Bombertalk

I am terribly sorry for Sheeds. I am sure he could offer most clubs something but I doubt he will be in the running for any of the current AFL jobs

Bailey goes to Melb
Ratten to Carlton
Harvey to Freo

and of course the Bombers job is not on the table.

So if he doesnt coach next year where does he go?

I am afarid at 60 and a year out of the game wont work for him.

Nope, I am sad to say that his last game as an AFL coach will be this weekend at Subiaco. What I do believe will happen is Sheedy will end up working with Vlad and Adolph down at AFL House - AFL Ambassador or something of that ilk

Unfortunately I think Sheedy's stocks sunk horribly with his team's pretty inept performances over the last few weeks. Had they made the finals then things may have worked out differently

Good luck to the great man either way

Napier Street should be renamed Kevin Sheedy Avenue

I thought Bailey, Hardwick and Sheeds were all still in the mix for Melbourne. I wouldn't be surprised if they look at a mentor type structure that includes Sheeds in some sort of director role. Sheeds and Hardwick would be a formidable team - Hardwick has played under Sheedy and Williams and has been an assistant in a Hawthorn structure where on-field tactics, fitness and conditioning and list development have been exceptional.

Melbourne needs Sheedy more than any other club in the competition. And, after coming out punching in the press, Sheedy really needs Melbourne right now.

andrewb wrote:I thought Bailey, Hardwick and Sheeds were all still in the mix for Melbourne. I wouldn't be surprised if they look at a mentor type structure that includes Sheeds in some sort of director role. Sheeds and Hardwick would be a formidable team - Hardwick has played under Sheedy and Williams and has been an assistant in a Hawthorn structure where on-field tactics, fitness and conditioning and list development have been exceptional.

Melbourne needs Sheedy more than any other club in the competition. And, after coming out punching in the press, Sheedy really needs Melbourne right now.

Melbourne needed Sheedy 27 years ago. Melbourne require someone who can do a "Sheedy" and work with what they currently have and slowly build upon the minimal resources at their disposal. Sheedy can't work miracles in a short space of time, of which, that is all that he has left. It's true that we won a flag in his 4th year at the club, but the competition only fielded 12 teams, there was no salary cap, and playing lists were around the 60 mark.

He should get some gig at AFL that harnesses his big picture thinking. Let him come up with the big ideas, but don't saddle him with the administrative garbage that comes with the execution of the ideas (leave that work to some administrative flunkies).

For a start, he could be given a seat on the rules committee, ideally at the expense of Bartlett. Sheeds has three things going for him that i reckon would make him good on the rules committee:
1) He's old fashioned, and people seem to remember the old times with more fondness than is held toward the current state of the game;
2) He coached teams to play an aesthetically pleasing style of football (when it worked), and encourages the rules to harness such styles of footy; and
3) Sheeds has always regarded fans as the most important stakeholder in the game, which means he'd be more willing to listen to the fans than the current pack of monkeys who preside over the rules.

jimmyc1985 wrote:He should get some gig at AFL that harnesses his big picture thinking. Let him come up with the big ideas, but don't saddle him with the administrative garbage that comes with the execution of the ideas (leave that work to some administrative flunkies).

For a start, he could be given a seat on the rules committee, ideally at the expense of Bartlett. Sheeds has three things going for him that i reckon would make him good on the rules committee:
1) He's old fashioned, and people seem to remember the old times with more fondness than is held toward the current state of the game;
2) He coached teams to play an aesthetically pleasing style of football (when it worked), and encourages the rules to harness such styles of footy; and
3) Sheeds has always regarded fans as the most important stakeholder in the game, which means he'd be more willing to listen to the fans than the current pack of monkeys who preside over the rules.

Have to agree with everything you said.

Agree with Jimbob, especially on point 3.

I would like the AFL, and the Federal Government to open a joint venture Academics/Sports academy for Aboriginal youth somewhere in the NT. Sheeds would run the marketing/football side of things, and be a great mentor to up and coming coaches/teaches.

People like Michael Long, Gerard Neesham, Cathy Freeman, Peter Garrett, and other experts in the arts, nutrition, science, business etc etc could be used on a fee for service part time basis. While their would be a high emphasis on sports/football, just as much emphasis would be placed on academics, lifestyle, arts and so on and so forth. I would like to see a football team representing the academy play in the TAC cup, and also tour Ireland on a regular basis

I think the AFL should be responsible for at least half the on-going and start up funding for this operation (other big business should also be involved). I think this way because when you look at the % of Indigionous footballers playing at the elite level, compared to the % of them in the greater population, the figures are staggering. The AFL should be the first organisation to put their hand up, and say we are going to give something back, and it's going to be long term, and meaningful.

robbie67 wrote:I would like the AFL, and the Federal Government to open a joint venture Academics/Sports academy for Aboriginal youth somewhere in the NT. Sheeds would run the marketing/football side of things, and be a great mentor to up and coming coaches/teaches.

People like Michael Long, Gerard Neesham, Cathy Freeman, Peter Garrett, and other experts in the arts, nutrition, science, business etc etc could be used on a fee for service part time basis. While their would be a high emphasis on sports/football, just as much emphasis would be placed on academics, lifestyle, arts and so on and so forth. I would like to see a football team representing the academy play in the TAC cup, and also tour Ireland on a regular basis

I think the AFL should be responsible for at least half the on-going and start up funding for this operation (other big business should also be involved). I think this way because when you look at the % of Indigionous footballers playing at the elite level, compared to the % of them in the greater population, the figures are staggering. The AFL should be the first organisation to put their hand up, and say we are going to give something back, and it's going to be long term, and meaningful.

Fantastic idea Robbie.

Windy_Hill wrote:I am terribly sorry for Sheeds. I am sure he could offer most clubs something but I doubt he will be in the running for any of the current AFL jobs

Bailey goes to Melb
Ratten to Carlton
Harvey to Freo

and of course the Bombers job is not on the table.

So if he doesnt coach next year where does he go?

I am afarid at 60 and a year out of the game wont work for him.

Nope, I am sad to say that his last game as an AFL coach will be this weekend at Subiaco. What I do believe will happen is Sheedy will end up working with Vlad and Adolph down at AFL House - AFL Ambassador or something of that ilk

Unfortunately I think Sheedy's stocks sunk horribly with his team's pretty inept performances over the last few weeks. Had they made the finals then things may have worked out differently

Good luck to the great man either way

Napier Street should be renamed Kevin Sheedy Avenue

Wallace will have another crap year with Richmond, because he can't coach, sheedy will take next year off.

Sheedy will coach the tigers in 2009

Not an unthinkable scenario.

Kevin sheedy avenue....mmmm....is that just around the corner from Derick Kickett drive?

I'm with Tom, the Tigers job in 2009 or 2010 would be his only chances now I reckon.

pear wrote:I'm with Tom, the Tigers job in 2009 or 2010 would be his only chances now I reckon.

And I think thats an absolute long shot

It may depend on what Sheedy does next year also. If he doesnt have a big media contract, it could be a possibility that if a team like the Bulldogs have a poor start to the year, Eade could be on very shaky ground. A club like that would love Sheedy.

robbie67 wrote:It may depend on what Sheedy does next year also. If he doesnt have a big media contract, it could be a possibility that if a team like the Bulldogs have a poor start to the year, Eade could be on very shaky ground. A club like that would love Sheedy.

I think you are on the money Rob. It's a similar scenario to when Barassi took over at Sydney. It was a short term stop gap that was good for both parties.

I agree that Sheedy's coaching career is over.

With all due respect, I reckon he's passed his used by date.

It sucks for him, but it opens a new door at AFL level.

Lloyd is King wrote:I agree that Sheedy's coaching career is over.

Indeed. I think he was just going through the motions with Melbourne, just giving it a shot.

With all due respect, I reckon he's passed his used by date.

I really don't think so. The more I think about it, the more I arrive at the conclusion he's not. But life is made pretty difficult if the players aren't playing for you EVERY week and the full 4 quarters of a match, which is so damn obvious at times.

It sucks for him, but it opens a new door at AFL level.

Nothing will come close to coaching a team to a premiership, but Sheeds has done that 4 times with 3 different player groups and 3 different eras. Sure he could go on and try for a 5th flag, but with the way the AFL works, time is against him. Leigh Matthews may have coached Brisbane to 3 straight, but that shouldn't be rated even close to the 4 in 27 years that Sheeds has achieved, not to mention the addition of the various other GF appearances.

I hope this ambassadorial role is just a stepping stone to something bigger and "better". The AFL needs a Sheeds-like character to help right some wrongs and improve the game - what better character than the man himself.