Sheeds V Walls and Sheehan

[Doctor Fish]

Not holding back here:

Spoon race is part of footy's fun and games
Kevin Sheedy | June 01, 2008 12:00am

SOMETIMES we need to remind ourselves how tough it is to reach the top.
Since West Coast came into the competition in 1987, the list of wooden spooners is intriguing.

The Tigers have won four, Brisbane three, Carlton three, Sydney three, Fitzroy two, St Kilda two, Collingwood, Fremantle, the Bulldogs and Melbourne one each.

Geelong has never been in the bottom four in that 21 years - an outstanding effort.

During the same period, Adelaide, Hawthorn, West Coast, North Melbourne and Port Adelaide have never won a wooden spoon.

Richmond has been in the bottom four an astonishing 10 times.

Brisbane, Collingwood, St Kilda and Fremantle were the next most frequent visitors to the lower reaches.

Melbourne finished in the bottom four on six occasions.

People have been anticipating the big match between Geelong and Hawthorn in Round 17, but a match the following weekend - the encounter betwen Essendon and Melbourne - has similar potential.

That clash could be the playoff for the wooden spoon and the No. 1 draft pick.

If both teams continue to play youngsters - a policy I support - they will have to accept the reality that a spoon is in the wings.

Not everyone understands the hardship of being down the bottom.

Rebuilding is part of football; inevitably you are going to fall.

Robert Walls and Mike Sheahan have been throwing some hand grenades about Essendon's list.

Two clubs have disappeared since World War I - Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears; Walls coached both of them. At least there will always be a job on the couch.

Walls's "Dumb and Dumber" cohort, Sheahan, has criticised recruiting decisions made at the Bombers while I was at the helm.

The team may be headed for a wooden spoon, but the Dons have a very talented pool under the age of 25.

I can cope with criticism of drafting players who are older and experienced late-draft choices.

John Barnes and Paul Salmon were picked up in the 50s and were very good choices. Mal Michael has another year left in him.

You don't have to play your over-30s every week - James Hird showed the results rest can achieve.

As far as Essendon's young players are concerned, I expect Dean Dick to get a chance this year. Kyle Reimers and Jay Neagle are putting their hands up. I like the spirit of Reimers and Tom Hislop.

They'll have terrific careers. I think we've drafted pretty well in the past three years.

So my advice to coach Matthew Knights is this: Stick with the kids, because they will give you gutsy and encouraging performances like that turned in on Friday night.

They are going to cop the odd belting, but that's precisely what happened in my first three years.

At this point, I can't see West Coast or Fremantle dropping back to the bottom three.

So Round 18 shapes as the wooden-spoon decider in my eyes.

The Bombers haven't finished bottom since 1933, and will be keen to avoid gathering their fourth spoon.

It's interesting, isn't it?

Essendon and Melbourne played off in a Grand Final eight seasons ago.

Now the time has come to square off for an unwelcome, but perhaps necessary, stoush at the other end of the street.


http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/ ... 42,00.html

[rockhole]

A little surprised that Sheeds stepped in so early with the fatherly advise, but loved the article esp the tee off re Walls.

[jimmyc1985]

Haha. So the hatred continues. No doubt Walls will be sitting at home, frantically trying to think of some witty retort he can blurt out in On The Couch. That, and how both he and Sheahan can continue to try to justify why the hell they picked the Saints for the flag this year, instead of just admitting they got sucked into their own absurd brand of media hype with scant regard to detail.

[ealesy]

Ha Ha love it.

I feel they are correct in questioning some of Sheedys recruiting decisions in 2002-2007. I mean apart from Salmon, Barnes and Cupido (who only produced for one season), we had very little success with our other recycled and mature aged recruits (eg Alvey, Haynes, Murphy, Campo, Allan, Zantuck etc- now it could be claimed that Campo and Allan's injury problems prevented them having any major impact for us. I also feel that while the likes of Barnes and Salmon produced for us, Salmon in particular hampered the development of Hille.

However, I feel Sheedy has every right to stick to these knob heads. Walls coached two teams to extinction, how he ever won a premiership is beyond me. Was he gifted a dream playing list at Carlton or something?

Now Sheahan has never played or coached VFL/AFL football and has never had an original thought in all his time as an AFL sports journalist.

I wouldn't take criticism from these muppets either. It makes me think of the old adage about teaching with a bit of a twist:

"Those that can coach, do....those that can't, commentate (and hurl innane bullshit at those that can coach)"

[Rossoneri]

How many spoons did Walls win? I know he wont two but did he get one at Fitzroy as well?

20 years and one premiership, though he says thats because Skase wanted to shut the team down every second week. Sheedy was hanging by a thread most of the time his contract came up for renewal.

[tom9779]

In regards to bottoming out, I got to admit I am bloody envious of the Brisbane Lions.

ok they have an extra 10% in the cap, and this makes a decent difference, but you still have to admire Matthews.

3 flags in a row. a couple of years later(and in their 'down' years, just out of the 8 ).
Now I would rate them as the biggest mover in the AFL.

this year smashing teams, and when they have lost(eg to geelong in geelong, they were admirable and without their guns(black, brown))

[Sismis]

In regards to bottoming out, I got to admit I am bloody envious of the Brisbane Lions.

ok they have an extra 10% in the cap, and this makes a decent difference, but you still have to admire Matthews.

3 flags in a row. a couple of years later(and in their 'down' years, just out of the 8 ).
Now I would rate them as the biggest mover in the AFL.

this year smashing teams, and when they have lost(eg to geelong in geelong, they were admirable and without their guns(black, brown))

Brisbane no longer have 10% extra.

Both the lions and Port rebounded quickly due to some stella recruiting and list management.

That article was solid friggen gold. Sheedy is a god! Dumb and Dumber! I pissed myself when i read that!

[jimmyc1985]

In regards to bottoming out, I got to admit I am bloody envious of the Brisbane Lions.

ok they have an extra 10% in the cap, and this makes a decent difference, but you still have to admire Matthews.

3 flags in a row. a couple of years later(and in their 'down' years, just out of the 8 ).
Now I would rate them as the biggest mover in the AFL.

this year smashing teams, and when they have lost(eg to geelong in geelong, they were admirable and without their guns(black, brown))

They have rebuilt very quickly, but they've never really come down that far if you take into account injuries. Bradshaw was out all last year but is a very good player as demonstrated by the fact he's 2nd on the league goalkicking table this year, and they were doing quite nicely in 2006 until Brown missed the entire second half of the season. This year both Brown and Bradshaw have regularly got on the park together and presto, they're averaging almost 8 goals between them per match and Brisbane are flying.

But yes, Matthews did an infinitely better job of drafting and then bringing young guys into the team and developing them appropriately than Knights' predecessor.

[hillchaser]

When it comes to Brisbane's revival ... I don't think you can put all of it down it recruitment. i think Matthews is a very good coach.

I suspect that if he had Carlton, Freo or Melbourne's list then you would see the same thing as this brisbane team.

I hate to say it, but I think Mick 'The sooky buba' malthouse is getting the most out of Collingwood as well.


BTW: Walls is a bafoon !

[tom9779]

BTW, a bit one eyed, but I think Sheedy is wrong in saying Melb v Essendon will the for the spoon.
as well as melbourne,
I'd like to think we would give freo a run for their money, and we play west coast twice still this year. our draw is fantastic.

(we also have other young sides eg carlton again).

[Rossoneri]

Have Brisbane re-built?

You look at their best players week after week and its the same guys: Brown, Bradshaw, Black, Power, Notting and Johnstone. Hardly spring chickens.

[BenDoolan]

Have Brisbane re-built?

You look at their best players week after week and its the same guys: Brown, Bradshaw, Black, Power, Notting and Johnstone. Hardly spring chickens.

That's a very good point.