Is the Bux extension worse than the Tony Shaw appointment ??

[Seth]

God I really wanted to believe it was the right thing to do but now I can't anymore. It is another shaw appointment unfortunately and the team has gone backwards.

Eddie always says he wants the best people for the club, unfortunately bucks ain't it. Bad selection decisions, no real game plan, no plan B, a non functioning forward line, a midfield that is not working hard, a struggling back line who consistently get lead to the ball. We can go on and on but for a team that was placed in the top four and considered a real premiership where has it all gone wrong. Injuries? An excuse really.

Bucks unfortunately is not the coach to take into the future, not on the latest performances that we have seen.

[Collingwood Crackerjack]

Give Burns a go I reckon; always thought he epitomized the right way to go about it

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

Well I guess the theory that the forward coach won us our last Premiership is now well and truly debunked. Idiots!

[Hiss]

On what basis do you compare the Tony Shaw appointment with Bucks? Please explain this outrageous slur!

[Beast]

[Beast]

And I'll admit that I was wrong all along in saying the contract extension wasn't as bad as Shaw while being bewildering.

It's actually a lot worse as Shawry didn't inherit a young and very promising list that was meant to be going places and just won a flag and missed out on another one only due to injuries and turned us into the laughing stock.

[Flashman]

[Beast]

[Flashman]

[Beast]

Once again, this isn't about me being right it's about the fact we've been playing well below par even in most of our wins this season. In fact I've stated before that I reckon we've played 3 great games for the year - wins against Sydney and North and the loss against the Cats but the majority of us have been satisfied with this state of affairs. I know it sounds odd but in this instance I'm a firm believer this has translated to our powers that be being satisfied with our direction. We haven't had nowhere near enough heat applied to us during this season and have been afforded the luxury of hiding behind injuries and youth excuses for far too long.
And the way we're going it will only get worse and my worst nightmare of commentators starting to cheer for us during the games will become a reality

[Doc63]

The handover was always a risk. The question is, was it a risk worth taking?

On one hand, it put a rocket up the Old Goat, with the result being the Holy Grail. We can argue forever about why, what or who was the difference in 2010. The bottom line is, we were a different team all of a sudden.

Now, the decision to install Bucks as the coach in waiting was always contentious, given that he hadn't even been an assistant at that stage. At the time, it reeked of panic, with both North & Richmond apparently offering him the top job. It seemed like Ed couldn't stomach Bucks going elsewhere, and being successful, especially as Mick still didn't look like winning a flag at that stage.

Can you imagine what it would have been like on here if Bucks had gone to either North or Richmond, and been successful, and 2010 had not happened?

Now three seasons on, we appear to have gone backwards quite considerably. A number of the 2010/11 players have either retired or moved elsewhere, and their replacements have either not been up to it, or are just starting their careers. Bucks has been given an extension, so, It looks like, for the next couple of seasons at least, we will find out whether he can become a good coach or not.

The interesting thing will be, if it gets to that stage, will Ed actually be able to bring himself to sack him.

So, back to my original question. Was, in hindsight, the handover a risk worth taking? If the handover was somehow the impetus for 2010, was it worth what we are going through now?

For me, given that half way through 2009 I thought we were nowhere near a flag, the answer is yes. As painful as now is, yes.

[Beast]

I have no doubt the handover had to happen as Malthouse was getting too comfortable with is being mediocre for far too long, he also looked bereft of ideas, started to lose the passion and was in dire need of a kick up the backside. The handover was probably an impetus to us winning the flag, albeit just and against a far inferior side on it's last legs.
And even though we didn't go through the required process giving Bucks the job made sense at the time, unlike extending his contact based on inconclusive evidence of his coaching prowess at best.
I've always said his first year at the helm was a pass mark due to injuries but 2013 was a massive underachievement considering we got most of our players back in the second half of the season.
He's been learning on the job and making numerous blunders as expected but problem is he's been doing it with the list capable of much more under a better guidance and doesn't seem to have learned much apart from saying all the "right" things in his pressers.
He also clearly lacks the ability to motivate and keep the players on their toes by making brave selection calls. Instead he seems to have the habit of dropping the likes of White and Keeffe the moment they have a poor game despite this being detrimental to our structure.
Getting rid of the core of our heart and soul players at the club and replacing them with the far inferior talent thats prepared to walk in line is a massive question on his vision of the game.
It's all good and well to say the Club is bigger than the individual but without individuals our Club is clearly lacking character and comraderie.
We used to be nigh on unbeatable on the road, respond well with our backs to the wall and have a never say die attitude. We used to have lapses but you could always rely on us performing for at least 3 quarters during the game.
It's all gone now, replaced with promises of better future despite evrything pinting to it being a furfie.
And we're stuck with the person primarily responsible for his for another 3 years.

[Jezza]

Right now we wouldn't look any better with Malthouse in charge. Malthouse was a great coach for us in the 2000s but now he would be stale if he was still there. His game plan is outdated and his ego started to get the better of him as time went on. I'm glad he moved on after 2011 rather than staying and causing a divide between him and Bucks in the inner-sanctum.

In regards to Bucks, time will tell whether he proves to be successful or not. I've always hoped that Bucks would deliver the ultimate prize for us as his loyalty and passion for the club is undoubtable but if things don't improve then serious questions need to be asked at the end of the season. I think regardless of what happens now until the end of the season, I think he has next year to improve but if we continue going backwards then I think his time may be up by the end of 2015. I'm starting to get a feeling that things won't work out the way we hope with him but I really hope I'm wrong.

[What'sinaname]

[collie dog]