Daniher calls it a day (at seasons end)

[blink]

Daniher ends the speculation
Neale Daniher announced today he would quit as coach of Melbourne at the end of the 2007 season.

Daniher made the shock announcement the day after the club revealed it was undertaking a full coaching review in the wake of last Friday's 49-point humiliation by Richmond.

Daniher took over from caretaker Greg Hutchison as Demons coach at the start of the 1998 season.

He led the club to six finals series, including the 2000 grand final which it lost to Essendon.

But after reaching the finals for the previous three years, Melbourne has slumped to second-last in 2007.

Daniher made the decision not to seek re-appointment this morning, adding that it would "stop a lot of this uncertainty" surrounding the club and the coaching position.

"I was hoping to have a bit more time to think about it instead of going through this," he said.

"It's best for the club, it's best for the players, I think it's best for me."

The 46-year-old Daniher said he planned to remain at the helm of the Demons for the remaining 10 rounds of 2007.

And he said he intended to resume his coaching career at another club in the coming years.

Triple Brisbane premiership captain Michael Voss and current Collingwood assistant coach Guy McKenna would be among the early favourites to replace Daniher.

Current Fremantle coach and former Melbourne player Chris Connolly could also come into the mix if the Dockers decide not to renew his deal at the end of the year.

Daniher said he enjoyed a fantastic run coaching a great club and he would leave satisfied that he had done his best.

"It was a poor loss against Richmond and instead of going through with this 'will I go through this process or won't I, I think this is the right time," he said.

"I thought that, coming off (the) Adelaide win and the Collingwood win, I was hoping that we'd be competitive and the speculation wouldn't be stirred up."

AAP

[Hondo]

Possibly a bit overdue, but the right call I think - regardless of whether it was his call or the club's. Melbourne kept getting 'almost there' and promising a lot for the following season which kept him in the job for possibly 1-3 years too long.

But, he started in 1998 and made the finals 6 times, winning 6 and losing 6 including the 2000 GF to Essendon. So a reasonably good run just lacking the ultimate prize unfortunately.

[blink]

You can look at other coaches who have been at a club that long previously, and produced nothing more. He has done better than Ayres ever did at the Crows, at least he took them to a GF!

I always liked Daniher as well, seemed a genuine, straight up bloke. He looks like the kind of leader that his players would want to do everything and anything for. Not recently though!

[Booney]

A good call (one could argue one of very few 'good calls' by Daniher),it gives the club the chance to start looking at and reviewing each possible replacement.

Which begs the question,(in two parts),

If you,as an assistant coach at another AFL club,or perhaps at a VFL/SANFL/WAFL club,if approached be prepared to have either your managment or indeed yourself begin the process of applying for the Melbourne senior coaching job,and perhaps before seasons end be interviewed for the job?

Melbourne may wait until October,or late September to begin this process.My thoughts are they would be going as hard as they can to compile a short list,perhaps 'expresions of interest' would be accepted for a while.So how long before they 'get the ball rolling'?

[Benchwarmer]

If their perceived "right man" is available now, then try and secure them now for 2008 - starting them off now would be a bit silly (but don't announce it for as long as possible - depending on who it is and what they are doing now).

If their perceived "right man" is not available now, then put the feelers out and get them if they are interested (a la Clarkson from Power assistant to Hawthorn) but preferrably not get it in the public forum whilst the "coach in the wings" is busy at a club head-long into a serious tilt at a premiership (i.e. a top six club).

[Hondo]

Based on comments on 5AA the other night some good judges already have their eye on Rick MacGowan for an assistant AFL coach job when his contract at Sturt finishes

[sydney-dog]

it was the right call

it gives the Dee's plenty of time to recruit and select the right person, and for Terry, well their may be a few jobs to go for, Freo, Carlton, Essendon, Kanga's ??

[bayman]

i'd think after seeing the footage of the melbourne president over the week end, the writing was on the wall & i'd bet that for a 'professional break up' that daniher was told/asked to resign rather than getting the chop whether that was now or at seasons end

will he move to essendon to 'take over' when kev gives it away or is pushed ?

[Benchwarmer]

Who would go to the ski fields and say that he is with his flock when in such a perilous position in the first place?

At least he is going before he has a chance of joining the "sacked coaches" club.

[Hondo]

At least he is going before he has a chance of joining the "sacked coaches" club.

You're making an assumption there

And I am rumour mongering

[blink]

Fresh talk today that tomorrow night's game may be Daniher's last as coach of Melbourne.

Meetings today to discuss whether a care-taker coach is the right option for the remaining rounds as Melbourne don't want a repeat of the Richmond/Frawley or Hawthorn/Schwab incidents.

[Benchwarmer]

Today's West Australian lists Connolly as the favourite, McKenna, Longmire, Bond and Sumich as the next chances and Voss as the smokie.

I would change my original view and frame the following market (the WA's comments are in brackets):

Connolly (solid record at Fremantle, ex-Melbourne player and life member)
Sumich (6 yrs as WCE assistant, previously coached Sth Fremantle)
McKenna (worked alongside Mick Malthouse, coached Claremont, was shortlisted by St Kilda)
Longmire (played abig part in Sydney's success, St Kilda applicant)
Voss (claims he is ready)
Bond (WB assistant coach since 2003, believed to have been a close second to Lyon for St Kilda job)

Connolly would have to be the new favourite, but my contention is that he is only as good as the list he has ... Melbourne doesn't have a strong list and the Dockers have a good list and look what is happening.

[Rik E Boy]

Meanwhile, in the Melbourne committeroom, the faceless men sit down at their heavy Oak table...

"Our club has a list of older players who have delivered jack shit for years. Our youngsters are miles off at the moment and our midfield is soft as butter. Our hard nut players are either perpetually injured (Maloney) or have had a gutful and would rather be down the pub (Pickett). We play our ruckman for 90% of the time so that anyone even half decent cracks the shits and pisses of to another club so they can actually get some game time. We need a new coach.

Let's get Voss. After all, he reckons he's ready."

BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ WRONG ANSWER MCFLY.

But then again they are Melbourne so Voss will probably end up there! What a overrated rabble.

regards,

REB

[Benchwarmer]

That's GOLD, REB!

[JK]

Maybe Sumich and Judd would come across together ...

[Sojourner]

Where Melbourne made a serious error was their coup that ended the tenure of president Joseph Gutnick. Joe pumped a massive amount of finance into the club and set about improving their various structures and managed to recruit some reasonable players, yet he didnt get the opportunity to finish the job that he had started, subsaquently it all fell apart and has led to yesterdays situation. Melbourne need more than a great coach if they seriously want to be anything other than a side that perpetually makes up the numbers.

[Aerie]

I like Daniher. I reckon he is the most up front, honest coach in the AFL. Also had a game plan which made Melbourne an attractive team to watch. He's had Melbourne around the mark. Similar to St Kilda and Geelong. But, he hasn't delivered the ultimate prize and on this years form, didn't look like any time soon. It's the right time for him to go and I reckon he'll have a nice cushy job in the media if he wants it as he comes across well on tv.

Perhaps a few vacancies at the end of the year if he wanted to apply for a senior job again. Freo the likely club and a slight possibility of Carlton, Essendon and/or Kangaroos?

[Booney]

http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/News/N ... wsId=46139

Not years end,not Friday night,he is gone now!!

[Benchwarmer]

I think Mark Riley will do as well as the Reverend would have done for the rest of the year ... not too well. But it aint his fault.

Maybe he'll escape with a 3-5 record., which would be reasonably good considering the way they are playing this year.

No doubt the odds will have been decimated both for Daniher to be the next Dockers coach and Connolly to be the next Melbourne coach.

[mal]

ML 9-17
PP 10-16

WB 16-16
ML 16-10

WC 19-23
ML 9-6

ML 11-12
KA 10-19

thats the form after round 9
0 wins
9 losses

Then

ML 13-11
AC 10-12

ML 13-16
CO 11-15

RI 18-16
ML 11-9

Bit confused the DEES beat AC+ CO the previous 2 games
before the RI loss and he resigns or sacked.
Strange timing/logic

The 3 losses by a kick may have cost him his job, had they been 4 0r 5 wins now ......

Considering the talent at the club I guess he has slightly underachieved.
Good team to watch.