Brendan McCartney - Contract extension

[LostDoggy]

Article on the Herald Sun website discussing talks of extending McCartney's contract for another two years.

Here's the link.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/western-bulldogs-coach-brendan-mccartney-in-line-for-contract-extension/story-fni5fazt-1226741212752

[LostDoggy]

Bloody fantastic news. Been 100% behind Macca since day dot and never wavered. May this be the first of many contract extensions.

[mighty_west]

Brilliant news, just rapt with the direction this club is going mainly due to this man.

[Remi Moses]

Good news. Keeping on Track

[Scraggers]

Whilst I admire what Macca has done and am becoming a big fan, I still think he is unproven and offering an extension at this stage is premature. Let's have a look at the first 10 rounds next year and make a more informed decision then.

[bornadog]

Whilst I admire what Macca has done and am becoming a big fan, I still think he is unproven and offering an extension at this stage is premature. Let's have a look at the first 10 rounds next year and make a more informed decision then.

This ^^^^

[Remi Moses]

Whilst I admire what Macca has done and am becoming a big fan, I still think he is unproven and offering an extension at this stage is premature. Let's have a look at the first 10 rounds next year and make a more informed decision then.

Isn't it better to back the guy in and not look like a deshelved rabble like Stkilda?

[LostDoggy]

Would be happy to see it done pre-season. I don't want it tied in to 1 years results. Calls for his head at the start of this year were massively premature when looking at the back end. We had our own "off with maccas head" up pretty damn fast. I'd much rather go into the year with all parties having some certainty. I would still expect a tough year this year with any or all of Murphy/Morris/Boyd (Gia already there) hitting an age bracket where they could be right off the boil and be cooked this season. That's wouldn't be a coaching issue, its a list issue, but could halt our results pretty fast.

[chef]

Great news, bring it on.

We are certainly heading in the right direction.

[Throughandthrough]

SOunds great, but as Scraggers says no need to rush. If we hit thr ground running next year then lock him him in. Hopefully this happens!

[GVGjr]

I can understand extending the contract by 12 months now but would have thought that a 2 year extension really should have been considered half way through the season.

That being said, I think we are heading in the right direction under McCartney. With the industry being the way that it is, maybe we didn't want a rebuilding club like the Saints making a huge offer for him.

[anfo27]

Absolutely delighted with this news. He has done a terrific job thus far & well deserving of a 2 year extension. No doubt in my mind macca is the man to take this club forward with this group.

[westdog54]

I've been one of Macca's biggest supporters on here but at this stage I believe a two-year extension is premature. I would hope the club was going to rack the development of the list over the start of the season before committing to an extra two years.

[LostDoggy]

Whilst I admire what Macca has done and am becoming a big fan, I still think he is unproven and offering an extension at this stage is premature. Let's have a look at the first 10 rounds next year and make a more informed decision then.


Would be happy to see it done pre-season. I don't want it tied in to 1 years results. Calls for his head at the start of this year were massively premature when looking at the back end. We had our own "off with maccas head" up pretty damn fast. I'd much rather go into the year with all parties having some certainty. I would still expect a tough year this year with any or all of Murphy/Morris/Boyd (Gia already there) hitting an age bracket where they could be right off the boil and be cooked this season. That's wouldn't be a coaching issue, its a list issue, but could halt our results pretty fast.

I think Superdog has summed up my thoughts pretty well. The last thing we need if the year doesn't go to plan is to have Damien Barrett and mates hounding us all year about sacking the coach. It's bleeding obvious that Macca has made some fantastic strides out here, and whilst it's not yet being reflected onfield (except for the last few games, of course) the signs are good.

Imagine if we did a 2013 Port Adelaide in 2014, and rose up pretty fast. Started winning games, and not just the middle teams but the top as well. Made finals, maybe even win one or two. Then at the end of the year, another team poaches the guy who made it all happen. I know it's a hypothetical, but this is the kind of thing that seems to happen to us all the time.

He deserved the extension, plain and simple. I'm more than happy to cop the extra two years if the decision turns out to be the wrong one in hindsight.

[whythelongface]

I think Superdog has summed up my thoughts pretty well. The last thing we need if the year doesn't go to plan is to have Damien Barrett and mates hounding us all year about sacking the coach. It's bleeding obvious that Macca has made some fantastic strides out here, and whilst it's not yet being reflected onfield (except for the last few games, of course) the signs are good.

Imagine if we did a 2013 Port Adelaide in 2014, and rose up pretty fast. Started winning games, and not just the middle teams but the top as well. Made finals, maybe even win one or two. Then at the end of the year, another team poaches the guy who made it all happen. I know it's a hypothetical, but this is the kind of thing that seems to happen to us all the time.

He deserved the extension, plain and simple. I'm more than happy to cop the extra two years if the decision turns out to be the wrong one in hindsight.

This.

The two year extension to his contract provides certainty not only for McCartney but also for the playing group that there is a belief in the direction the club is heading. Sure things may change and the plan may go awry but at this present moment we have strong stability and a plan. This also helps us attract players to the club not only in the short term (eg. Crameri) but also in the longer term (2015 and beyond) when other players look to the club as being an employer of choice.

Of course it is a risk, but it is a calculated risk by the club based on what he has already delivered to the team (not just based on results). The club took a huge risk by appointing him on a 3 year contract in the first place as an unknown quantity as a head coach. Therefore I see this extension more as a justification of his plans and that the club wholeheartedly supports them.

[ReLoad]

I'm glad he is cracking in.

[Topdog]

Premature at this stage

[MrMahatma]

Seems a touch premature to go with 2 years, but that said I'd be shocked if this ended in tears.

[LostDoggy]

I'm of the thinking that this extension isn't just because we won a few games at the end of the year. I would guess that the people who know Macca best and work with him everyday are privy to things we don't see or hear about that internally are measures of success. I'm only guessing but I have more faith now in the people running the club than ever before.

[KT31]

Tad bit early for my way of thinking, like others I would have preferred we waited until mid season next year.
Would have like it if the club had put some targets in place and let BMac know now that if they are met we will extend his contract by two or three years.
On the other hand BMac seems to be doing everything right and indications are we are on the way to finals, at least this will stop the others poaching him.

[always right]

I think it's fair enough. Momentum is important so an announcement like this helps us maintain that momentum. The club feels like it is moving forward.

[Maddog37]

I like it. We need stability to build a club around and it reinforces Maccas position with the players and the broader football world. We need to have the courage to stay the course and I personally reckon he is the man for the job.

[LongWait]

This ^^^^!

[Mofra]

I like it. We need stability to build a club around and it reinforces Maccas position with the players and the broader football world. We need to have the courage to stay the course and I personally reckon he is the man for the job.
Nailed it - Macca has had a consistent massage from day one, clearly has a development plan and sticks to it.

[G-Mo77]

I like it. We need stability to build a club around and it reinforces Maccas position with the players and the broader football world. We need to have the courage to stay the course and I personally reckon he is the man for the job.

Yep, that's it right there. Well said Maddog

[soupman]

Nailed it - Macca has had a consistent massage from day one, clearly has a development plan and sticks to it.

I love massages:)

I think the contract extension was always on the cards. We appointed Macca two seasons ago to rebuild the side and thus far results have been almost exactly what we anticipated, so why wouldn't we extend the coach that is meeting our expectations from when we hired him.

[Mantis]

Like others I would prefer we wait until around the mid point of the 2014 season (if we can).

Whilst there were some promising signs in the latter part of the 2013 season, I would prefer to see more improvement before we put pen to paper.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

The view from inside the club must be very positive for Macca's contract extension. Great news.

[bulldogtragic]

Like others I would prefer we wait until around the mid point of the 2014 season (if we can).

Whilst there were some promising signs in the latter part of the 2013 season, I would prefer to see more improvement before we put pen to paper.
Ditto.

[mighty_west]

I like it. We need stability to build a club around and it reinforces Maccas position with the players and the broader football world. We need to have the courage to stay the course and I personally reckon he is the man for the job.

Agreed 100%

[strebla]

I think get it done and lock him away grows on me more and more each time I hear him speak.

[GVGjr]

Like others I would prefer we wait until around the mid point of the 2014 season (if we can).

Whilst there were some promising signs in the latter part of the 2013 season, I would prefer to see more improvement before we put pen to paper.

It's probably the reason why I would have thought a one year extension now might have been the better way to go.

What does sit in my mind is that through inactivity and possibly complacency we didn't stitch up the Ward deal when we had the chance. I'd hate to see the Saints put in a huge offer for McCartney if we were to get off to a good start early next season.

Maybe the 2 year extension is a bargain for us in the longer run.

[wimberga]

Is it possible that Macca has met whatever performance hurdles have been set by him and as a result we are reviewing his contract currently?

Macca strikes me as the kind of guy that would happy to arrange something like that, even on a handshake

[Eastdog]

Like others I would prefer we wait until around the mid point of the 2014 season (if we can).

Whilst there were some promising signs in the latter part of the 2013 season, I would prefer to see more improvement before we put pen to paper.

Agree Mantis. Macca I would say would be close to getting a new contract after from what ive seen the signs have been very promising but better to make sure first.

[Maddog37]

It's probably the reason why I would have thought a one year extension now might have been the better way to go.

What does sit in my mind is that through inactivity and possibly complacency we didn't stitch up the Ward deal when we had the chance. I'd hate to see the Saints put in a huge offer for McCartney if we were to get off to a good start early next season.

Maybe the 2 year extension is a bargain for us in the longer run.

Been reading too many John Ralph tweets GVG?

[Throughandthrough]

I love massages:)

I think the contract extension was always on the cards. We appointed Macca two seasons ago to rebuild the side and thus far results have been almost exactly what we anticipated, so why wouldn't we extend the coach that is meeting our expectations from when we hired him.

I hope this massage has the proverbial happy ending.

[bornadog]

Is it possible that Macca has met whatever performance hurdles have been set by him and as a result we are reviewing his contract currently?

Macca strikes me as the kind of guy that would happy to arrange something like that, even on a handshake

The bar must have been pretty low as we haven't won much in two years.

[G-Mo77]

The bar must have been pretty low as we haven't won much in two years.

Very short sited comment.

[LongWait]

The bar must have been pretty low as we haven't won much in two years.

Maybe the bar didn't include a specific number of wins. In fact it would be pretty stupid if it did.

[Maddog37]

The bar must have been pretty low as we haven't won much in two years.


Meh.

[GVGjr]

The bar must have been pretty low as we haven't won much in two years.

I'm sure you are aware that the win loss column is just one of the measurements of a coaches performance.

[LostDoggy]

been reading too many john ralph tweets gvg?

gold:d

[Eastdog]

We need to understand that we are in developing phase right now and yes we aren't going to have a great win/loss record. From what I said in my earlier post Macca has done a great job with getting the most out of our list so far but it needs to continue and if it doesn't there will be scrutiny on him. Im optimistic that will continue our improvement under Bmac in the 2014 season.

[LostDoggy]

Every time Macca talks I can't help but be impressed in his insightful,articulate and keeping the game simple approach. Do the things the coaching staff ask of you as player who buys into the philosophy of what can I do to as a bulldogs player to help not only my teammates but also my club to be succesful. Self sacrificing your own game for the betterment of the team to achieve the ultimate GLORY! May this be the first of many more contract extensions to come. Sign Macca Now for club stability and team strength and unity.

[Reigning Maddogs]

Happy to give him another 2 years.

Gives Macca the confidence to put a lot more games into the yougsters and mix it up with some senior players to help us get over the line in a few games like we did late this year. I'm expecting another tough season in the W/L ratio however will be happy with a few scalps and most importantly some development in our key youngsters.

We still have a few big holes in our list coming up in the next 2 years and by giving Macca an extension now he is provided the opportunity to continue to play the youngsters and not look for cheap wins with only Senior players in the starting 22.

[Ghost Dog]

The way I imagine us is a boxer, who is still finding their feet. The key is to have good form, maintain a potent jab. That jab, if done well, can take a lot of guys down. And meanwhile, we are working on our footwork, speed and fitness each day, getting stronger for the power punches. But no excuses, have to maintain the form, keep the guard up and get the basics right.

[MrMahatma]

2014 will be the first season in a while we head into that most supporters are optimistic about. Macca had much to do with the turn around.

[Eastdog]

2014 will be the first season in a while we head into that most supporters are optimistic about. Macca had much to do with the turn around.

I'm certainly one of those optimistic fans. I believe Macca is taking us in the right direction.

[Topdog]

2014 will be the first season in a while we head into that most supporters are optimistic about. Macca had much to do with the turn around.

First one since 2011. Not quite "a while" IMO

[LostDoggy]

You would have seen reports of Peter Gordon stating, “My expectation is that Brendan McCartney will be the senior coach of the Bulldogs for many years’’. On that basis, it makes sense to get the contract stuff out of the way so that everybody can concentrate on footy. Clearly, Macca is executing a plan, which all within the club have bought into, and which will take some time to reach its conclusion. It's a new way of going about things and it calls for a new way of thinking - for the club and for its supporters. We have to get used to thinking strategically, with a long term goal in mind.

Holding off on renewing a contract to see how the first few games of next year go is evidence of seriously short term thinking, and it is evidence also of the mindset of some sections of the supporter base. The club is leading the fans here; it is not 'sucking it and seeing', it is laying foundations for future success. We weren't lucky to get Macca, it was part of a plan. We weren't lucky to draft well last year (or the year before), it was part of the plan. We weren't lucky to win a few late in the year, it was part of the plan. The plan has a few years to run, but we all should have seen by no that it has legs. Let's get behind our planners and executers, and break out of our short term, glass-half-empty mentality.

Have a big hard look at the wonderful place our club is in right now - think of the genuinely high quality people who are with us now (Chris Grant, JMac, Kingy, Shannon Grant, Bubba, Ash Hansen, Lowey, Scarlo, Moons, Johhno) and excited about being here. Most of our premiership list is already at the club, and the resources to fund the tilt are not that far away. Think about the turmoil at other clubs (Saints, Brisbane, Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne, even Collingwood at times), which we just don't have at all. Not a peep. Nothing. Everyone is one the same page. Macca's page. Two years? I'd give him four in a heartbeat for what he's done already.

[LostDoggy]

Great post RWB, agree wholeheartedly.

[jeemak]

RWB, great post.

The best thing about the security this deal brings is it won't cost us a lot of dosh if it goes bad, and we decide to default on it.

Bmac isn't going to be one of the best paid coaches over the next few years, so while we're taking a risk on his potential output, we can also look around if things don't go as well as he or us have planned.

AFL coaches are just like any other staff you have to negotiate with. Bmac's stocks are high right now, due to the last eight games of the season realising his plan of almost two years. Within two years, his stocks might be low, and then he might just be as willing as we are to send him off somewhere else, making his contract a negotiable item.

Putting a two year extension on the contract is the easy part. Executing the contract so all parties are satisfied and happy is the hard bit. Bmac's still at the mercy of the club, make no mistake.

[LostDoggy]

You would have seen reports of Peter Gordon stating, “My expectation is that Brendan McCartney will be the senior coach of the Bulldogs for many years’’. On that basis, it makes sense to get the contract stuff out of the way so that everybody can concentrate on footy. Clearly, Macca is executing a plan, which all within the club have bought into, and which will take some time to reach its conclusion. It's a new way of going about things and it calls for a new way of thinking - for the club and for its supporters. We have to get used to thinking strategically, with a long term goal in mind.

Holding off on renewing a contract to see how the first few games of next year go is evidence of seriously short term thinking, and it is evidence also of the mindset of some sections of the supporter base. The club is leading the fans here; it is not 'sucking it and seeing', it is laying foundations for future success. We weren't lucky to get Macca, it was part of a plan. We weren't lucky to draft well last year (or the year before), it was part of the plan. We weren't lucky to win a few late in the year, it was part of the plan. The plan has a few years to run, but we all should have seen by no that it has legs. Let's get behind our planners and executers, and break out of our short term, glass-half-empty mentality.

Have a big hard look at the wonderful place our club is in right now - think of the genuinely high quality people who are with us now (Chris Grant, JMac, Kingy, Shannon Grant, Bubba, Ash Hansen, Lowey, Scarlo, Moons, Johhno) and excited about being here. Most of our premiership:) list is already at the club, and the resources to fund the tilt are not that far away. Think about the turmoil at other clubs (Saints, Brisbane, Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne, even Collingwood at times), which we just don't have at all. Not a peep. Nothing. Everyone is one the same page. Macca's page. Two years? I'd give him four in a heartbeat for what he's done already.:)

Fantastic post-Nailed it!
Nothing more to say

[LongWait]

I'm with you all the way RWB54. Great post!

[Murphy'sLore]

Just adding my voice to the chorus. Feeling proud, optimistic and confident about where the club is heading at the moment, and the way they're going about it. Couldn't be happier with the direction, and I'm willing to be patient for a while longer until we start to see the results (which perhaps we've had a taste of already).

[Sedat]

The last 2 months of our season has really give me confidence that BMac is working to a specific and methodical plan. Up until then I was very concerned with our progress over the last couple of years and was wondering what the future was going to hold for us under him. The plan took its time but the improvement in playing style has been palpable and looks like being sustainable. I therefore think the plan should be seen to its conclusion, and would be comfortable with a 2 year extension. That gives BMac 5 years of unyielding support from the club for his vision - that is more than enough time for him to get the plan and process in place for a sustained run of finals football. If it fails he goes, and he could not have any complaints whatsoever by the end of the 5 years if the plan didn't yield the requisite on-field results by that stage.

I don't think there's much value in changing horses mid-stream, and even less value in having any destabilising reporting going on next year when he's out of contract.

[GVGjr]

Has just signed on until the end of 2016. Important signing.

[azabob]

Has just signed on until the end of 2016. Important signing.

Couldn't agree more.

Great decision by the club!

[Doc26]

Pleased to hear that the club has backed Brendan in for a further 2 seasons, in addition to 2014. Just love the ethos that he has brought to the Club under his watch.

[LostDoggy]

A good and well-considered decision, one that hasn't been made in isolation. With the club in its present circumstances, it has to be on the front foot with its management of key personnel. The Footscray Football Club is quite a way along a planned route towards winning an AFL Premiership. To get there, it is going to have to manage the expectations of its core group of players, coaches and support staff as well as the board, members and the wider supporter base. This includes maintaining their enthusiasm for the task, rewarding them appropriately and pre-empting potentially destabilising issues. Offering the coach a two year extension at this stage is very good timing. The list is settled and the players have just returned to work. It is better for them to know that the club has faith in their coach and that they can rely on him being there without any doubt for the foreseeable future. It gives them certainty that they can continue working towards the common goal, and confidence to rebuff the overtures that will inevitably come to some of them from other clubs as the team starts to be ever-more competitive and wins more games. A scary proportion of the list comes out of contract this year. The last thing we need is for players we have developed well to be poached by other clubs. If we can offer a settled, unified environment and good reasons to share a purpose, we will keep the list (and the other necessary elements) together while we go about achieving our ultimate objective. Macca is the most important factor in the equation. He is the primary architect of the club's football resurgence and a major partner in its off-field revitalisation. If you doubt that and believe that an extra two years is inappropriate, you may have an incurable case of 'glass-half-empty', in which case you should watch two preliminary final defeats and call Rocket in the morning. :)

[anfo27]

Has just signed on until the end of 2016. Important signing.

Terrific news!!! Macca has done a great job & deserves an extension. Glad they decided to extend it now rather than wait till half way through the year to let the whole world now we're not quite sure about this bloke. I'm tipping this is the first of many extensions to come.

[LostDoggy]

The ship could not be steadier.

[Ghost Dog]

To think this time last year about how much nail biting was going on. I would go to games and meet people regularly who thought he should be sacked.

[LostDoggy]

To think this time last year about how much nail biting was going on. I would go to games and meet people regularly who thought he should be sacked.

You'd probably still meet plenty of fans who think he should be sacked. :rolleyes:

[SonofScray]

Good decision as far as I am concerned.

NOD has delivered a very consistent message and articulated a plan, one which I feel has been progressed during his tenure. He has modelled the values he preaches across the Club, to the point that he has been fairly stubborn in the face of scrutiny. Just hangs in and does the hard work.

A very methodical process is underway which is quite systematically ticking off key elements required for the Club to hit its straps again. I am confident that when we're up, we won't be holding our breath about gaps in the list, or talent or finals game plans. We won't be relying on tricks and gimmicks to get teams that are just a bit better.

I could be way off the mark and time will tell, but I think he is a terrific fit for our Club.

[Ozza]

You'd probably still meet plenty of fans who think he should be sacked. :rolleyes:

Before or after they tell you the club name should be Footscray again?

[G-Mo77]

Happy to read this, no point in playing the wait and see game. Show faith in the coach and lock him up for another few seasons. Great news!

[mighty_west]

You'd probably still meet plenty of fans who think he should be sacked. :rolleyes:

You only have to read social media such as Facebook to confirm that.

[Sedat]

You'd probably still meet plenty of fans who think he should be sacked. :rolleyes:
I was perilously close to being one of those about 5 months ago - guilty as charged. Couldn't see any light at the tunnel after we lost something like 22 out of 24 games from mid 2012 to mid this year, many of those being 10+ goal hammerings. It was an extended period of non-competitiveness that I haven't seen from our club in my lifetime (and my lifetime includes the Royce Hart and Peter Rohde eras). Thankfully the game plan being drummed into the players married up with the actual on-field execution, at about the time that BMac said it would.

I'm very happy to give BMac the keys to the city for another 3 years. We appointed him to implement a gameplan that he believes will result in sustained success, and he will have 5 years of uncompromised and unyielding support from the club to do so.

[The Pie Man]

I was perilously close to being one of those about 5 months ago - guilty as charged. Couldn't see any light at the tunnel after we lost something like 22 out of 24 games from mid 2012 to mid this year, many of those being 10+ goal hammerings. It was an extended period of non-competitiveness that I haven't seen from our club in my lifetime (and my lifetime includes the Royce Hart and Peter Rohde eras). Thankfully the game plan being drummed into the players married up with the actual on-field execution, at about the time that BMac said it would.

I'm very happy to give BMac the keys to the city for another 3 years. We appointed him to implement a gameplan that he believes will result in sustained success, and he will have 5 years of uncompromised and unyielding support from the club to do so.

The above in bold - that still freaks me out a bit.

Was also far from sold on Macca - in the interest of stability, happy with this move...not saying he shouldn't have got the extension, just thought we might wait until mid year (as in, how will it look if we're 0-8 with a 60% percentage*)

* I don't think that's likely - reasonably confident the momentum from late last year will continue, in which case he'll be well worth it.

[bornadog]

You'd probably still meet plenty of fans who think he should be sacked. :rolleyes:

That's one thing I have never said, and was always willing to wait his three years and see where we were at before I made my decision on whether he was the right man. I would have thought mid next year was a good time for an extension, but I am not fussed we have res-signed him now.

[Remi Moses]

I think the Melbourne loss tested everyone's resolve ( including the coach I bet)
But as he put it, we still finished 15th.
Long way to go , but sailing on the right path.

[Remi Moses]

You only have to read social media such as Facebook to confirm that.

Unfortunately although social media has it's benefits, it also has it's downside.
Shows up how many morons we have out there .

[mjp]

I would have loved to see us wait until we made good on the promises of the late 2013 season before pulling the trigger on this contract...coaches almost never change clubs and I think the 'threat' of an offer by another club is being way overstated. The Ross Lyon to Freo story is so fascinating because it is simply so uncommon.

We have been well and truly in development mode and I just done see what was gained by doing this now rather than at the end of next season.

[jeemak]

I was perilously close to being one of those about 5 months ago - guilty as charged. Couldn't see any light at the tunnel after we lost something like 22 out of 24 games from mid 2012 to mid this year, many of those being 10+ goal hammerings. It was an extended period of non-competitiveness that I haven't seen from our club in my lifetime (and my lifetime includes the Royce Hart and Peter Rohde eras). Thankfully the game plan being drummed into the players married up with the actual on-field execution, at about the time that BMac said it would.

I'm very happy to give BMac the keys to the city for another 3 years. We appointed him to implement a gameplan that he believes will result in sustained success, and he will have 5 years of uncompromised and unyielding support from the club to do so.

Both highlighted points resonate with me.

Whilst I always thought the message was solid from BMac and the club, as we seemed to not progress I started to get the feeling Groupthink was overpowering the zeitgeist at the club resulting in players saying what they had to say rather than executing on the ground. To be honest, I was praying the outspoken player or insider finally having had enough wasn't going to appear and spill the beans. But, I kept my head and gave it time and BMac came good on his promises.

Another three years seems about right to me. He can't be reasonably expected to do anything significant from this point with a shorter tenure. He's performed, and I'm glad he's being rewarded.

[jeemak]

I would have loved to see us wait until we made good on the promises of the late 2013 season before pulling the trigger on this contract...coaches almost never change clubs and I think the 'threat' of an offer by another club is being way overstated. The Ross Lyon to Freo story is so fascinating because it is simply so uncommon.

We have been well and truly in development mode and I just done see what was gained by doing this now rather than at the end of next season.

That's fair enough. There's equally good cases to be made either way.

He seems to me to have passed the first range of tests, and looks to be developing a good team ethos among the young playing group while developing their games.

I suppose if he was the caretaker for two years, and was charged to get us to this point as the caretaker you'd be happy with his output. If then, after the caretaker period we started looking for a coach to take us through the next three years and we selected BMac I'd be pretty happy with our decision.

[KT31]

I would have loved to see us wait until we made good on the promises of the late 2013 season before pulling the trigger on this contract...coaches almost never change clubs and I think the 'threat' of an offer by another club is being way overstated. The Ross Lyon to Freo story is so fascinating because it is simply so uncommon.

We have been well and truly in development mode and I just done see what was gained by doing this now rather than at the end of next season.

Similar train of thought I had at the start, with me originally wanting us to set some benchmarks and wait until mid season next year before offering BMac an extension.
Now having seen the Coaches that are available, heard what the recruits and players have had to say and seen the decisions made by other clubs I am very happy we have extended BMacs contract.
One thing I will add I cannot recall any Coach in our history having the resources and Club at whole behind him as much as BMac, this stability and confidence can only be a good thing.

[boydogs]

I would have loved to see us wait until we made good on the promises of the late 2013 season before pulling the trigger on this contract...coaches almost never change clubs and I think the 'threat' of an offer by another club is being way overstated. The Ross Lyon to Freo story is so fascinating because it is simply so uncommon.

We have been well and truly in development mode and I just done see what was gained by doing this now rather than at the end of next season.

Port weren't exactly happy with St Kilda poaching Richardson. That could have been us.

[LostDoggy]

We will still have a list in transition next year. Think the kids are making great progress but 5 of our 10 best and fairests were in the 28-30+ bracket and they need to be replaced with similar quality. Our backline still seems to need 2 very good quality additions, we still seem to lack at least 1 great tall forward if we are to compete with Melb, GWS and GCS in 5 years. I think this appointment at least locks down a key post - the key post and the right guy in my opinion, so that despite ongoing challenges which I expect us to face in the coming 2 years at least, he and we have a firm position on his future.

Smart move for mine.

[Remi Moses]

Hypothetically speaking ( touch wood)
If the club suffered a few key injuries and suffered a below expectation finish, what would happen if he hadn't re-signed?
Media camped out the front and looking for blood and a coach under pressure.
If you are a football club who knows where it's heading and is confident of its path you re-sign the bloke.

[Remi Moses]

Port weren't exactly happy with St Kilda poaching Richardson. That could have been us.

McCartney sounds like a person who'd pursue another job.

[LostDoggy]

That's one thing I have never said, and was always willing to wait his three years and see where we were at before I made my decision on whether he was the right man. I would have thought mid next year was a good time for an extension, but I am not fussed we have res-signed him now.
I wasn't referring to anybody on WOOF. I meant the dimwit with a few too many under the belt at the social club, or the FB non-member belligerent.

Hypothetically speaking ( touch wood)
If the club suffered a few key injuries and suffered a below expectation finish, what would happen if he hadn't re-signed?
Media camped out the front and looking for blood and a coach under pressure.
If you are a football club who knows where it's heading and is confident of its path you re-sign the bloke.
Amen.

[LostDoggy]

Hypothetically speaking ( touch wood)
If the club suffered a few key injuries and suffered a below expectation finish, what would happen if he hadn't re-signed?
Media camped out the front and looking for blood and a coach under pressure.
If you are a football club who knows where it's heading and is confident of its path you re-sign the bloke.

One of the smartest, most sensible posts I've read since the news broke.

my sentiments to a word!!

[stefoid]

We have been well and truly in development mode and I just done see what was gained by doing this now rather than at the end of next season.

How can the players be expected to have faith in the coach and his plans if the board doesn't?

[Ghost Dog]

You can be too cute with some of these decisions. We can't see what goes on internally. If the club are happy with his work and the players are too, why would we not just sign him up?

[bornadog]

How can the players be expected to have faith in the coach and his plans if the board doesn't?

The Board gave him a three year contract to begin with -there is your faith right there.

[Murphy'sLore]

We always seem to be happy when the club locks in a good player ahead of time; why not the coach?

[azabob]

The Board gave him a three year contract to begin with -there is your faith right there.

How'd that work our for Scott Watters?

[bornadog]

How'd that work our for Scott Watters?

If you are not good enough you are out. Would be great if they extended his (Wattgers) contract last year:D

[azabob]

If you are not good enough you are out. Would be great if they extended his (Wattgers) contract last year:D

It certainly would've been!

[The Pie Man]

Not trying to be a smart arse by bumping this thread - just interested how we all think this call looks now?

Even being optimistic, can see us winning 1 (maybe 2) in the run home, and finishing 2nd/3rd bottom.

[azabob]

Not trying to be a smart arse by bumping this thread - just interested how we all think this call looks now?

Even being optimistic, can see us winning 1 (maybe 2) in the run home, and finishing 2nd/3rd bottom.

You bring smart and not viewing all threads? :) BT and a few others have been asking the same question.

Clearly no the extension should not have been given.

[G-Mo77]

You bring smart and not viewing all threads? :) BT and a few others have been asking the same question.

Clearly no the extension should not have been given.

In hindsight we shouldn't have done it. At the time I was happy to show faith in the Coach and give him and extension.

I don't know what the club can do now. Do we cut our losses or see his contract or most of it out. What are our options in terms of other coaches? Bomber? Worsfold? Another untried?

[azabob]

In hindsight we shouldn't have done it. At the time I was happy to show faith in the Coach and give him and extension.

I don't know what the club can do now. Do we cut our losses or see his contract or most of it out. What are our options in terms of other coaches? Bomber? Worsfold? Another untried?

That's my concern is there isn't an obvious replacement even if we wanted to.

[bornadog]

Quote from Macca:


"One thing I said to the boys after the game, I'm in it with them. I'm the leader, the leader goes first,"

[azabob]

Quote from Macca:

Holly shit batman. Is that akin to Macca has the full support of the board?

[azabob]

Serious question -

If McCartney isn't seeing improvement etc, is he noble enough to fall on his own sword?

[The Pie Man]

In hindsight we shouldn't have done it. At the time I was happy to show faith in the Coach and give him and extension.

I don't know what the club can do now. Do we cut our losses or see his contract or most of it out. What are our options in terms of other coaches? Bomber? Worsfold? Another untried?

I presented a doomsday type scenario earlier in this thread where we're 0-8 and regretting this call...at 3-8 I feel pretty strongly about it.

IF he's not the right man, 2 & a half more years is an awful long stint. If he was still in the last year of his initial contract, I'd not be asking for a call to be made just yet, but the extension makes moving him on at seasons end - even if accepted as the right call - so unlikely.

As for alternatives - beats me. Still too early

[anfo27]

I'm still happy with macca & glad he got the extension. If he hadn't got an extension then he would be under way more unnecessary pressure & thats not what we need. It was a good decision then & its a good decision now.

[Mantis]

I'm still happy with macca & glad he got the extension. If he hadn't got an extension then he would be under way more unnecessary pressure & thats not what we need. It was a good decision then & its a good decision now.

Really?

Contracted or not there will be pressure on our coaching team, headed by B-Mac to get an improved performance out of the side over the remaining games this year.... We aren't improving and that isn't good enough this far into the B-Mac era.

[azabob]

Does anyone know the status of contracts for the assistant coaches?

[Topdog]

Really?

Contracted or not there will be pressure on our coaching team, headed by B-Mac to get an improved performance out of the side over the remaining games this year.... We aren't improving and that isn't good enough this far into the B-Mac era.

yep I mentioned elsewhere but he has had 30 months now to implement his gamestyle and we still aren't any further along than "Crack in"

[G-Mo77]

Does anyone know the status of contracts for the assistant coaches?

I don't think it matters. Most times assistants are allowed to pursue senior roles.

[bulldogtragic]

You bring smart and not viewing all threads? :) BT and a few others have been asking the same question.

Clearly no the extension should not have been given.

The issue for us is that Macca last year was the top stock, his manager would've demanded a lot and we paid overs I imagine. In I imagine overs in dollars and clauses on performance or a get out clause is probably not in the contract. We might have still resigned him, we may not have, but the contract he has was a BMW not a broken down Datsun.

[G-Mo77]

I'm still happy with macca & glad he got the extension. If he hadn't got an extension then he would be under way more unnecessary pressure & thats not what we need. It was a good decision then & its a good decision now.

That was my thought process when we did sign him to an extension. Pressure leads to desperation which is not a good thing. What we've done in the process is backed ourselves into a corner with no way to get out. If he was not under contract next season I'm sure the board would be out there looking for a replacement. It was a mistake and whichever road we choose from here out will be a costly one for the club.

[azabob]

I don't think it matters. Most times assistants are allowed to pursue senior roles.

Not sure any of our assistants would get jobs as assistants let alone the top job. I was asking the question along the lines of are we in a position to change an assistant or two for fresh ideas and perspective.

[anfo27]

Really?

Contracted or not there will be pressure on our coaching team, headed by B-Mac to get an improved performance out of the side over the remaining games this year.... We aren't improving and that isn't good enough this far into the B-Mac era.

I agree with you that we haven't improved as a side this year & its been a depressing year. I wasn't there last night but the games i have seen haven't been enjoyable to watch. I still think that macca is the right man though.

There is one area of our game that is confusing to me & thats our transitional running. I can't understand why we are the worst in AFL in this area, is this a fitness issue? Whatever it is it seems to me that this area is our biggest problem & its why our ball movement is at a snails pace & why we're so easily scored against.

[G-Mo77]

Not sure any of our assistants would get jobs as assistants let alone the top job. I was asking the question along the lines of are we in a position to change an assistant or two for fresh ideas and perspective.

Sorry, misread it. Again don't think it matters. It would be a minimal loss if we broke a contract.

[anfo27]

That was my thought process when we did sign him to an extension. Pressure leads to desperation which is not a good thing. What we've done in the process is backed ourselves into a corner with no way to get out. If he was not under contract next season I'm sure the board would be out there looking for a replacement. It was a mistake and whichever road we choose from here out will be a costly one for the club.

Quite simply macca was given an extension because the board felt he was the right man and if thats what they thought then they made the right decision in giving him an extension. This season has gone pear shaped so far but i can't understand the thought process that says that decision was a mistake now when it was right then.

Either you believe it was wrong then & even more wrong now but not right then and wrong now. We haven't backed ourselves into a corner in my opinion.

[Topdog]

I agree with you that we haven't improved as a side this year & its been a depressing year. I wasn't there last night but the games i have seen haven't been enjoyable to watch. I still think that macca is the right man though.

There is one area of our game that is confusing to me & thats our transitional running. I can't understand why we are the worst in AFL in this area, is this a fitness issue? Whatever it is it seems to me that this area is our biggest problem & its why our ball movement is at a snails pace & why we're so easily scored against.

How can you believe someone is right for the job and then believe we are the worst in the league with something that is so important?

[anfo27]

How can you believe someone is right for the job and then believe we are the worst in the league with something that is so important?

Because there has been plenty of things during maccas tenure that i've liked.

[Topdog]

Because there has been plenty of things during maccas tenure that i've liked.

can you name them? We have no structure, no run, really poor ball movement. He speaks very well and we certainly crack in but I dunno. I hope we start to see improvement.

[Remi Moses]

Would be interesting if they didn't Re-sign him.
Wondering if we would have had some very short sighted decisions with his own mortality in play.
I agreed with the re-signing, but our resolve is being tested .
My view is this will be a season of regression, but if there's no improvement this time next year he'll be in massive trouble .

[azabob]

Would be interesting if they didn't Re-sign him.
Wondering if we would have had some very short sighted decisions with his own mortality in play.
I agreed with the re-signing, but our resolve is being tested .
My view is this will be a season of regression, but if there's no improvement this time next year he'll be in massive trouble .

What would the short sighted decisions be though? We are already playing our older more experienced players.

[Remi Moses]

What would the short sighted decisions be though? We are already playing our older more experienced players.

From a recruiting perspective.

[Sedat]

Would be interesting if they didn't Re-sign him.
Wondering if we would have had some very short sighted decisions with his own mortality in play.
I agreed with the re-signing, but our resolve is being tested .
My view is this will be a season of regression, but if there's no improvement this time next year he'll be in massive trouble .
Improvement from 2014 or from 2013? Improvement next year compared to 2014 could be as few as 6 wins - to me that would be miles behind schedule for the 4th year of the BMac blueprint. I would expect nothing less than a 10-12 win season in 2015 to feel like we are still on schedule under BMac, and I personally think that is not too much to ask at all.

[1eyedog]

Neutral fan I went to the game with said that loss is a coach killer. Not so much in that Macca will get sacked but he reckons the question marks over him are growing bigger and bigger.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Assuming we don't improve by year's end, can we even afford to keep him on in terms of crowd numbers, membership numbers and general public exposure? We are posting incredibly low crowds weekly (last night's = lowest ever v Brisbane?) and have arguably never been as irrelevant as we are right now. Call supporters weak etc. but reality is they are the lifeblood of the club and if they are disgruntled/not turning up to games or buying memberships as a result of poor on-field performances then changes need to be made.

I think we are in a very delicate position.

The AFL would be mindless to let us host/participate in Good Friday football at the moment. We bring nothing to the table for anyone. That needs to change, and I just don't think we can sit on our hands until this point next season.

[Topdog]

Yeah I agree TBB. My group of Bulldog friends are all disillusioned at the moment. No one wants to force our kids to be Bulldog supporters at the moment.

[Remi Moses]

Improvement from 2014 or from 2013? Improvement next year compared to 2014 could be as few as 6 wins - to me that would be miles behind schedule for the 4th year of the BMac blueprint. I would expect nothing less than a 10-12 win season in 2015 to feel like we are still on schedule under BMac, and I personally think that is not too much to ask at all.

2013. This seasons a right off looking at the draw.
It's totally unacceptable, and 10 to 12 wins in 2015 is probably going to be needed. I think we got a few soft kills at the end of last year , with a few teams putting players away for the season.

[bulldogtragic]

Roos is a schmooze, but I respect it because he tells it as it is. If I was a paid up Melbourne member I'd much, very, rather, absolutely listen to Roos than Macca after losses. By a long way. Long. Way.