Eade's future with us?

[Dry Rot]

IIRC, this is the last year of his current contract. Wonder whether another club will try to poach him?

[westdog54]

Interesting question DR.

I'm also curious as to whether or not the Pope is Catholic.

There are plenty of coaches on tenderhooks this year. Clubs would be crazy not to chase Rocket.

[Curly5]

I'm sure his contract has been extended for another two years.

[Go_Dogs]

Yeah, I believe he has a year or 2 to run on it.

[The Coon Dog]

I also thought it had been extended to the end of 2009.

[GVGjr]

Storm in a teacup at the moment. As others have pointed out Eade is signed sealed and delivered for a couple of more seasons.

[bulldogtragic]

I also thought it had been extended to the end of 2009.
I thought it was 2009 too.

[Dry Rot]

I thought it was 2009 too.

Didn't know this - good news.

Hope he got a raise with his contract extension - he bloody deserves it.

[BulldogBelle]

Didn't know this - good news.

Hope he got a raise with his contract extension - he bloody deserves it.

You may have missed this article DR, so I have gone to the supreme effort of finding it and posting it here for you to read it. Enjoy!

***

Eade looking long-term
1:40:09 PM Thu 26 October, 2006
Paul Gough
Sportal for afl.com.au

Eade Article (http://westernbulldogs.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=304625)

Rodney Eade, fresh from having his contract as Western Bulldogs coach extended until the end of 2009, has already set his sights on remaining with the club well beyond that term.

After steering the Bulldogs into their first finals series since 2000 this year, just two years after taking over a team that won just eight matches in the two years prior to his arrival, Bulldogs' president David Smorgon wasted little time securing one of the AFL's most respected coaches on a longer deal given Eade's initial three year contract was due to expire at the end of next season.

But in news that is sure to delight all Bulldog fans, Eade has declared he wants to remain at the Whitten Oval long-term.

"Certainly it is exciting for me to extend the contract until the end of 2009 and hopefully it will be further than that as well," he said on Thursday as the Bulldog also launched an ambitious bid to increase their membership from 26,000 to 32,000 next year.

"There has been discussion (with the Bulldogs board about an even longer deal) and certainly from my point I would like to be here longer."

Smorgon said the club was thrilled to secure Eade until the end of 2009, given the huge progress they have made under his coaching in the past two years.

"It's fair to say that two years ago the board, after a very thorough process, determined Rodney was the right man to lead the Bulldogs to heights we haven't been too for many, many years," he said.

"The evidence is clearly there over the last two years that he is the right man for the job and it's with great pleasure that we announce to the football public and Bulldogs' members that Rodney will be the senior coach and head of football until the end of 2009."

Eade declared that a first Bulldogs' premiership since 1954 was achievable in the next three years but warned the club still had much work to do despite rising from last place to a semi-final appearance in just three years.

"It's certainly achievable no doubt, but as we all know they (premierships) are very hard to come by," he said.

"You need a bit of luck but, having said that, we have got a good structure in place off the field and talent amongst the players but … there is still a lot of hard work to do."

"But the pleasing thing as a coach is not only the improvement we have made but the excitement we have in the group and the players have a real genuine feel they can improve further next year."

Eade said he knows there will be a much greater expectation of success on his club next year, given not only this year's finals appearance but the fact they have recruited Brisbane's 2001 Brownlow Medalist Jason Akermanis and former Eagles' key forward Andrew McDougall while they will also regain key players Luke Darcy, Robert Murphy and Mitch Hahn from long-term knee injuries.

"But we have got to be able to cope with that (burden of expectation) because the good teams do," he said.

"Whether you are underdogs or favourites it shouldn't affect your performance and the way you go about it."

Eade said there was scope for plenty of improvement in the Bulldogs next year and not just because of the players who will return to the side or the addition of Akermanis and McDougall.

"We have got four or five guys above 30, but 80 percent of our players are 24 or younger and there is still a lot of improvement even in guys like Lindsay Gilbee, who was an All-Australian this year."

The four-time Hawthorn premiership player, who also steered Sydney into its first Grand Final in 51 years in his first season as an AFL coach in 1996 warned Bulldogs fans and players however not to fall into the trap of believing success would come automatically next season.

"We can't afford to think it's just going to happen," he said.

"We are still off the pace a fair bit so we have still got a lot of hard work to do but certainly next year we will have a bit more quality (amongst the playing list) that will ensure players are fighting for spots within the team."

[Dry Rot]

Thanks BB.

Whoever started this thread is a halfwit.

[alwaysadog]

Thanks BB.

Whoever started this thread is a halfwit.

On a good day!

[BulldogBelle]

Thanks BB.

Whoever started this thread is a halfwit.

Don't be too harsh on him, he means well. ;)