Neale Daniher

[Sojourner]

On 5AA the other night, Robert Walls gave his opinion on several subjects and happened to mention that his mail was that Essendon at the end of this season would be approching Melbourne coach Neale Daniher with a contract to coach the Bombers.

Neale Daniher will be at the Dees for 10 years this year. No premiership in that time, yet he certainley has taken a club that has one of the lowest memberships and low resources and made it competitive to the point where they have contested the finals several times in his coaching tenure.

No disrespect to Neil Craig here, yet I do wonder where the Crows would be if they had of gotten Neale Daniher rather than Craigie to coach the Crows?

Considering what he has achived with the Dees, it would be pretty likely that his return would be greater with access to the significantly better training resources that clubs like the Crows and Eagles have access too.

In respect to the coaching postion at any AFL club, the club has to make a commercial decision rather than an emotive decision, it is on that basis that I would like to see the Crows snaffle Daniher away from Melbourne if the Crows dont make an improvement this year.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

Well aware of Kevin Sheedy being constantly bagged on this forum.
Considering a future coach at Windy Hill from a selection of former Bombers champs...
For years they were grooming Mark Harvey for the gig.
But alas playing second fiddle for too long, he slipped through their fingers a while back!
However Neale Daniher would be a great replacement for Sheeds!
Maybe even his brother who I believe is currently Pagan's assistant @ Carlton,
Back to Back '84/'85 Premiership skipper Terry could have a shot as well.
Gary O'Donnell's another name that'll also crop up.
Whoever they pick.
Following in the footsteps of a fella who's been the same coach
at a club since before some of the players were even born...
Got some pretty big shoes to fill eh!

[Adelaide Hawk]

Neale Daniher - holds the AFL record for the most games coached without winning a flag. Enough said. Along with Terry Wallace, Daniher is one of the most over-rated coaches in the AFL.

[Rik E Boy]

Thank you Hawk. I was wondering what Daniher had done again. If the Cats fall over again this year I hope Bomber goes there LOL.

regards,

REB

[Blue Boy]

Neale Daniher - holds the AFL record for the most games coached without winning a flag. Enough said. Along with Terry Wallace, Daniher is one of the most over-rated coaches in the AFL.

Agree with you on Daniher !!!

But i dont actually mind Wallace - his era with the Bulldogs with what they had as a playing group was pretty good. With Richmond though I guess the jury is out.

[MW]

Thank you Hawk. I was wondering what Daniher had done again. If the Cats fall over again this year I hope Bomber goes there LOL.

regards,

REB

Don't you mean when?

[Rik E Boy]

Don't you mean when?

At least let me enjoy the pre-season LOL.

regards,

REB

[Adelaide Hawk]

Neale Daniher - holds the AFL record for the most games coached without winning a flag. Enough said. Along with Terry Wallace, Daniher is one of the most over-rated coaches in the AFL.

Agree with you on Daniher !!!

But i dont actually mind Wallace - his era with the Bulldogs with what they had as a playing group was pretty good. With Richmond though I guess the jury is out.

I'll clarify my point a little. I'm not saying these guys don't know their footy and can't coach, but at AFL level these guys are paid huge bucks to get success. To be coaching the elite level for 10 years or more without success should be looked upon as failure. The reason I say Daniher is over-rated is because in 2000 he had a team in the Grand Final. Here we are 7 years later, and he hasn't made another one, including several voyages to near the bottom of the ladder.

Wallace is a different case. Yes, he can bring some improvement into a club who is struggling, as he did with the Bulldogs. Once again, he had a team knocking on the door of a Grand Final and couldn't take them any further. The Bulldogs were in very poor shape when Wallace quit. At Richmond he had taken the perenial "9th" Tigers back to where they have been so many times before. They are no guarantee to make finals again this season. He is spoken about as one of the "superstar" coaches, but has delivered nothing. He's more talk than action.

[G]

Sojourner, once again you astound me and make me wonder whether you even own a TV. Neale Daniher has done virtually nothing at the Dees and has been lucky to hold his job over the last few years.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

With Sheeds obviously struggling for the last couple of seasons
WHO do think would be his likely replacement coaching the Dons?
1.) Neale Daniher?
2.) Terry Daniher?
3.) Mark Harvey?
4.) Gary O'Donnell?
5.) Tim Watson? (...eh Saints?)
6.) Roger Merrett?
It may not even be a former Essendon player!
Personally, I'd like to see former Don's skipper Mark Thompson do a 'Mal Michael'
& leave Sleepy Hollow to take the helm at Windy Hill...
After all he IS 'Bomber' Thompson!
(Take it easy Cats supporters, I'm only shit stirring!)
Harvs, Bomber & TD all had previous roles as Sheedy's assistant coaches...

[Hondo]

Struggling to see why Neale Daniher would bring anything more to the Crows than Neil Craig.

Sheeds is a master of the media and his high profile has created a perception of "master coach". But does his record stack up? Under Sheeds, Essendon have won 4 premierships in 27 years, 2 of which he grabbed in his first 5 years. Take those 2 early flags out and, since 1985, the Bombers have played in 3 grand finals and won 2. That's 2 premierships in 22 seasons.

Mind you, he is a great coach, his promotion of Essendon has been outstanding and he has helped the Bombers achieve one of the highest membership bases of any Victorian club - just not sure if his record warrants all the awe.

[sydney-dog]

Adelaide Hawk - hit the nail right on the head

In regards to Sheeds replacement, In my opinion, the Essendon footy club has become too stale and predictable, and the club should look at recruiting a coach from outside of it's own nest

it is time for a fresh approach, and a fresh set of eyes

[Hafey]

Dont underestimate the return of Gary Ayres as Kevin's replacement , he has been working closely with the current squad for some time now and the commitee rate him highly .

[Rik E Boy]

Struggling to see why Neale Daniher would bring anything more to the Crows than Neil Craig.

Sheeds is a master of the media and his high profile has created a perception of "master coach". But does his record stack up? Under Sheeds, Essendon have won 4 premierships in 27 years, 2 of which he grabbed in his first 5 years. Take those 2 early flags out and, since 1985, the Bombers have played in 3 grand finals and won 2. That's 2 premierships in 22 seasons.

Mind you, he is a great coach, his promotion of Essendon has been outstanding and he has helped the Bombers achieve one of the highest membership bases of any Victorian club - just not sure if his record warrants all the awe.

If you take out Sheedy's worst five seasons then it's 4 flags in 22 seasons. If you are going to evaluate the guy, go the whole 27 years...that is what history will do.

regards,

REB

[Hondo]

4 flags in 22 seasons doesn't make sense ..... you have to use a span of years. I understand your point tho and I agree it is a bit unfair to remove some of his better (early) years and pretend they never happened. And a lot of coaches would like to have 4 premierships on their resume. Mind you, a lot of coaches would like a 27 year guaranteed stint in the job too.

All I am saying is that since he won 2 premierships in 84 and 85 with one of the greatest teams in VFL history, he maybe hasn't had the premiership success that his perception might lead you to believe. Not to say he has done a bad job - but maybe his high profile has let the club tolerate more lean years than other clubs might. Based on the opening to the thread, maybe the club is starting to look at it the same way. Or maybe he has had enough ....

[Psyber]

Adelaide Hawk - hit the nail right on the head

In regards to Sheeds replacement, In my opinion, the Essendon footy club has become too stale and predictable, and the club should look at recruiting a coach from outside of it's own nest

it is time for a fresh approach, and a fresh set of eyes

You are probably right but I bet they don't. I suspect James Hird will get the job, and he may turn out not to be a bad choice.

[Sojourner]

Sojourner, once again you astound me and make me wonder whether you even own a TV. Neale Daniher has done virtually nothing at the Dees and has been lucky to hold his job over the last few years.

Did you read what I wrote re coaches and the resources that they have available to them?

Which club has significantly better resources, the Crows or the Demons?

Daniher has done an outstanding job with what he has been given to work with, imagine how he might go with all the resources that the Crows have and a home ground advantage in Football Park.

[Hondo]

Sojourner, once again you astound me and make me wonder whether you even own a TV. Neale Daniher has done virtually nothing at the Dees and has been lucky to hold his job over the last few years.

Did you read what I wrote re coaches and the resources that they have available to them?

Which club has significantly better resources, the Crows or the Demons?

Daniher has done an outstanding job with what he has been given to work with, imagine how he might go with all the resources that the Crows have and a home ground advantage in Football Park.

This is a pointless hypothetical argument .... unless Daniher came here and tried, how he might perform is pure speculation. And he simply won't be here in the near future, if ever. I reckon in time, Craigie will be the one getting poached over the border.

[Rik E Boy]

4 flags in 22 seasons doesn't make sense ..... you have to use a span of years. I understand your point tho and I agree it is a bit unfair to remove some of his better (early) years and pretend they never happened. And a lot of coaches would like to have 4 premierships on their resume. Mind you, a lot of coaches would like a 27 year guaranteed stint in the job too.

All I am saying is that since he won 2 premierships in 84 and 85 with one of the greatest teams in VFL history, he maybe hasn't had the premiership success that his perception might lead you to believe. Not to say he has done a bad job - but maybe his high profile has let the club tolerate more lean years than other clubs might. Based on the opening to the thread, maybe the club is starting to look at it the same way. Or maybe he has had enough ....

Yeah but he took over in 1981, he wasn't presented with gun sides on a platter like Alan Joyce, he had to develop them which he did. I'd also like to suggest that Essendon has had hardly had a lean period in his tenure, except for maybe the last two years. Surely a guy who has a great record over 25 years deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt for two dodgy seasons. This season will be a key year for the Bombers and if they can make the eight then that would be a great achievement by Sheeds because the depth doesn't appear to be there. I think the recruiting decisions of the last four or five years are a greater blot than the coaching of Sheedy.

Think about it like this as well. 4 flags in 27 years is 8 in 54 and 16 in 108. Not too many clubs have achieved this level of sucess. His time might be up, but it's pretty hard to diss his record.

regards,

REB

[westozfalcon]

I've always thought Terry Wallace is an overrated coach - more hype and talk than substance.

IMHO If Richmond don't make the eight this year (especially with Nathan Brown fully fit) 'The Plough' has nowhere to hide!