't believe our list is anywhere near as bad or fatally flawed as is suggested. We have been in strong winning positions in all but 2 of our games this year and you just can't acheive that if you are a train wreck. Yes, the players are not playing to the game plan and yes, some are not up to scratch, but there is a much stronger core of ability in the list than what the ladder position indicates. I liken our current position very much to that of Hawthorn of 2004. They had a young nucleus of a good side but didn't have all the pieces in place (right coaches, right structure) for them to be a successful side yet. One good draft and a new coaching group later and they were off and running. We are that close right now - I firmly believe that.
So to summarise, none of that is earth-shattering or demands a 'scorched earth' policy. Just some sensible decisions based on research, careful deliberation and fact - just like Hawthorn and Geelong when both clubs were recently in exactly this same position. Some of the reactions of media and supporters alike has been so hysterical to be - well - hysterically funny.
And regardless of how much it hurts today or what happens in the future, I could never ever stop supporting the club - they are far too ingrained into my psyche to let go now.
