SA Footy

I have to confess that I didnt tip Essendon to win today, I felt that after the Crows losing last week and the importance of wins in the next few weeks to qualify for the finals that they would find something extra and beat Essendon despite the recent announcement of the sacking of Sheedy.

It is reported on Fox Footy that there is a huge push on already to pack out the MCG this week with Essendon supporters for the Essendon vs Hawthorn game. I think that Essendon are a really good chance of winning that game. If they do they may well earn themselves a place in the finals which would be interesting, Essendon being led in the finals by a coach who the club has said will not have his contract renewed.

Anything can happen in Football and I wouldent be surprised to see Essendon win finals games if they do qualify. Essendon may well have been premature with their announcement as Sheedy seems to be coaching well at present.

What I do wonder is how well Sheedy would do with the Crows next year? I am not calling for the sacking of Neil Craig, yet it is my thoughts that should it happen that the Crows dont make the finals in 2008 that the board will likely give him the sack as a result.

If that is a likely scenario, is it worth letting a coach like Sheedy slip out of reach of the club by waiting until next year to sign a coach? Would the Crows do better if Sheedy was appointed as coach in 2008? Is that something that the Crows management would be looking into at present?

Sojourner wrote:I have to confess that I didnt tip Essendon to win today, I felt that after the Crows losing last week and the importance of wins in the next few weeks to qualify for the finals that they would find something extra and beat Essendon despite the recent announcement of the sacking of Sheedy.

It is reported on Fox Footy that there is a huge push on already to pack out the MCG this week with Essendon supporters for the Essendon vs Hawthorn game. I think that Essendon are a really good chance of winning that game. If they do they may well earn themselves a place in the finals which would be interesting, Essendon being led in the finals by a coach who the club has said will not have his contract renewed.

Anything can happen in Football and I wouldent be surprised to see Essendon win finals games if they do qualify. Essendon may well have been premature with their announcement as Sheedy seems to be coaching well at present.

What I do wonder is how well Sheedy would do with the Crows next year? I am not calling for the sacking of Neil Craig, yet it is my thoughts that should it happen that the Crows dont make the finals in 2008 that the board will likely give him the sack as a result.

If that is a likely scenario, is it worth letting a coach like Sheedy slip out of reach of the club by waiting until next year to sign a coach? Would the Crows do better if Sheedy was appointed as coach in 2008? Is that something that the Crows management would be looking into at present?

As I said in another thread, I'm not sure the coach is the issue, although he seems to be a bit unimaginative about trying players in other positions than their usual ones. Except under Blight, the Crows have always tended to keep the star players in the team whether or not they were fit or in form, and to keep them on when they were past being able to do it. It seems to be a culture that goes right back to the beginning.

Neil Craig (and myself, for that matter) could pop them through from 15 metres....

Essendon FC decided no matter what the result was this year, it's time for change- flag or no flag.

After 1985 Sheeds pulled out a flag at around 8 year intervals - 1993 and then 2000. Just enough to keep him going and then before EFC knew it he'd been there 27 years!

It's arguable whether Sheeds could/should have done more with the squads he had at his disposal - particularly 1999-2001 when some said he had the best team ever, yet only got the prize in 2000. Admittedly he came up against a team in 2001 that would be closer to the 'greatest of all time'.

I don't mean to knock the guy - off the field he was been sensational for the Bombers in terms of generating supporters & members. And 4 flags in 27 years is better than most teams in the same era 1981-2007. But maybe he just didn't do enough in more recent times. What do people think?

I think that four flags in twenty seven years is pretty good going!

I think that people way underestimate how hard it is to win even one in that time!

South Adelaide 43 years and still going,

Sydney have broken through and won a flag, yet in their case it was 72 years since their last flag - 1933.

The following sides are on the following droughts

St Kilda 42 years, Geelong 43 years, Western Bulldogs 55 years, Melbourne 42 years.

For Sheedy to have won 4 in 27 years is something that no doubt many of these longsuffering supporters would be absolutley delighted to have happened.

Under Sheedy, Essendon were never down for long.

To go along with the four premierships and seven grand final appearances...

There were a couple of heartbreaking Prelim final losses - one point in 1996, two points in 1999 - as well as a shellacking in 1989.

The fact that Essendon have been 'up' for so long during Sheedy's reign - and in the modern system - is quite remarkable.

My point is in more recent times, Sheeds maybe hasn't produced the premiership count that the teams at his disposal were capable of - particularly with the 1999-2001 era team.

Premierhsip drought teams would be wrapped with 1! But regular grand finalists have higher expectations than that and I count the Bombers in that category. Since 1985 Bombers have 2 flags. Same era Carlton have 2, Hawthorn 4, Kangaroos 2, Adelaide 2, Brisbane 3, West Coast 3, Port 1, Sydney 1, Collingwood 1. Sheeds about middle of the pack?

All I am offering is a reason as to why the Board may have started to question whether a change was needed.

He has coached 4 more premierships than I ever will!