Fox Sports Interview With Rodney Eade

[The Coon Dog]

In the first part of an exclusive interview with Fox Sports, Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade looks ahead to the AFL premiership season after another near miss in 2009.

Part 1 Link (http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/video/0,,AFL%20News_25495,00.html)

[LostDoggy]

Thanks TCD, good to watch.

[OLD SCRAGGer]

TCD, is part 2 available? Thanks for part 1

[The Coon Dog]

Here is part 2:

Part 2 Link (http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/video/0,,AFL%20News_25548,00.html)

[jazzadogs]

You're smarter than me TCD. I only saw a bit of the interview on Fox Sports, so I've been stalking the channel trying to catch the whole thing. Never thought to look on the net.
So thanks for that.

[Hot_Doggies]

Is it just me or does he say 'Brendan' Stack?

[OLD SCRAGGer]

Thanks Barry, new I could count on you

[LostDoggy]

Seeing the 09 prelim highlights in this vid, even the good parts still hurts.

[anfo27]

Got goose bumps watching Guido put us in front late in the 3rd.

[LostDoggy]

Got goose bumps watching Guido put us in front late in the 3rd.

Yes I had forgotten how well we played but seeing it still upsets me to think we really didn't deserve to lose.

[anfo27]

Yes I had forgotten how well we played but seeing it still upsets me to think we really didn't deserve to lose.

Just brought back those overwhelming feelings that we could win this. What a feeling it would be if we do this year, i'd be a mess.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Got goose bumps watching Guido put us in front late in the 3rd.


Yes I had forgotten how well we played but seeing it still upsets me to think we really didn't deserve to lose.

Yep, took me right back to those moments. Some of the best feelings (Gia's goal) and worst feelings (Rooy's soccer goal) that I've ever felt. A real rollercoaster of a ride.

The interview with Rocket was pretty good. I think Fox Sports do a great job and ask much better questions than the papers and various other forms of media. Glad to hear that he still has high hopes for the likes of Grant, who cops a fair bit of heat from our supporters.

Must say, Rocket really seems to know how to handle this group of players. When he first came to the club, he talked about them being in their shell and lacking leadership and confidence. No doubting we're a completely different side now, and in better shape than we've ever been in. It'd be easy to study the PF loss too hard and take the players concentration off actually following key instructions for 2010. On the flip side, you don't want them to forget about it either so it can be a difficult balance but one that Eade seemingly gets right every time.

[craigsahibee]

Seeing the 09 prelim highlights in this vid, even the good parts still hurts.

Fox replayed the game this morning (Monday) while I was on the treadmill at the gym. Must have looked pretty weird when I gave a fist pump around the 3km mark when Johnno kicked one from the pocket then Gia followed up with his snap around the body.

[Wing_Nut]

Anyone care to elaborate what was said in the interview? Doesn't appear to work from overseas!

[Bulldog Revolution]

Fox replayed the game this morning (Monday) while I was on the treadmill at the gym. Must have looked pretty weird when I gave a fist pump around the 3km mark when Johnno kicked one from the pocket then Gia followed up with his snap around the body.

Classic stuff

TBB - you are right. There is a fair bit more thought put into a lot of these questions than the usual rubbish dished up elsewhere.

In the first part of the video its actually quite interesting where they talk about developing young players in a side that is challenging for a premiership,

I liked that he still says they have high hopes in 2010 for Reid, Wood, Grant, Tiller, Stack, and talks about how Roughie will get development opportunities in the NAB cup - which we know.

[Go_Dogs]

Good interview.

[MrMahatma]

Anyone care to elaborate what was said in the interview? Doesn't appear to work from overseas!
Yeah, I've had the same problem.

[The Pie Man]

Yep, took me right back to those moments. Some of the best feelings (Gia's goal) and worst feelings (Rooy's soccer goal) that I've ever felt. A real rollercoaster of a ride.

The interview with Rocket was pretty good. I think Fox Sports do a great job and ask much better questions than the papers and various other forms of media. Glad to hear that he still has high hopes for the likes of Grant, who cops a fair bit of heat from our supporters.

Must say, Rocket really seems to know how to handle this group of players. When he first came to the club, he talked about them being in their shell and lacking leadership and confidence. No doubting we're a completely different side now, and in better shape than we've ever been in. It'd be easy to study the PF loss too hard and take the players concentration off actually following key instructions for 2010. On the flip side, you don't want them to forget about it either so it can be a difficult balance but one that Eade seemingly gets right every time.

Back in a previous life (2005) at Origin Energy, Rocket did a presentation and Q&A (as part of the inside 50 campaign/sponsorship of the away top vs Geelong) and he said when he first got to the club, one of his first questions was 'who thinks they're a senior footballer? If you think you're a senior footballer, stand over to the left' and 5 guys moved over there. He took a moment and said 'gee fellas, we'll struggle to field a team here'

He was great with that presentation, the group (me well included) were hanging off his every word.

I took a couple of photos on the ground on Saturday after the game was done and heard him talking to some kids getting his autograph 'hey mate, how are you, who's your favourite player?' Fair play to the board for getting him quickly when the decision to cut Rhode was made and he was available, he's been (and remains) tremendous

[LostDoggy]

Back in a previous life (2005) at Origin Energy, Rocket did a presentation and Q&A (as part of the inside 50 campaign/sponsorship of the away top vs Geelong) and he said when he first got to the club, one of his first questions was 'who thinks they're a senior footballer? If you think you're a senior footballer, stand over to the left' and 5 guys moved over there.

That would be Granty, Darc, Smithy, Johnno and Westy?

[LostDoggy]

The pie man- you must have worked and know both my sister as they were at origin at the time and have told me that story

[Go_Dogs]

Yeah, I've had the same problem.

Just the standard sort of stuff.

* Cooney and Murphy big improvers, in our top 5 or so players so should improve us a lot.

* Hall not to be judged on goals kicked, like to keep the even spread.

* No guarantees regarding Hall snapping, but thinks we can identify the triggers and really negate the chances of it happening.

* A lot of guys coming through who'll get games, names mentioned above in BR's post.

* Talked about the effect that losing the Prelim may have on the group - really saw 08 as "hey, maybe we could have won that!" and 09 was very much "that was a missed opportunity". Spoke how a few groups have had to go through that pain to get the ultimate glory, but said it really depends on the group.

* Mentioned he doesn't strive for a flag for personal reasons, but to allow the playing group and the club to share some of that success.

[The Pie Man]

That would be Granty, Darc, Smithy, Johnno and Westy?

You would imagine so, he didn't go into that detail except to say there were guys that had played around 50 games at the time and still didn't move over to the 'senior' side when asked. He said he found it astonishing, an illustration of how quiet the group was.

Being there for work (and relating things from clubs back to work) he was saying that setting goals can be over-rated : like being a young recruit saying 'I want to play 20 games this year' ...well that's great Johnny, but how are you going to do that?' He was really pushing that 'process' was more important than goals, and that if you look after the process, you will likely achieve.

[The Pie Man]

The pie man- you must have worked and know both my sister as they were at origin at the time and have told me that story

I was in Natural Gas New Connections at the time in Bourke St (not sure it's based there anymore) and Electricity New Connections were on the same floor.

[Before I Die]

I thought it was very telling when he explicitly said the club had made the decision to promote kids to cover injuries, rather than bring in players who may play 6 games in a season but are never going to take the club anywhere. Hence Wight and Skipper are not picked, even if there form puts them next in line (though in Wight's case this didn't really apply in 2009) and Hill, Grant, Wood etc get called up even though they had not really earned it.

It was a deliberate strategy to get games into young players, despite the strength of our list, and clearly paid dividends with Hill and hopefully Wood, Reid and Grant this year.

I think it is a great move (and brave). Unfortunately for potential list cloggers, it means once your card is marked, there is no coming back.

[LostDoggy]

that was great interview. loved it. I thought I was over the Prelim too but watching that opened up old wounds that wont go away. Bring on the 2010 season!!

[Swoop]

The one real insight I took away from the interview was Eade mentioning that as a match committee 4 years ago they made a conscious decision not to recruit or maintain players on the list that they considered depth players. In theory it is good to say and I would question whether maintaining Skipper on the list last season & some of the pickups this year were in fact that but it is encouraging to hear that they are showing faith in youth & development and genuinely see a future or a role in some respect for all the players on our list.