Bit sick of the vilification of Scott Watters

[Bluthy]

Winners write history. Everyone seems to have jumped on the "Diss Scott Watters" bandwagon. And the info coming out is one person versus a club of people. But the truth as always with this stuff is somewhere in between. In retrospect perhaps this was always going to happen. The first coach after a successful period tends to be the sacrificial bunny. He has to start turning over the soil and all you see is piles of dirt and manure everywhere and nothing growing.

I don't think Scott got a lot of support in his role from the get go. The senior players were deeply hurting from just missing flags and indoctrinated in the Lyon mind set. At some level inside themselves they pined for a last crack at a flag and resented the rebuild and the change in footy style. Watters statement about being mediocre didn't help his cause. Coming from an assistant coach at Collingwood you could imagine the players thinking "Yeah and if the ball had bounced properly YOU would be mediocre and not have this job." I can't remember any real statements of support from the previous board. I think the board themselves were confused about the direction of the club - go again or rebuild - hence the delay with Lyon's contract. That sets a confusing environment to coach in. The fish rots at the head.

The assassination of Watters was one of the most synchronised I've seen in football. There were damaging emails being sent out by an insider that TOT talked about here. Plymptons venomous "joke" about Watters being sacked. Reporters were regularly briefed about internal workings that should not have been leaked. People worked with Mark Fine culminating in his completely out of line call for him to be sacked. On the back of a poor season the heat was immense. How can you possibly do your job in that environment?

[spert]

Regardless of any issues he had as a coach..the poor bugger never stood a chance..a list of mostly over-rated experienced players and raw novices, under-performing president, board and CEO. All I can say is Roo and a few other experienced players better have a bloody good 2014 season and show real support for the coach and lead from the front. You might not be perfect Scott, but it could have been done a whole lot better all round.

[thejiggingsaint]

I see no constructive reason to vilify the man either. There was plenty of it on here at times last season.

[Con Gorozidis]

Intelligent post as usual Bluthy.
While i feel the right decision may have been made...
We shouldnt demonise the bloke. Was up against it from the get go and the sr players werent helpful at all.
Very tough gig for him and we should beware the vulture and pack dog mentality of forums and the media. A vicious combo these days.

[Eastern]

Perhaps it was justified. Every commentator that I have read and listened to since Friday (with the exception of Dermott Brereton) seem think that Watters copped his right whack. A lot has come out about how he conducted himself behind closed doors. There is too much negative and not enough positive for him to blame anyone other than himself !!

[saintspremiers]

I see no constructive reason to vilify the man either. There was plenty of it on here at times last season.

But did he coach to his ability?

The silly man had no f'ng clue by playing Saad in Brisbane.

Flame away fellers.

[dragit]

"Yeah and if the ball had bounced properly YOU would be mediocre and not have this job."

Agree with this.

Watters may not be the only one to blame but it sounds pretty unanimous that he was not up to the task and his communication skills were atrocious.

[happy feet]

You can't unring the bell. It's done now, the less said the better, out of respect for all involved.

[thejiggingsaint]

Happy Feet! You rock with that post my friend! I was neither happy or sad at the dismissal ....surprised and disappointed by the timing and press conference, yes, but I had no axe to grind with SW and wish the guy well. No sense in having a negative grudge against someone who simply didn't succeed at our club.

[saintsRrising]

. Plymptons venomous "joke" about Watters being sacked.

I think you are way over the top, complete with your "venomous remark"

This was clearly a joke even if an ill conceived one made at a sportsman function, that a stupid journalist took as serious and tweeted without verification.

Anyone with half a brain (and obviously the tweeter did not have one) who has ever attended a sportmans do, will now that a lot of tall tails and jokes get made.

Trying to weld this into a conspiracy theory that it was part of an orchestrated plot against Watters is just ridiculous.

[thejiggingsaint]

Just the "slip of a merchants tongue"

[GRAMophone]

Have to say I'm still totally gobsmacked about the allegations around Watters. I really really liked what I saw in the media. I saw a mature, measured, articulate, resilient, decent guy who I was convinced was a team player. He gave me a great deal more confidence that our club was in good hands than our president did on Friday. Struggling to reconcile this and having trouble staying positive this time

[thejiggingsaint]

You know what they say: "one story's good, till another one's told" I'm in the same frame of mind as GRAMophone, and am in the same dilemma.
I wish the bloke well, but I wonder just what was going on for so many folk to be negative toward him. Hopefully the facts will emerge.

[Richter]

Perhaps it was justified. Every commentator that I have read and listened to since Friday (with the exception of Dermott Brereton) seem think that Watters copped his right whack. A lot has come out about how he conducted himself behind closed doors. There is too much negative and not enough positive for him to blame anyone other than himself !!

Exactly Eastern. Dermis unwittingly perhaps hit the nail on the head when he said "I don't have dickheads for mates". Seems there are dozens of people at St Kilda who would disagree with that.

[SainterK]

+1

Never stood a chance.

Only takes a few key people to oppose someone at a footy club, and it's as good as over.

He wasn't Ross v2 so was doomed to fail.

I'm clearly one of the only people that thought the sentiment in giving saad what could be his last game, was a nice gesture in a year where it wasn't going to impact wins or losses. He wasn't breaking any rules in playing, given he hasn't received his provisional suspension.

Was similar to the send off he really embraced in the final end for the players, he really enjoyed that day for those guys.

I still have no problem with him raising the bat, and attempting to address the culture.

Hope he makes a Matthew Knights type re-emergence in footy.

His premiership sides loved him, the pies boys did too, it's only our club that didn't warm to him.

Perhaps it was his message.

Good luck Scott

[felix]

Saints burn a smurf this time , I see headlines in the papers of The skippers involvement in Watters demise but not one paragraph written to say if its true or not .

[Mr Magic]

I'm clearly one of the only people that thought the sentiment in giving saad what could be his last game, was a nice gesture in a year where it wasn't going to impact wins or losses. He wasn't breaking any rules in playing, given he hasn't received his provisional suspension.

I don't think that 'the giving Saad a final game' was so much the problem.

More, if the published reports are close to being accurate, that he went behind the backs of
the Admin
the Match Committee
The Coaching Staff
The Players

to do so.
That he felt the need to do this in such secrecy and keep everybody else in the organization in the dark about it says an awful lot to me about how he was thinking/operating.

[markp]

That he felt the need to do this in such secrecy and keep everybody else in the organization in the dark about it says an awful lot to me about how he was thinking/operating.

Same goes for his now infamous last interview.

[satchmo]

I'm clearly one of the only people that thought the sentiment in giving saad what could be his last game, was a nice gesture in a year where it wasn't going to impact wins or losses. He wasn't breaking any rules in playing, given he hasn't received his provisional suspension.

I don't think that 'the giving Saad a final game' was so much the problem.

More, if the published reports are close to being accurate, that he went behind the backs of
the Admin
the Match Committee
The Coaching Staff
The Players

to do so.
That he felt the need to do this in such secrecy and keep everybody else in the organization in the dark about it says an awful lot to me about how he was thinking/operating.

I have no problem with the idea of giving Saad a game, but surely the selectors fight this stuff out and it is a decision made by those people. To overturn that is absolutely nuts.

[Mr Magic]

And interestingly, that seems to be the story leaked to the media as the 'example' of Watters' inability to get along with staff at StKFC.
The stories seem to only mention this one example (and the fateful SEN interview) so who knows if there were more?
BUT the media is going with the line that there were more.

[SainterK]

What about when the players attempted to overturn Milneys omission?

We're focusing heavily on Scott, a lot of 'my way or the highway' at our club which wasn't exclusive to him....Pelchen, players, nettles all flexed their muscles at times.

[oldie60]

I believe he did that interview knowing it would be his last opportunity to get his opinion across before getting the flick and having the confidentiality clause. By saying what he said about his discussions with Summers during the interview it appeared he may have been taking a pot shot in calling him a liar.Maybe it was a case of playing the ok lets see who is really behind me. Turns out everyone was behind him, ushering him out the door.Good Luck Scott Watters, unfortunately you were not the one to take us forward. We just have to hope our brilliant board with all the expertise available can work on the vision they have and hopefully equate to a competitive team.As paid member i did not have a problem with how the team performed this year. Sometimes its hard when you experience some success as a supporter you find it hard to accept everyone and everything when you drop off.

[Mr Magic]

What about when the players attempted to overturn Milneys omission?

We're focusing heavily on Scott, a lot of 'my way or the highway' at our club which wasn't exclusive to him....Pelchen, players, nettles all flexed their muscles at times.

K, I don't know the circumstances surrounding that.
But I do know there was a discussion about it.
No subterfuge
No secrecy
No going behind everybody else's back to do it.

And surely that is the point of the discussion.
Watters is being painted in the 'light. of having a 'problem' working with others whom he needed to work with.

Whether he gave Saad a 'final game' is irrelevant to this discussion other than the manner in which he did it, IMHO
Seemingly all the others you have your sights set on went about communicating their decisions in a more inclusive manner.
Others may not agree with their decisions but at least they apparently were told about them prior.

[loris]

You can't unring the bell. It's done now, the less said the better, out of respect for all involved.

+1

[WinnersOnly]

You only have to hear what is coming out of the WATTERS camp to understand why he was dismissed. His manager and friends are all blaming Pelchen for his down fall, how about standing up and accepting your own short comings in this saga Scott. You were an average match day coach, had a poor affinity and no respect from the senior players at the club. You refused to accept any direction or the authority of your boss and were terrible to work with ! What else needs to be said the club were happy to give you time to change your approach, but you even stuffed that up. Now you sit back and blame others for your demise is there such a thing as 'responsibility deficit disorder'?

He created this mess - what errs me is the club have to pay him out for next year after he had proven to be a less then competent Head Coach.