How Cooney and Griffen were forced from the western bulldogs

[bornadog]

Former Western Bulldogs star Adam Cooney has revealed he never wanted to leave the club, but the circumstances surrounding him and coach Brendan McCartney left him with no choice

Cooney had a falling out with McCartney during the 2014 season, and was forced to plead with him (https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/08/05/cooney-explains-fractured-relationship-with-bulldogs-coach-mccartney/) in order to remain on the Bulldogs' list beyond that year
The 2008 Brownlow Medallist says he approached club president Peter Gordon regarding the issues between the playing group and McCartney, but the conversation ultimately fell on deaf ears.

Gordon’s decision to back McCartney led to the departure of both Cooney (to Essendon) and club captain Ryan Griffen (to Greater Western Sydney).









“I had a meeting with Peter Gordon after that (meeting with McCartney) and Ryan Griffen was in a similar boat,” Cooney told This is Your Sporting Life for Tobin Brothers - celebrating lives.

“I had a meeting with Gordon and laid it all out on the table about the young players, how the senior group were feeling and how I didn’t think (McCartney) was the right man for the job going forward.

“I was at the Brownlow on the Monday night, I talked to him for about half-an-hour, told him everything that was happening at the club and about how everyone was feeling.

“He said: 'ok - look - thanks for telling me, it’s great that you’ve told me this, I want to follow it up, I’ll give you a call and then we’ll go over it'.

“I didn’t hear back from Gordon and I thought at that stage – wow – I’ve fallen on my sword here.
“I rang my manager and said: 'look, this is the situation, obviously my time at the Dogs has finished up'.

"Ryan Griffen was in the same boat, he had a meeting with the board at that stage and explained everything that was happening at the football club.

“He heard back from the football club and they said that they’re going to back (Brendan McCartney) in to be the coach going forward.

“Griffen said: 'well, it looks like I’m going to have to leave as well'."
“The club backed Brendan McCartney – which is fine – but that forced me out and it forced Ryan Griffen out.”
Cooney indicated he never wanted to leave the Western Bulldogs and planned on finishing his career at the Whitten Oval.

“I get a lot of abuse from Western Bulldogs supporters because they thought I wasn’t loyal to the football club and that I walked out on the club when things were really tough,” Cooney added.

“If they wanted to back him in – that’s fine – but we had to leave after that. I didn’t want to leave, I played at the club for 11 years and I wanted to finish my career as a Western Bulldogs player.

“What I did was try and help the group out, which I thought was the best thing going forward, they backed in the coach, but that was the end of my career at the Western Bulldogs.

“They didn’t back me in after what I said, so I had to leave, they did the same thing with Ryan Griffen and he had to leave.
“We didn’t want to leave, it was the situation and the circumstance that we tried our best.

“It seems like I’m having a massive crack at Brendan McCartney, but he just wasn’t the right man for the group.”

Link (https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/08/06/how-cooney-and-griffen-were-forced-from-the-western-bulldogs/)

[bornadog]

I call all this bullshit

[bulldogtragic]

Double horse shit.

[jeemak]

I would say it's a very one sided version of events............

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

If it is bs then I'd love to hear what the club reply to this is.

[jeemak]

If it is bs then I'd love to hear what the club reply to this is.

Why would the club reply?

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Why would the club reply?

They wouldn't. I'd love to hear their side though.

[Greystache]

At least Cooney got the chance to win a wooden spoon before finishing, something we'd deprived him of in his 11 years with us. He also got the opportunity to be hated by a second group of supporters, because make no mistake despite what he makes out, the Essendon supporters hated him!

[GVGjr]

I listened to the interview and he was very erratic. Throughout the interview he confirmed he was unprofessional especially during the early years.

Nothing he said made me feel like he was hard done by.

[Twodogs]

I listened to the interview and he was very erratic. Throughout the interview he confirmed he was unprofessional especially during the early years.

Nothing he said made me feel like he was hard done by.


While I agree we can't just let Bmac off with no examination. He was not perfect by any measure.

[Bulldog4life]

I listened to the interview and he was very erratic. Throughout the interview he confirmed he was unprofessional especially during the early years.

Nothing he said made me feel like he was hard done by.

Agree. Heard it too. Kept repeating himself which can be a sign of please believe me.

[Grantysghost]

I listened to the interview and he was very erratic. Throughout the interview he confirmed he was unprofessional especially during the early years.

Nothing he said made me feel like he was hard done by.

Absolutely they did. I've many Essendon fans as close friends and I was enjoying their constant meltdowns. My reply was always "but you have those spongy floors at Essendon fields he should be better"......
He's burnt the dogs bridge so he has to hang on to the scraps of his Bombers career and massage it to be worthwhile. Agree this story is how it happened through his eyes. His best mate leaving and getting a premiership (Lake) certainly would've been part of his desire to move I think.

[jeemak]

While I agree we can't just let Bmac off with no examination. He was not perfect by any measure.

Don't you mean Gordon? He was the one backing the coach until the captain left.

Bmac's definitely copped enough of a kicking over time.

[GVGjr]

While I agree we can't just let Bmac off with no examination. He was not perfect by any measure.

And he paid a high price for not being a better communicator with the playing group.
Other got away with it, not B-Mac

[GVGjr]

Don't you mean Gordon? He was the one backing the coach until the captain left.

Bmac's definitely copped enough of a kicking over time.

My understanding is:
Griffen informed his the club of his decision to leave after he went to Gordon and after B-Mac resigned.
He may have threatened it but followed through even after the decision went his way.

[Mofra]

Cooney was pushed out, no doubt in my mind.

Whether we should have kept him or not is a different story - he certainly didn't want to leave until he was pushed.

[Greystache]

Cooney was pushed out, no doubt in my mind.

Whether we should have kept him or not is a different story - he certainly didn't want to leave until he was pushed.

So was Higgins. It didn't matter what the free agency offer he received was, we weren't going to match it.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

So was Higgins. It didn't matter what the free agency offer he received was, we weren't going to match it.

No, i believe Higgins wanted out. He detested B-Mac

[Greystache]

No, i believe Higgins wanted out. He detested B-Mac

He may have wanted out but even if he'd wanted to stay we wanted him out. Higgins and McCartney were family friends back in the day.

[Twodogs]

He may have wanted out but even if he'd wanted to stay we wanted him out. Higgins and McCartney were family friends back in the day.

I think they lived in the same area and would know each other's families through local footy.

[Twodogs]

He may have wanted out but even if he'd wanted to stay we wanted him out. Higgins and McCartney were family friends back in the day.

I think they lived in the same area and would know each other's families through local footy.

[Ghost Dog]

Anyway I don't see why Adam would come out and lie about such a thing. What would be the point? It's not like he is going to be welcomed back by fans no matter what he says. They weren't the only people unhappy with Bmac at the time! Um some of you guys were pretty harsh on Bmac during his tenure. Just saying.
What I heard from a friend who lived in Geelong is he was a very religious person. I was living in Norlane, just up from Geelong Grammar, at the time.
Nothing against being religious myself, but can see how his way of dealing with people, quite direct / right and wrong / black and white/ , might have rubbed people the wrong way. In the end we became a harder side for him being there, contested anyway. I guess we owe him that, and Adam might have commented on some positives as well.

[The bulldog tragician]

My understanding is:
Griffen informed his the club of his decision to leave after he went to Gordon and after B-Mac resigned.
He may have threatened it but followed through even after the decision went his way.

The timing was: Griffen dropped the bombshell, that was the catalyst for BMac to be sacked. The messy part was that we’d publicly recommitted to BMac at the end of the season after a review, only to reverse the decision when Griffen’s defection exposed the degree of discontent with the coach who some saw as a bully.

[Bulldog4life]

Anyway I don't see why Adam would come out and lie about such a thing. What would be the point? It's not like he is going to be welcomed back by fans no matter what he says. They weren't the only people unhappy with Bmac at the time! Um some of you guys were pretty harsh on Bmac during his tenure. Just saying.
What I heard from a friend who lived in Geelong is he was a very religious person. I was living in Norlane, just up from Geelong Grammar, at the time.
Nothing against being religious myself, but can see how his way of dealing with people, quite direct / right and wrong / black and white/ , might have rubbed people the wrong way. In the end we became a harder side for him being there, contested anyway. I guess we owe him that, and Adam might have commented on some positives as well.

I knew there was something wrong with him. :)

[bornadog]

The timing was: Griffen dropped the bombshell, that was the catalyst for BMac to be sacked. The messy part was that we’d publicly recommitted to BMac at the end of the season after a review, only to reverse the decision when Griffen’s defection exposed the degree of discontent with the coach who some saw as a bully.

Must have been the worst review ever.

[Bulldog Joe]

The timing was: Griffen dropped the bombshell, that was the catalyst for BMac to be sacked. The messy part was that we’d publicly recommitted to BMac at the end of the season after a review, only to reverse the decision when Griffen’s defection exposed the degree of discontent with the coach who some saw as a bully.

That is how I recall it as well.

Griffen' s announcement that he wanted out was the catalyst for B-Mac to depart.

If Griffen had stayed we would have had another year with McCartney in charge and I strongly doubt we would have had the 2016 achievement.

[jeemak]

That is how I recall it as well.

Griffen' s announcement that he wanted out was the catalyst for B-Mac to depart.

If Griffen had stayed we would have had another year with McCartney in charge and I strongly doubt we would have had the 2016 achievement.

The timing in the end was perfect.

If Griffen stayed we would not have had the upheaval we did, and wouldn't have had Beveridge. If we never had McCartney our players probably wouldn't have had the crazy intent at the contest they exhibited as an ingrained trait. Not wanting to give our previous coach too much credit, but his style had a hand in the outcome of 2016.

I for one am glad we endured Shocktober 2014, I'm glad all of McCartney, Griffen, Higgins and Cooney departed enabling us to reset and give us the most magnificent football give anyone could ever receive.

[Twodogs]

Must have been the worst review ever.

Couldn't have been too clever if they did the exact opposite to the recommendation!

[G-Mo77]

2016 flag > these 2 guys.

[westdog54]

The timing was: Griffen dropped the bombshell, that was the catalyst for BMac to be sacked. The messy part was that we’d publicly recommitted to BMac at the end of the season after a review, only to reverse the decision when Griffen’s defection exposed the degree of discontent with the coach who some saw as a bully.

It was even more sinister than that.

Griffen, Bmac and Gordon met before the trade period. Meeting ended with Griffen to give an indication after he returns from holidays as to whether he wants to continue as Captain.

Half way through trade the trade period, Griffen informs his manager that he us demanding a trade to GWS. Ryan himself is uncontactable. Bmac meets with the club the next day and after the meeting his resignation is tendered.

[bulldogtragic]

It was even more sinister than that.

Griffen, Bmac and Gordon met before the trade period. Meeting ended with Griffen to give an indication after he returns from holidays as to whether he wants to continue as Captain.

Half way through trade the trade period, Griffen informs his manager that he us demanding a trade to GWS. Ryan himself is uncontactable. Bmac meets with the club the next day and after the meeting his resignation is tendered.

And someone else had to drive BMacs car home to avoid the media scrum, I think it was Kingy.

On the Higgins thing. I've said it before, so it can be put to rest: I personally spoke to BMac before the VFL Grand Final, we were never going to match a free agency bid. It was believed we'd get pick 27, which we did. He loved Zaine (nearly) as much as me, and said that Zaine at pick 27 for Higgins he considered a win for the club. We got Zaine at 62 so that was good. Webby needs to come on for his logic to work out. But *!*!*!*!, it's passed the statue of limitations:

- Of the other notable names, he thought he could stop both Minson & Liam Jones seeking a trade. Half right.
- He thought Stringer was the most naturally talented player he'd coached, including certain Geelong players. He said all the conversations from day one to his last day were around Jake lifting his work ethic, not his talent. If he wouldn't increase his work ethic and work harder on the track and in games, then he'd never rise to be the player he could do, it was said. We all know what happened here, BMac got this right.
- We were almost certainly using pick 6 on Peter Wright.

He was pretty flat that day, nothing like his upbeat stuff. But I still don't think he saw the full force if this coming.


Personally, Shocktober was all sorts of shit. While we played some players out of position, Griffen's back was looking bad (and it still is), Cooney was shot and refused to run both ways, Higgins wasn't performing as he should've all be it in the wrong spot - be a leader and do it, Jones was stagnating and Tutt, well why were we trying to retain him?

We got Boyd, Biggs, pick 27 (Webb), 39 (Hamilton), 46 (Caleb Daniel). We snared Zaine at 62. That's four premiership players in the fall out of this. 4 of our 22 premiership players arose from the ashes of this off-season Phoenix. Boyd with 3 goals and really best afield if the GF, Biggs with the wall of Biggs in the last, Zaine with a key knee at GWS and the first goal of ours in the GF and huge first quarter tackles and Daniel with neat precise touch. Plus, we took in Hamling as a delisted free agent to fill in our many list openings (nullified Buddy) and who knows, if we didn't have 26/27 back to back, maybe we could've gone the other way taking Webb and not taking McLean (very important in the GF). So a case can be even 5 or 6 (if McLean) premiership players were because of all of Shocktober and what Cooney says was the clubs fault. Or maybe he's crediting the club with a strategy of securing 5 or 6 premiership players in one trade/draft period.

So all the things that happened, turned out great. Did BMac force the hands of many players, probably. Who cares now. As for Cooney, he looks to me like a jealous ex. He wanted to move on too (he had a contract he could've enforced), but he wanted to show he was better and could do better than us. Remember, his opening 'i wanted to play in the big games, like Anzac Day with big crowds' which he kept repeating... But now he wanted to stay, to honour his contract, to play to expectations, play in front of small crowds and have no blockbuster games. Spare me. So we went and got ourselves super hot, super attractive and now he's rewriting history about not wanting to break up/wanting us back bullshit. If you wanted different things in your footy career, you should've made some different decisions. Yes your knees crueled you, but you could run hard forward for an easy disposal or goal, but not run that hard to defend? No. Own your decisions and be a man, I know that's not the Essendon way, but do it. He sounds more and more like Johnny Fontaine not getting the part in Waltz upcoming war movie... Oh, you didn't get a premiership medal because you made a choice to leave your contract by primarily being a poor leader and that's 'unfair' and now 'what can I do, what can I do?'. 'You can act like a man', own it.

[AndrewP6]

And someone else had to drive BMacs car home to avoid the media scrum, I think it was Kingy.


Not quite. It was Ben Graham, and he just moved it closer to the doors so McCartney could get straight in while PG addressed the media.

[bulldogtragic]

Not quite. It was Ben Graham, and he just moved it closer to the doors so McCartney could get straight in while PG addressed the media.

I remembered it was a big guy from Geelong. I lost a 50/50! :D

[Twodogs]

So all the things that happened, turned out great. Did BMac force the hands of many players, probably. Who cares now. As for Cooney, he looks to me like a jealous ex. He wanted to move on too (he had a contract he could've enforced), but he wanted to show he was better and could do better than us. Remember, his opening 'i wanted to play in the big games, like Anzac Day with big crowds' which he kept repeating... But now he wanted to stay, to honour his contract, to play to expectations, play in front of small crowds and have no blockbuster games. Spare me. So we went and got ourselves super hot, super attractive and now he's rewriting history about not wanting to break up/wanting us back bullshit. If you wanted different things in your footy career, you should've made some different decisions. Yes your knees crueled you, but you could run hard forward for an easy disposal or goal, but not run that hard to defend? No. Own your decisions and be a man, I know that's not the Essendon way, but do it. He sounds more and more like Johnny Fontaine not getting the part in Waltz upcoming war movie... Oh, you didn't get a premiership medal because you made a choice to leave your contract by primarily being a poor leader and that's 'unfair' and now 'what can I do, what can I do?'. 'You can act like a man', own it.


“You was my brother, Charley, You shoulda looked out for me a little bit. You shoulda taken care of me, just a little bit, so I wouldn't have to take them dives for the short-end money...I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.”

[Ghost Dog]

Those guys would be feeling it. They gave it for the club but will never be celebrated. 2016 will never include them. footy is a cruel tribal game.

[Twodogs]

Those guys would be feeling it. They gave it for the club but will never be celebrated. 2016 will never include them. footy is a cruel tribal game.


You pay your money and you take your chances. I'm not buying Cooney's crocodile tears. He considers himself an Essendon person now and seldom knocks back a chance to take a subtle dig at the Bulldogs so he doesn't also get to say that he's disappointed that we won a flag without him. It doesn't work like that.

Anyway the fact is we wouldn't have won the flag with slack arses like Cooney in the team. Flags require 100% buy in from the whole side and Coooney never gave 100%, he may well have thought that he did but he didn't.

[Webby]

You pay your money and you take your chances. I'm not buying Cooney's crocodile tears. He considers himself an Essendon person now and seldom knocks back a chance to take a subtle dig at the Bulldogs so he doesn't also get to say that he's disappointed that we won a flag without him. It doesn't work like that.

Anyway the fact is we wouldn't have won the flag with slack arses like Cooney in the team. Flags require 100% buy in from the whole side and Coooney never gave 100%, he may well have thought that he did but he didn't.

I used to own a celebratory framed picture thing of all of the Bulldogs' Brownlow Medallists. Cooney was featured prominently in it. I donated it to my kids' school for them to auction because I couldn't stand looking at it, anymore!

Cooney's just stunk of jealousy, resentment and even bitterness since leaving us... Considering himself an Essendon person smacks of delusion. What's next? Peter McKenna considering himself a Carlton person?! Ridiculous.

[Twodogs]

I used to own a celebratory framed picture thing of all of the Bulldogs' Brownlow Medallists. Cooney was featured prominently in it. I donated it to my kids' school for them to auction because I couldn't stand looking at it, anymore!

Cooney's just stunk of jealousy, resentment and even bitterness since leaving us... Considering himself an Essendon person smacks of delusion. What's next? Peter McKenna considering himself a Carlton person?! Ridiculous.


Or McKenna could consider himself part of the Burra. He played a season at Port Melbourne I think.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

No, i believe Higgins wanted out. He detested B-Mac

Hard to blame B-Mac when Higgins was constantly injured during his time at the Bulldogs.

[bornadog]

I used to own a celebratory framed picture thing of all of the Bulldogs' Brownlow Medallists. Cooney was featured prominently in it. I donated it to my kids' school for them to auction because I couldn't stand looking at it, anymore!

Cooney's just stunk of jealousy, resentment and even bitterness since leaving us... Considering himself an Essendon person smacks of delusion. What's next? Peter McKenna considering himself a Carlton person?! Ridiculous.

Even his twitter page had pics of Essendon everywhere, nothing with Dogs.

[bulldogtragic]

Even his twitter page had pics of Essendon everywhere, nothing with Dogs.

With the bullshit he spews out since joining the media, I'm stoked that he and hopefully everyone considers him an Essendon person sprouting his special brand of BS. I don't want us associated with it.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

That is how I recall it as well.

Griffen' s announcement that he wanted out was the catalyst for B-Mac to depart.

If Griffen had stayed we would have had another year with McCartney in charge and I strongly doubt we would have had the 2016 achievement.
You will find that Griffen’s departure led to a better on field leadership leading to Murphy and then Wood following Bob’s injury.

[AndrewP6]

Even his twitter page had pics of Essendon everywhere, nothing with Dogs.

He was very complimentary of the Dogs during the 2016 finals, tipping us to win it and saying how the fans deserved success.

[Webby]

He was very complimentary of the Dogs during the 2016 finals, tipping us to win it and saying how the fans deserved success.

Schadenfreude....

When we did win it, he described it as "watching your ex wife win the lotto."

[Topdog]

Schadenfreude....

When we did win it, he described it as "watching your ex wife win the lotto."

Yeah i think he was happy until we actually won it

[AndrewP6]

Schadenfreude....

When we did win it, he described it as "watching your ex wife win the lotto."

And he was pretty much spot on. Who wouldn't feel like that?

[Twodogs]

I remember Nathan Brown saying that he was actively barracking against us in each prelim from 08 to 10. He said that (and I just can't see how he sees it this way at all) because he left that he would have felt like he was missing out on team success. So he would just rather we lost because misery loves company? Wow!

Sorry? Could you just say that again please. Nothing about being happy or sad for the guys you played with? Nothing about taking ownership of your decisions in life. Naaaahhhh! Just wish ill on those you left behind for making a go of it while you tread water at Richmond

First of all I couldn't believe someone would even think like that, especially someone who plays a team sport for a living but I especially couldn't believe he thought it was a good idea to blurt it out on the radio one day.