Longmire - How much longer?

[BSA5]

Yeah, I don't get it. We've unearthed a young CHF that looks like he'll be good for 12 years+, a young key defender who has slotted in with the greatest of ease and is already a key part of our defensive setup, a young midfielder that is as solid as a rock, the continued development of last year's Rising Star winner in Hanners, the continued development of one of the most powerful inside midfielders in the competition in Kennedy, the debut of a further three young players (Sumner, Johnston and Gordon, hopefully Sumner will return), the return of Goodes to the midfield on a semi-regular basis (which fans have been calling for since forever), the appointment of some excellent development coaches in Hank and Crouchy (When was the last time our players looked so comfortable stepping up from reserves to senior footy? Usually it takes about a year before players adjust to the different pace), we've seen the likes of Moore and Bevo more or less banished to the reserves, as the fans have been wanting, and he development of Bird into one of the better taggers in the competition.

All this, AND we're still sitting 8th, AND it was done without a capable FF, arguably the most important position to a team's structure.

[dimelb]

Yeah, I don't get it. We've unearthed a young CHF that looks like he'll be good for 12 years+, a young key defender who has slotted in with the greatest of ease and is already a key part of our defensive setup, a young midfielder that is as solid as a rock, the continued development of last year's Rising Star winner in Hanners, the continued development of one of the most powerful inside midfielders in the competition in Kennedy, the debut of a further three young players (Sumner, Johnston and Gordon, hopefully Sumner will return), the return of Goodes to the midfield on a semi-regular basis (which fans have been calling for since forever), the appointment of some excellent development coaches in Hank and Crouchy (When was the last time our players looked so comfortable stepping up from reserves to senior footy? Usually it takes about a year before players adjust to the different pace), we've seen the likes of Moore and Bevo more or less banished to the reserves, as the fans have been wanting, and he development of Bird into one of the better taggers in the competition.

All this, AND we're still sitting 8th, AND it was done without a capable FF, arguably the most important position to a team's structure.

Balance. Perspective.

[Yuri H]

Ohhhh I know, in lucid moments, that it takes time, can't judge after not-even-a-year, &c &c - but in the heat of passion (or rather the despair of watching another lackluster performance), one does tend to grasp wildly for an imagined quick fix. I just fret that if the Swans are looking rudderless now, next year after GWS loots us (another perhaps irrational fear) we'll be well and truly [edit]ed.

Though granted, maybe a complete collapse would be more endurable than faceless fair-to-middlin' playing ... last year's horrific defeat at the hands of Melbourne was almost easier to watch, in the "just sit back and face it" sort of way, than the games where we go to sleep, get blitzed, and then nobly try to claw our way back. Maybe a whole terrible season would separate the wheat from the chaff .... though, as someone who never had to endure the terrible early days of the Swans' move to Sydney, I guess I can talk all theoretical-like without knowing how it feels.

... in other words, I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, as usual.

[caj23]

I still find it utterly extraordinary that a coach in his first year would have supporters wanting him to be sacked. Especially a side that's in the the redevelopment stage. Is it that people have become spoilt with success since pretty much 1996 that they can't handle the down times??? (Although we're still in the 8 and we're not Melbourne or Port Adelaide ).

Nobody realistically expects him to be sacked this year (we realise we're stuck with him for another 12 months at a minimum) and we're not jumping the gun after one insipid performance against the Tigers.

The fact is that the coaching staff this year have been nothing short of catastrophic in 2011. It was clear from round 1 when Seaby was named the sub that Longmire is far from a genius.

Unfortunately we are going to continue going backwards next year while other teams continue to improve.

There's a reason Longmire couldn't get a gig after 9 years as an assistant and the fact that the board didn't see fit to go through a proper process to replace Roos was negligent.

Tim I like your sentiment but I can't agree with many points in your post. I don't recall many on here gunning for Roos head, and generally most on here aren't overly negative. Nor should we simply accept mediocraty, god help us if that is the attitude of the club as that is why it took 72 between premierships.

Many of us are simply frustrated with the direction our club is heading and need to vent after putting up with the incompetency from our coaching department this season.

[Kirkari]

The issues with the team would have been there for any coach who took over from Roos. Bringing Bradshaw in was a ploy to see if we could give it one last crack with Kirky et al for the big prize. At the start of 2010 we were looking very very good. Sadly due to injuries we weren't able to maintain the momentum but coming 5th was a great achievement.
To be fair to Longmire, he needs a chance to turn the list over. He needs to continue to develop the young players whilst shepherding the run off of the older end of our list (Kennelly, ROK, Bolton).
We are rebuilding. It is a long season, particularly for the young players (Reid, AJ, Jetta, etc) and that's what we are seeing. Overall, I am surprised we have remained in the 8 for as long as we have. I'm sure if there were significant issues between coaches and playing group we would have seen a much greater fall away far earlier.
Have faith people. What we are seeing is a team that is going through a metamorphosis. There are fantastic signs of what this playing group can be capable of as they grow and develop. We are still challenging for a top 8 position when we have no forward line and a developing midfield group.

Yeah, I don't get it. We've unearthed a young CHF that looks like he'll be good for 12 years+, a young key defender who has slotted in with the greatest of ease and is already a key part of our defensive setup, a young midfielder that is as solid as a rock, the continued development of last year's Rising Star winner in Hanners, the continued development of one of the most powerful inside midfielders in the competition in Kennedy, the debut of a further three young players (Sumner, Johnston and Gordon, hopefully Sumner will return), the return of Goodes to the midfield on a semi-regular basis (which fans have been calling for since forever), the appointment of some excellent development coaches in Hank and Crouchy (When was the last time our players looked so comfortable stepping up from reserves to senior footy? Usually it takes about a year before players adjust to the different pace), we've seen the likes of Moore and Bevo more or less banished to the reserves, as the fans have been wanting, and he development of Bird into one of the better taggers in the competition.

All this, AND we're still sitting 8th, AND it was done without a capable FF, arguably the most important position to a team's structure.

Agree, agree.

[Kirkari]

...
There's a reason Longmire couldn't get a gig after 9 years as an assistant and the fact that the board didn't see fit to go through a proper process to replace Roos was negligent.
...

Umm, yeah, so the board just couldn't be bothered? You think the people on the board don't care at least as much as you and I how the team goes on the field? Or, maybe, as people who see the inner workings of the organisation, the relationships between the coaching staff and players, and Longmire's contribution as assistant over those 9 years, they felt pretty informed and confident in regard to his abilities?

[R-1]

OK, It's a new day and I've calmed down. The sort of crap we watched yesterday is disheartening, but these things do sometimes happen with youngish sides. Call it a learning experience about the dangers of complacency and the need to, you know, try hard every week, and move on. Hopefully the players are suitably embarassed and will get a bit more ruthless as a result.

If we're getting efforts this in a year's time, then questions need to be asked.

[Big Al]

The fact is that the coaching staff this year have been nothing short of catastrophic in 2011. It was clear from round 1 when Seaby was named the sub that Longmire is far from a genius.

There's a reason Longmire couldn't get a gig after 9 years as an assistant and the fact that the board didn't see fit to go through a proper process to replace Roos was negligent.

.

Catastrophic??? We're in the 8 with no key forward all the awhile blooding youngsters for the future. We have some terrific developement coaches dealing with the kids coming through. The Ressies watchers will tell you that the improvement in these guys this year has been stunning. It sets us up for a bright future so Catastrophic is way over the top in my view.

Longmire had a 9 year interview. It doesn't get much more in depth than that. Also talk to people in the corporate world and they'll tell you succession planning is the norm in well run organisations.

[caj23]

Umm, yeah, so the board just couldn't be bothered? You think the people on the board don't care at least as much as you and I how the team goes on the field? Or, maybe, as people who see the inner workings of the organisation, the relationships between the coaching staff and players, and Longmire's contribution as assistant over those 9 years, they felt pretty informed and confident in regard to his abilities?

Longmire had a 9 year interview. It doesn't get much more in depth than that. Also talk to people in the corporate world and they'll tell you succession planning is the norm in well run organisations.

AFL is not the corporate world and the comparison is riduculous, there are only 16 positions available for a senior coach in the whole of Australia so it is imperative that the best person is selected for the job.

Did the best person get the job at the Swans? How would the board know because they didn't even look outside the club.

Geelong is regarded as the best managed club in the league. They were in a similar situation with Brenton Sanderson. Did they hand the job to him on a platter without speaking to anyone else? No, they made him go through an interview process with a number of other candidates. And guess what? They discovered that Chris Scott was a better candidate, even though Sanderson had been with the club for 15 years as a player and assistant coach (I bet they thought they knew him pretty well too)

The Cats lost their best player and were tipped to fall a few spots this year, but Scott has changed their game plan and they are a better team than last year even without Ablett.

It's a pity our administration didn't have the same foresight or intestinal fortitude to make the hard decision.

Maybe Horse would have got the job had this process occurred anyway, at least we would now be comfortable in the knowledge that he was the best man for the job,

[nomae]

Geelong is regarded as the best managed club in the league. They were in a similar situation with Brenton Sanderson. Did they hand the job to him on a platter without speaking to anyone else? No, they made him go through an interview process with a number of other candidates. And guess what? They discovered that Chris Scott was a better candidate, even though Sanderson had been with the club for 15 years as a player and assistant coach (I bet they thought they knew him pretty well too)

The Cats lost their best player and were tipped to fall a few spots this year, but Scott has changed their game plan and they are a better team than last year even without Ablett.

It's a pity our administration didn't have the same foresight or intestinal fortitude to make the hard decision.

Chris Scott sued for ?entirely useless? first-year coaching seminars ? The White Maggot

Please read this. Even though it is satirical, it makes valid points. Geelong have a star-studded midfield without Ablett, as well as the other 6 or 7 All-Australians in their back and forward lines.

If succession plans are so ridiculous, then why did Collingwood, the biggest, wealthiest sporting club in Australia implement one? With an individual (Buckley) to take over who had one year of experience in a coaching environment at the time the decision was made?

I can see you're obviously passionate about the club, which is great, and we all hate results like yesterday, but jumping the gun like this isn't productive. Give the bloke a chance. For pete's sake he's relying on LRT to kick goals.

I would like to think we will scrape into the finals this year, get one, maybe two games of September experience into the kids if we're lucky, then look for a decent full-forward in the off-season. Someone by the name of Tom Hawkins perhaps.

Oh and politely ask Tadgh to make way for the younger brigade in 2012.

[Big Al]

Chris Scott sued for ?entirely useless? first-year coaching seminars ? The White Maggot

Please read this. Even though it is satirical, it makes valid points. Geelong have a star-studded midfield without Ablett, as well as the other 6 or 7 All-Australians in their back and forward lines.

If succession plans are so ridiculous, then why did Collingwood, the biggest, wealthiest sporting club in Australia implement one? With an individual (Buckley) to take over who had one year of experience in a coaching environment at the time the decision was made?

I can see you're obviously passionate about the club, which is great, and we all hate results like yesterday, but jumping the gun like this isn't productive. Give the bloke a chance. For pete's sake he's relying on LRT to kick goals.

I would like to think we will scrape into the finals this year, get one, maybe two games of September experience into the kids if we're lucky, then look for a decent full-forward in the off-season. Someone by the name of Tom Hawkins perhaps.

Oh and politely ask Tadgh to make way for the younger brigade in 2012.

Thanks Nomae...no need for me to respond to Caj23. That was perfect.

[timthefish]

where is this notion that gws is going to gut us coming from? they are limited to what they can take from any club.

at least the "us" vs "them" rhetoric seems to be more directed towards another club now and not just the leaders of our own.

[sharp9]

As one who started the "Drop Tadgh" thread 6 weeks ago, and yesterday questioned whether the coach is actually any good - I've had a wee think and would like to argue against myself somewhat.

This week Essendon absolutely smashed a bottom 8 team and the Swans were absolutely smashed by a bottom 8 team. If Goodesy's kick had been straight last week those two results would have been reversed. Sad to say but we just could not get back up, could not get the head back in the right space.

[caj23]

Thanks Nomae...no need for me to respond to Caj23. That was perfect.

Why not? It didn't adress anything in my post whatsoever

[Cheer Squad]

Catastrophic??? We're in the 8 with no key forward all the awhile blooding youngsters for the future. We have some terrific developement coaches dealing with the kids coming through. The Ressies watchers will tell you that the improvement in these guys this year has been stunning. It sets us up for a bright future so Catastrophic is way over the top in my view.

Longmire had a 9 year interview. It doesn't get much more in depth than that. Also talk to people in the corporate world and they'll tell you succession planning is the norm in well run organisations.

All that may be true, but I'd still go after Malthouse if there was a chance we could get him. He'd add far more value than just answer questions over Longmire's coaching smarts.