Knights offered three-year deal
Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:06 am
Good news - paricularly given the richmond game today.
Cheers - STIDons to offer Knights three-year deal and a pay rise
Caroline Wilson | June 29, 2009
ESSENDON will move to reward coach Matthew Knights with a pay rise in 2010 and a new contract, which will tie the 38-year-old to Windy Hill until the end of 2012.
The Age understands the Bombers' board had empowered club chief executive Peter Jackson to open negotiations this week for a new deal with Knights even before last Friday night's thrashing of Carlton.
Mindful that Knights is one of the lower-paid senior coaches in the competition, Essendon is expected to rewrite next year's deal with both parties keen to continue the astonishing rise of the Bombers' younger brigade for at least the next three years.
In what could prove one of the last significant deals struck by Jackson, who departs the club after 14 years at the end of the season, he is expected to meet Knights' manager, Daniel Richardson, in the coming days.
It is understood that even if Knights reaches his maximum incentives this season, his annual salary will not reach $400,000 — less than half the figure North Melbourne sources suggested that their club would be prepared to pay a new coach.
Although Essendon chairman Ray Horsburgh stated last year that he hoped Knights would still be at the club in 2012, the move to extend the reign of the coach of just 35 games by two years, along with a significant pay rise, has come after the Bombers have exceeded the expectations of most this year.
After a shaky opening against Port Adelaide and rumours of discontent among its senior players, Essendon has proved to be one of the more exciting performers of 2009, with youngsters Tayte Pears and Cale Hooker leading the young brigade and holding down the two key defensive positions.
The turning point for the club probably came against Collingwood on Anzac Day when ruckman David Hille went down for the season and Paddy Ryder was moved into the ruck.
The Bombers won that game in a thriller and, after Friday night's second win for the season over Carlton, sit at 7-6 and seventh on the ladder.
Collingwood's last premiership captain and former coach Tony Shaw predicted at least 90,000 would flock to the MCG on Friday night for the return bout between the two sides.
The Bombers current position is a far cry from where many predicted at the end of 2007 after the club decided to part company with 27-year coach Kevin Sheedy and a membership revolt against Horsburgh and Jackson was threatened.
Jackson was the focus of some skepticism when he stated after signing Knights that Essendon should play finals in 2009 and push for the top four in 2010.
"I will get kicked up the bum, I suppose," Jackson said in October 2007, "and Matthew is going to be the first one to kick me for putting a timeline on these things, but three years from now, which is 2010, I think you'd expect Essendon to be pushing up to a top-four spot if these kids are as a good as we think they are."
Not only has Knights exceeded expectations since then but the Bombers have continued to increase their membership, which is now more than 40,000, and major sponsorship agreements and will make another profit of at least six-figures this year.