The factors that may save AR

[st.byron]

Article by Jake Niall in The Age this morning.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the ... 4zlaw.html

Personally I seriously hope it’s a root and branch change. Laying our woes at the feet of list quality will only excuse the leadership vacuum under Richardson. He needs to go.

[Yorkeys]

What would have possessed Jake to write that, is Alan lobbying the press. Even if the players were solely responsible for the recent incipit displays calling them out publicly is possibly the last thing to do if one wanted to motivate them; and what's the premise, that the coach isn't responsible for basics like chasing, tackling, positioning or there is a mutiny happening. AR's credibility is shot, you can review that until positive and pleasing are parsed into a special thesaurus but it will still be shot and he may as well talk to the hand.

[thejiggingsaint]

"Well may we say; God save the Queen, because NOTHING will save Alan Richardson" (?????)

[spert]

Richo and Sir John Kerr.. now there's a double act

[Saintmatt]

What would have possessed Jake to write that, is Alan lobbying the press. Even if the players were solely responsible for the recent incipit displays calling them out publicly is possibly the last thing to do if one wanted to motivate them; and what's the premise, that the coach isn't responsible for basics like chasing, tackling, positioning or there is a mutiny happening. AR's credibility is shot, you can review that until positive and pleasing are parsed into a special thesaurus but it will still be shot and he may as well talk to the hand.

Hard to disagree with this as a conspiracy theory. I think the very visual berating of the players at 1/4 time last week was Richo's own tipping point. I think at that very moment he went from the players' protector to that of accountability manager. It certainly had some venom to it.

[Cairnsman]

All will be revealed at 4:35pm on Saturday. If the players refuse to chase, tackle and give way more effort than they did in the first quarter against the Swans then it is going to be difficult to argue against the claim that Richo hasn't lost the players.

Pass the popcorn.

[saynta]

Richo and Sir John Kerr.. now there's a double act

I actually had quite a bit of contact with Kerr whilst he was a judge. Very polite man but a drunk.

Never met Richo but he also seems a very polite man. Don't know if he drinks,

[asiu]

the worst thing that could happen , imo , is we come out and flog the easybeats

send in the kids

[rodgerfox]

The factors that may save him are the following:

- It's not his fault.


As fans, we don't have a a clue whether a bloke is a good coach or not, and if they're not, why they aren't. We speculate and guess based on what we see on weekends - but in reality that is an incredibly small glimpse into what a coach does.

So I don't profess to know whether he can coach or not. My gut says he can't - and that's only because I didn't like what I saw in our game plan last year. But this year, I'm more concerned about the increase in Kingsley's role in the coaches box. I've heard that he's not popular with the players. I've heard he's a got a 'great footy brain' in terms of dissecting what has happened and why. But that his ideas as to how the game should be played are way too 'technical' and complicated, and that the players don't particularly like him. This certainly rings true with what we see on game day this year.

That is all hearsay though - I'm not an ITK. Just stuff I've heard.

As an outsider, Richardson appears popular, and the 'industry' certainly likes him. Although I didn't love his coaching last year and I find his 'pressure' and 'strong' rhetoric to be borderline idiotic - we were improving. However in the coaches box there were some big changes this year. Kingsley's 'promotion', Sexton taking over, Playfair coming in. I have actually sensed a vibe from Richo in a few interviews that he's been on the brink of saying 'Dude, I don't actually do that anymore. The Assistants have been handed those reigns.' Even his 'we will all be under pressure' comment last week was a little insight into perhaps how the coaching group runs under Sexton?


To be blunt, I see the 'sack the coach' stuff as akin to the old dudes at the footy screaming 'kick the bloody thing!' all day.

It's very simplistic and quite outdated in terms of what the modern head coach actually does and how much they are personally responsible for. Obviously they're responsible for a lot - but are they actually accountable? The old throwing out the baby with the bathwater saying springs to mind. Buckley and Hardwick are two obvious, recent examples. Whilst Ratten may be another one.


So until Lethlean dissects it all, we won't really know where the issue lies. It might not actually be the Head Coach that is the issue? Who knows?

[asiu]

reading between the lines of comments made by one of our players brothers
it would seem to he that Richo is not the problem

what happened at the end of '17 besides Cox's demotion and Lethlean's insertion
... something has 'seemingly' become more wedge than glue

[thejiggingsaint]

the worst thing that could happen , imo , is we come out and flog the easybeats

send in the kids

Don't worry about it mate...... we're going to go DOWN!!!!

[rodgerfox]

reading between the lines of comments made by one of our players brothers
it would seem to he that Richo is not the problem

what happened at the end of '17 besides Cox's demotion and Lethlean's insertion
... something has 'seemingly' become more wedge than glue

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2018-01-1 ... rk-already

Sexton took over as Director of Coaching in 2015, so I was wrong about that one. That isn't new.

But Playfair coming in, and Kingsley's new role is new.

McPhee was promoted from a development coach to a midfield assistant. Rohan Welsh was moved to forward line coach.


At the 12 minute mark Kingsley talks about how his new role is about ball movement and team defence!

[degruch]

To be blunt, I see the 'sack the coach' stuff as akin to the old dudes at the footy screaming 'kick the bloody thing!' all day.

It's very simplistic and quite outdated in terms of what the modern head coach actually does and how much they are personally responsible for. Obviously they're responsible for a lot - but are they actually accountable? The old throwing out the baby with the bathwater saying springs to mind. Buckley and Hardwick are two obvious, recent examples. Whilst Ratten may be another one.

So until Lethlean dissects it all, we won't really know where the issue lies. It might not actually be the Head Coach that is the issue? Who knows?

Perfect summation, and I highly doubt anything will happen before the end of the season as a result. It is difficult to mount a case for him outside of his contract short of a massive turn-around, but Richo's 4 years of incremental improvement seems to have been missed in all this, things have turned sour this year and the root of it needs to be found.

[Saintmatt]

The factors that may save him are the following:

- It's not his fault.


As fans, we don't have a a clue whether a bloke is a good coach or not, and if they're not, why they aren't. We speculate and guess based on what we see on weekends - but in reality that is an incredibly small glimpse into what a coach does.

So I don't profess to know whether he can coach or not. My gut says he can't - and that's only because I didn't like what I saw in our game plan last year. But this year, I'm more concerned about the increase in Kingsley's role in the coaches box. I've heard that he's not popular with the players. I've heard he's a got a 'great footy brain' in terms of dissecting what has happened and why. But that his ideas as to how the game should be played are way too 'technical' and complicated, and that the players don't particularly like him. This certainly rings true with what we see on game day this year.

That is all hearsay though - I'm not an ITK. Just stuff I've heard.

As an outsider, Richardson appears popular, and the 'industry' certainly likes him. Although I didn't love his coaching last year and I find his 'pressure' and 'strong' rhetoric to be borderline idiotic - we were improving. However in the coaches box there were some big changes this year. Kingsley's 'promotion', Sexton taking over, Playfair coming in. I have actually sensed a vibe from Richo in a few interviews that he's been on the brink of saying 'Dude, I don't actually do that anymore. The Assistants have been handed those reigns.' Even his 'we will all be under pressure' comment last week was a little insight into perhaps how the coaching group runs under Sexton?


To be blunt, I see the 'sack the coach' stuff as akin to the old dudes at the footy screaming 'kick the bloody thing!' all day.

It's very simplistic and quite outdated in terms of what the modern head coach actually does and how much they are personally responsible for. Obviously they're responsible for a lot - but are they actually accountable? The old throwing out the baby with the bathwater saying springs to mind. Buckley and Hardwick are two obvious, recent examples. Whilst Ratten may be another one.


So until Lethlean dissects it all, we won't really know where the issue lies. It might not actually be the Head Coach that is the issue? Who knows?

Very balanced post IMHO. I largely think the same way and have pondered the same particular issues around the Assistants. I might also add that pre-2018, we were very much 'pressure on the ball carrier' whereas we now seem to have migrated to this 'guarding grass / zone' defensive method. It seems a little more than a coincidence that it's manifested itself with the introduction of Playfair and the 'elevation' of Kingsley. I will say though - do not underestimate the removal of Aaron Hammil from his line-coach post at St K and his gameday role - I know for a fact this didn't go down well with the playing group.

Whilst I too hated Richo's gibberish around "effort", "pressure" and "strong at the contest", I did think it played to our capabilities (i.e. our skills aren't great and at least allowed us to compete for long periods in-game and then score on the counter). Not exactly a long-term winning strategy but I'd take it over the weekly outcomes we're 'enjoying' now. Conversely - a zone defence works well if you can keep possession of the ball - something we're entirely hopeless at. This is the style played by the elite teams who are able to retain possession by foot and hand and whom have ball winners across most lines. In a real world comparison - I note Bryce Gibbs has said how he's enjoying being part of a more complex gameplan at Adelaide than the one he was a part of at the end of his time at Carlton (he meant that not as a sleight too - it was just an honest assessment of where both teams were at).

Ratten was seriously hard done by at Carlton (as was Wayne Britain before him). Both usurped by big name failures who in the end, achieved less than the incumbents they replaced (and trashed the joint in the process ). Hardwick had at least taken the Tiggas to two finals series so, that was just more of a tweaking (like Thompson at Geelong at the end of '06) and Buckley? Who knows ... but I suspect having a President who will do, say, change and spend whatever is need to make you a success will largely result in ... eventual success. Time will tell there.

I don't think our list is horrendous (admittedly, it's not great either) but clearly - they're not playing for their coaches. That's undeniable. Either the gameplan is too complex for the group to execute or they simply don't believe in it enough to execute. On top of that - effort appears very, very selective and our development is below appalling. This paragraph all sheets home to coaching.

I'm confident Lethlean will cut where appropriate and finances-permitting - add where necessary. As I've said before - I don't care about his marriage or whether he's applied to Melbourne for their CEO role - if he can right our ship - I'm more than ok with that.

[thejiggingsaint]

I have a feeling that this time next week, as we enter the bye, we will have a caretaker coach. The 3-4 goal defeat we will have inflicted on us by GC will be the tipping point.

[saintspremiers]

I have a feeling that this time next week, as we enter the bye, we will have a caretaker coach. The 3-4 goal defeat we will have inflicted on us by GC will be the tipping point.

I hope so sounds good to me!

I want us to go down if it means a new coach.

[thejiggingsaint]

I have a feeling that this time next week, as we enter the bye, we will have a caretaker coach. The 3-4 goal defeat we will have inflicted on us by GC will be the tipping point.

I hope so sounds good to me!

I want us to go down if it means a new coach.

I'm NOT in the "I-want-us-to-lose-in-order-to-get-a-new-coach" lobby. I simply don't see where the next win is coming from and have BAD feelings about this weeks game. I feel sorry for AR but if the game goes the way I think it will, he's GORN!

[DJ Higgins]

I agree it is not all AR's fault but a lot of it is. It is his role to make the players better and clearly that is not occurring. Very few have developed in the last few years and some have gone backwards e.g. Billings
He also doesn't have a game plan that works let alone a plan b and c. The players will come out and say it is not the coaches fault but what choice do they have, they have to say it sis them.
Blame the assistant coaches, well maybe Richo has some sway in who he has around him or he coudl be coaching them as well.

I am over the excuses and the blaming of the list. Why is the list bad? We drafted bad players. Did we or did we draft good players and let them go bad or not nurture them. Arguments for both cases sides there.

Basically no-one can confidentially pick a winner this week. GC sux as well. A loss will add more heat to Richo but depending on his contract it wont change much. We cant afford to get rid of him and not have a replacement ready to go.

We are in the crap for a while yet. On a plus we will have a top 3 draft pick that will most likely be Walsh. #1 will be Roo clone Jack Lukosius, if we could tank and get him it would be awesome

[The_Dud]

The number 1 thing that will save him is his contact. As Eddie pointed out yesterday, if we sack him now we still have to include his wage in the off field salary cap (or whatever it’s called) so we’ll have no budget to attract a top coach/coaches anyway.

I fear we’re stuck with him until the end of 2019 at least.

[rodgerfox]

I agree it is not all AR's fault but a lot of it is. It is his role to make the players better and clearly that is not occurring. Very few have developed in the last few years and some have gone backwards e.g. Billings
He also doesn't have a game plan that works let alone a plan b and c. The players will come out and say it is not the coaches fault but what choice do they have, they have to say it sis them.
Blame the assistant coaches, well maybe Richo has some sway in who he has around him or he coudl be coaching them as well.

Just to be clear - I'm not necessarily stating that I think it's not Richardson's fault. I'm just pointing out that none of us really have a clue where the fault lies. It could be all him, he might just be a dud. But there's also a strong possibility that the changes and promotions to assistant coaches haven't worked out as anticipated and that that is why we've gone backwards.

To be fair, up until this year, Billings, Acres, Gresham, Membrey, Ross, Roberton and probably even Dunstan had improved. It really has been just this year that they, Steele and Newnes and some others have really gone backwards.

[chico2001]

To many excuses for this coach....a lot of posters are using any old information they can dredge up to support his position. He is the head coach and the buck stops with him. Even the most uninformed people on this site have based their lack of support of Richardson based on his game plan, strategies, player selection, development,recruitment and any other increment you can find and he has failed the lot. Even his communication is inadequate. He is accountable for all of those components barring recruitment but he would still have a major say on that.
If 10 players played well last year and this year they cant get a kick what is the cause of that? barring older types like Gilbert and Armitage who are gone anyway.
Cast yourself back to your own playing career and see what the problems you had were caused by. It was nearly always the Coach or your own lack of effort/ability and nothing more.

Name one positive that will get us back up the ladder next year....just one....Guess what, it aint there.

[Furphy]

The biggest factor that would save AR is the fact he's contracted to St. Kilda until the end of 2020