Chris Pelchen must go

[perfectionist]

On the day that Chris Pelchen was appointed Head of Football at the Saints, Ross Lyon decided that his future lay elsewhere. Of all the AFL clubs, just one, the Saints, has the club coach as second in command. A quick click onto the Saints website will see it written in B&W. The Board, largely the current Board, got this hopelessly wrong. Other than a complete newbie, no self respecting coach would ever accept such a proposition.

Chris Pelchen made his "name" as recruiter for Hawthorn, but left Hawthorn in mysterious circumstances which have never been fully explained. There was no way that he was going to be viewed as the boss of the coach at Hawthorn, so maybe that was the reason. Today, Scott Watters reports to, and is answerable to, Chris Pelchen. At every other club, the coach is answerable to the Board and, therefore, the members.

Of course, there is a separate issue relating to the quality of the draft picks (2011,2012). Time will tell on those, although the current evidence is not good.

The Board must admit this organisational error, right it (I doubt Chris Pelchen would accept a demotion) and move on.

[plugger66]

At least you have given him a couple of years. It is certainly his fault our stars are getting older. A person in his position should be able to stop the aging process. He also should not have selected 4 small forwards last night or not played a second ruckman. I also think that a person in his position should be able to improve the skills of players like CJ and Geary and if he did his job correctly he would have made better recruiting decisions for us from 2006 until 2010. yes time to go Chris.

[Buckets]

Do you think that those mysterious circumstances was the fact that he had been offered a role at St.kilda?
Lyon left because he is a career coach and like Goddard wants success and left because the writing was on the wall. We are on the decline.

God if Saintsational is going to be this bad this year I hate to think what it was like 99-02!!!!!

[perfectionist]

Do you think that those mysterious circumstances was the fact that he had been offered a role at St.kilda?...

It's possible, but he was appointed to the Saints position 6 weeks after he left Hawthorn, and when asked at his appointment media conference whether the appointment was the reason he left Hawthorn, he said no. So you are calling him a liar. I assume that the Saints Board saw an opportunity, fair enough, but got it organisationally hopelessly wrong.

[lloyd21]

You gotta be kidding

[kaos theory]

On the day that Chris Pelchen was appointed Head of Football at the Saints, Ross Lyon decided that his future lay elsewhere. Of all the AFL clubs, just one, the Saints, has the club coach as second in command. A quick click onto the Saints website will see it written in B&W. The Board, largely the current Board, got this hopelessly wrong. Other than a complete newbie, no self respecting coach would ever accept such a proposition.

Chris Pelchen made his "name" as recruiter for Hawthorn, but left Hawthorn in mysterious circumstances which have never been fully explained. There was no way that he was going to be viewed as the boss of the coach at Hawthorn, so maybe that was the reason. Today, Scott Watters reports to, and is answerable to, Chris Pelchen. At every other club, the coach is answerable to the Board and, therefore, the members.

Of course, there is a separate issue relating to the quality of the draft picks (2011,2012). Time will tell on those, although the current evidence is not good.

The Board must admit this organisational error, right it (I doubt Chris Pelchen would accept a demotion) and move on.

What a stupid post.

P66 - great response.

[wolfpup]

lol wat

give him some time dude.

i am as dissapointed as any sainter and was expecting us to be 3-1 at this stage, but 2013 is about obvious rebuilding. Making the finals with the 2 new teams and melbourne as they are will need 13 wins, there is no point with that now. I think finishing 9th -12th will be a disaster for us if there is no chance to make the finals. Hawthorn bottomed out a bit after they won their flag, as did collingwood after losing 2 grand finals in a row, we got to be smart about our circumstances and use it to our advantage.

[spert]

Do you think that those mysterious circumstances was the fact that he had been offered a role at St.kilda?
Lyon left because he is a career coach and like Goddard wants success and left because the writing was on the wall. We are on the decline.

God if Saintsational is going to be this bad this year I hate to think what it was like 99-02!!!!!

Lyon and Goddard got a lot of money waved under their respective noses, other than that one is a coach and one is player.

[noob]

Plugger goes bang. Chris already came on the decline.

[St Ick]

At least you have given him a couple of years. It is certainly his fault our stars are getting older. A person in his position should be able to stop the aging process. He also should not have selected 4 small forwards last night or not played a second ruckman. I also think that a person in his position should be able to improve the skills of players like CJ and Geary and if he did his job correctly he would have made better recruiting decisions for us from 2006 until 2010. yes time to go Chris.

Putting together a list for Port and Hawthorns premiership, and considering what shape our list was in two years ago... yeah, lets sack him... with this year the first undiluted draft for some time, we should also start tanking too

[dragit]

Can't believe Christ Pelican let Saad miss that open goal from 15 metres out.
He has to go.

[joffaboy]

lol wat

give him some time dude.

i am as dissapointed as any sainter and was expecting us to be 3-1 at this stage, but 2013 is about obvious rebuilding. Making the finals with the 2 new teams and melbourne as they are will need 13 wins, there is no point with that now. I think finishing 9th -12th will be a disaster for us if there is no chance to make the finals. Hawthorn bottomed out a bit after they won their flag, as did collingwood after losing 2 grand finals in a row, we got to be smart about our circumstances and use it to our advantage.

9-12 not a disaster, however I would not be unhappy to see the team lower. I mean dont tank, but realistically, we cant compete with probably the first ten team in the comp.

[bigcarl]

Surely there is a separation of duties and responsibilities here. Pelchen looks after recruiting and overall list development and Watters and Co are responsible for team selection, gameplan and the like.

Or am I missing something? If Pelchen is all powerful down there, why not just make him senior coach as well?

[wolfpup]

lol wat

give him some time dude.

i am as dissapointed as any sainter and was expecting us to be 3-1 at this stage, but 2013 is about obvious rebuilding. Making the finals with the 2 new teams and melbourne as they are will need 13 wins, there is no point with that now. I think finishing 9th -12th will be a disaster for us if there is no chance to make the finals. Hawthorn bottomed out a bit after they won their flag, as did collingwood after losing 2 grand finals in a row, we got to be smart about our circumstances and use it to our advantage.

9-12 not a disaster, however I would not be unhappy to see the team lower. I mean dont tank, but realistically, we cant compete with probably the first ten team in the comp.

Hi there. Yes i agree with you.

What i meant to say was i would prefer us to finish around 12th or even lower, to take advantage of picks, etc. Not be an also ran team later on in the year when making the finals is out of the question. Finishing 9th to 12th without a chance of playing finals there is no point to that i think. Just look how essendon, carlton, richmond fell away late last year when they realised they couldnt make the finals

[joffaboy]

lol wat

give him some time dude.

i am as dissapointed as any sainter and was expecting us to be 3-1 at this stage, but 2013 is about obvious rebuilding. Making the finals with the 2 new teams and melbourne as they are will need 13 wins, there is no point with that now. I think finishing 9th -12th will be a disaster for us if there is no chance to make the finals. Hawthorn bottomed out a bit after they won their flag, as did collingwood after losing 2 grand finals in a row, we got to be smart about our circumstances and use it to our advantage.

9-12 not a disaster, however I would not be unhappy to see the team lower. I mean dont tank, but realistically, we cant compete with probably the first ten team in the comp.

Hi there

What i meant to say was i would prefer us to finish around 12th or even lower, to take advantage of picks, etc. Not be an also ran team later on in the year when making the finals is out of the question.

yeah, understood. my point was that if we finished 9th, especially in a transition year menas we have beaten some pretty decent competition to get there, meaning our kids were coming along. However I dont think that will happen.

[Buckets]

Do you think that those mysterious circumstances was the fact that he had been offered a role at St.kilda?
Lyon left because he is a career coach and like Goddard wants success and left because the writing was on the wall. We are on the decline.

God if Saintsational is going to be this bad this year I hate to think what it was like 99-02!!!!!

Lyon and Goddard got a lot of money waved under their respective noses, other than that one is a coach and one is player.

Yes money and opportunity. Can't blame either for it.

[saintspremiers]

I blame Murdoch.

[Cairnsman]

Gee what has this got to do with anything.

[perfectionist]

...Or am I missing something? If Pelchen is all powerful down there, why not just make him senior coach as well?

Clearly you, and almost everyone else who has responded, have missed the point. The point is, under the Saints structure, the coach is responsible to Chris. Everywhere else, the recruiter is responsible to the coach. And your second point is exactly the point that Ross Lyon made.

[Old Mate]

Pelch is head of footy depart not recruitment. He does the Neil Balme at Geelong role which has been extremely successful.

At the time of Balme's appointment Bomber Thompson chucked the s***s just like Ross but stuck it out.

[BringBackMadDog]

...Or am I missing something? If Pelchen is all powerful down there, why not just make him senior coach as well?

Clearly you, and almost everyone else who has responded, have missed the point. The point is, under the Saints structure, the coach is responsible to Chris. Everywhere else, the recruiter is responsible to the coach. And your second point is exactly the point that Ross Lyon made.

No, clearly you don't know that Pelchen is head of football he's not " the recruiter". Recruitment is the responsiblity of Tony Elshaug and Aimet Baines.
The coach at every club reports to the head of football. If you are going to critisise the club get your facts right

[bigcarl]

Clearly you, and almost everyone else who has responded, have missed the point. The point is, under the Saints structure, the coach is responsible to Chris.

Let me say this. If Watters is being overruled on team selection by Pelchen - which I doubt very much is the case - he should walk now. Watters, that is.

[perfectionist]

..The coach at every club reports to the head of football...

Rubbish. Do a bit of research. Have a look at the organisational structure at each club and then come back and tell me which, apart from the Saints, have a structure where the coach is subservient to the Head of football.

[samuraisaint]

Do you think that those mysterious circumstances was the fact that he had been offered a role at St.kilda?
Lyon left because he is a career coach and like Goddard wants success and left because the writing was on the wall. We are on the decline.

God if Saintsational is going to be this bad this year I hate to think what it was like 99-02!!!!!

This is a reaction to losing a few games after winning more than 50% of our games in every season between 2003-12, and 66% between 2007-11.
I liked what Blight said in the paper yesterday (about North and Carlton) that even losing your first four is not a huge issue, but losing the first 6 is. We should really have beaten Gold Coast though, that was disappointing.

[spert]

Just sack somebody- we need scapegoats