Chapter 1: What is discussed at the start of this section?
It's Stuart Waitley. Thanks for listening to the podcast. In this episode, the art of coaching with Ken Hinckley, the eminently sensible Phil Davis, mid-season draftee Joel Fitzgerald as he arrived at Melbourne, Bharat Sundaresan with the latest from the IPL, across the divide with Andrew Voss, and nerdy stats with Peter Blucher. You can get in touch at any time. Waitley at sen.com.au.
Thanks for listening. Enjoy. Wednesday morning. This is your town. This is your station. This is Waitley. Good morning. We're going to have to change our favourite game of what would the WWE do to what would Essendon do? Because I'm not sure that even the world leader in sports entertainment would have been quite so bold as to script last night's television.
The first hint of this peculiar and unique Bombers scenario was the fact the ex-coach from more than a decade ago was more anticipated than the coach sacked 12 hours earlier. Brad Scott did his bit to build the tension. The coach was blindsided by his dismissal. He believed the club was eyes wide open about the course they'd chosen and the vulnerabilities contained within.
But the change in president and chief executive did him in. He wasn't their man and this wasn't their blueprint. Shared custody dissolved and a scapegoat taken. The red flag was the decision to keep then-Captain Zach Merritt against his will. The coach believed he should have been traded. The president wasn't letting him walk. Even yesterday, declaring the club wouldn't be pushed around.
So it was a vanity decision rather than a football decision that won out. But it was all preamble to the moment James Heard stepped through the curtain. From the moment Scott's sacking had been revealed, the narrative hurtled to the return of Heard, with more than a gentle hint that he'd been preparing not only himself, but a posse to sweep into town.
Welsh had a carefully scripted answer about unapologetically bringing great Essendon people back to the club. The godfather figure that is Kevin Chidi had offered his rousing endorsement of Heard's credentials and his love of the club. Even Merritt, at a beer promotion no less, suggested things might be different if Heard was installed as coach given their strong personal bond.
So when Heard took the mic, the crowd was in a virtual frenzy and the bomber legend didn't disappear. A disappoint. He wasn't aloof or evasive.
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Chapter 2: What happened with the Essendon coaching situation?
He was bold and ambitious. He wants to coach the bombers again and he's ready to beat anyone who stands in his way. And so begins the Essendon Royal Rumble. It will inflame passions on both sides of the debate. It's not hard to imagine placards and banners echoing those days of standby heard in the terraces. Everyone will have an opinion.
Many will hark back to the supplements saga with grave lectures and warnings about going back to the past. But it doesn't matter what anyone on the outside thinks. All that matters is what Essendon thinks can restore this shell of a club. You do you, Bombers. Heard isn't demanding the job. He's prepared to win it. And he's not above a process. He craves it.
The complicated question now, though, will be whether anyone of any standing is prepared to enter the ring opposed to this man, given his standing and place within bomber hearts. Who from the outside will risk their reputation if there's a hint this is a carefully orchestrated outcome? From this moment in time, amid the euphoria of last night, and that might dim,
It would frankly be surprising if Heard wasn't the Bombers' next coach. With the mantra, and this without a hint of irony, to make Essendon great again. It's going to be mega.
I hear a lot around old Essendon, new Essendon, Boys Club. I look at other clubs that, you know, respectfully, Sam Mitchell's gone back to Hawthorne, doing an amazing job. I look at Longmuir over in Fremantle. Carr's gone back to Port Adelaide. So I think there's some really good history around players going back to clubs and the right people for those groups going to those clubs.
So I don't shy away from Essendon people being great people. And I want... great people, Essendon people, continuing to be involved in the footy club.
To coach Essendon, you've got to love Essendon, and I think he does, and I think he'll do anything to make sure he gets this right. If he got a chance, he wouldn't make this one up.
I can only go off our relationship. It's very strong. He's been a great mentor of mine and someone I can always confide in, so from that perspective, I really get on well with him. I think he's got a great viewpoint of the game.
So the most important thing for me as an Essendon person and what I want to see that football club doing is for them to go through the most exhaustive process possible to find the best person to be the coach of the Essendon Football Club. If the club came to me and said, would you be part of that process? I would definitely say yes. That is something I'd love to be part of.
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Chapter 3: How does the narrative around James Hird evolve?
Yeah, absolutely. I don't think anyone would have the, you know, would be prepared to be in the race too deep unless you were in some ways involved with Essendon, I suppose, in their history. So I think that would be really important to me.
I mean, I just think this looks like, and when I watched everything last, I watched Brad, I watched James, and, you know, it looked to me like it's James Heard or then someone else. It's not...
James Heard or someone else it's James Heard or then someone else and I think that's the way it should and that's the way Essendon is setting up Andrew's setting it up that way by the look of it from what I can see and understand so and I think they have every right to do what they want to do and that's their call yeah so that I guess that's the question the right way or the wrong way
Yeah, I'm not going to sit here and try and judge the right or the wrong way. It's just what you do get out of Essendon is you get some clarity at the moment about the way they think they can fix things, I think, and that is purely around a strong Essendon backbone, and that's what it looks like.
And it looks like with the people involved at the moment, that's the way they're going to sail this ship and good on them for having a course and having a direction they want to take.
Do you think it's possible to coach after such a long absence from the game?
It'll be challenging. I don't think it's impossible, but it would be challenging. And James himself said last night he's been doing some stuff at Port Melbourne for three or four years. And so he's kept his mind in footy, clearly. He's kept his mind in Essendon. There's no doubt about that. So, you know... The art of coaching is not one person, Gerard.
So it's the art of coaching is as a team and a collective of people and getting the very, very best people. I think that's the, you know, if that's your starting point, the coach can be successful whether he's been in it for five minutes or whether he hasn't been in it for 10 years or he's been in it, Like me, for the last 13 years, and like a John Longmire or like Adam Simpson.
So, you know, there's plenty of options that you can do it different ways. But the reality of all those people is they need a group of people surrounding them to make sure it's a really strong team. Because it's not just a coach. Unfortunately, that's what happens in our game. The coach is the one who... whose head is on the line and he gets replaced.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of the coaching decisions for Essendon?
They were going to be back end of the draft. But they were still going to add to a collective plan to rebuild. That's the overriding point for me. The collective plan, and that was from the board to the coach to the CEO to the football manager, the collective plan is we needed to go back to the draft and rebuild.
We had an opportunity to get three more first-round picks in our door, and we chose not to.
So that's a huge red flag, isn't it? For a coach's eye, that's a massive red flag.
Yeah, I would have thought. I mean, again, we're both not sitting in the discussions and the meetings, but we both heard what Brad said last night, and that was he was against keeping Zach, and he thought it was the right thing to do to move him on, which I think that would be a red flag for Brad.
What a fascination they are. What a spectacle they'll be over the next period of time, Essendon.
Yeah, well, they've got good people involved. And as I said, I'm lucky enough to know Andrew and I know Dean. I know Solly really well. So I wish him all the best in his opportunity because he's a really, really passionate person. He'll do everything he can for the club and whatever role that is, it'll be for the club. That's Dean's way. So he'll certainly do that. But the reality is, Gerard,
They are fascinating to watch from the outside because everyone has this same view. If we're not Essendon people, we look at it and go, well, that is something that Essendon would typically try and do. And, you know, they're going to do it their way. And I think they've, look, to be honest, they've tried every other way almost. It's... It's their call and it's their direction.
And, you know, if they think that's the way to go, no one should sit in judgment of them other than let's sit back and watch and then we can decide whether it was a good or a bad play.
You do you, Essendon. You do you. The art of coaching with Ken Hinkley here. The 40 Wings temper text is 0433 98 11 16. Find your personalised bedtime solution with our friendly neighbourhood sleep advisors. 40 Wings, serious about sleep.
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Chapter 5: What surreal experience did a young player describe?
I was talking to a young player up there yesterday and he goes, it was the most surreal experience. He's like, it still doesn't feel like it was natural. What? And it's funny though, Joe, because that's what an AFL side would actually do to a VFL side. Like that's what it would look like.
And this is always, I think, good perspective for fans to know, but that is what would happen every quarter of every game if an AFL team played a VFL team.
Chapter 6: What are the implications of the gap between AFL and VFL teams?
Like that's the gap that we're talking about. And that's not calling, you know, Brisbane a VFL side because, as you said, it was just such a bizarre bit. But I'm still bullish on Brisbane. I think it was a huge blip and something that, like, would have, you know, wounded some of their absolute stars. But they're going through some stuff at the moment as well.
They're always wobbly this time of year. So there's a bit to go there. But I think the Giants can just take the percentage boost and, you know, take their rightful spot in the all-time scoring list.
Yeah.
I asked you this a couple of weeks ago, and it feels like it's more pressing now. Do you think there is a risk that Toby Green is going to leave the Giants?
I think this becomes a challenging conversation only because ā
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Chapter 7: Is there a risk of Toby Green leaving the Giants?
Toby just wants to win so badly. And I think that would be the only part that's wobbling in his brain is doing the math. You know, we said a bit before about Essendon players being like, hey, how do they think about it? What's the conversation? For Toby, it's not about playing finals.
He doesn't want to finish seventh this year and win one final and lose because he's not really the top four best teams. He wants to win one so desperately. And I think he just cares about that so much. He's cared about that like endlessly for the last 10 years. But I do think deep down, it's a big step to leave. And I think that'll always be the challenge, um,
So I can see why there's speculation and I can see why it's floating around. But my gut feel is when it's all said and done, Toby will make a decision to stay. But there's merit in the discussion just because, you know, he just wants to win so badly. He's one of the most competitive humans I've ever met in my life. And this is something that he's been chasing.
Like he's had all this other success, Jared. But I know deep down, like there's no player that would trade that faster than Toby for the medal that actually mattered.
Okay. Yeah, that's an interesting insight. All right, let's finish today. So I'm curious, you mentioned you're holding faith with Brisbane. I'm the same. I want to see Saturday's game. So Fremantle, are you all in on Fremantle at 10 in a row or is this the game? For me, this is the game. Walk into Brisbane, knock the Lions over while they're a bit down and then you go, yep, yep.
All the historical hesitancy lifts if they are able to win this weekend for me.
Yeah, well, it reminds me a lot of round one, Gerard, when we said, oh, this is a maturity test to go and beat a banged up Geelong. And they failed that one. So it feels like we're back there. What I will say, Gerard, is big picture. I am very, very confident that Freya will win one final. I think they're like almost certain to be in a prelim this year.
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Chapter 8: What are the latest updates on the mid-season draft and coaching changes?
Like that's where I see them. This question is now to be like, do they join the discussion where I feel very confident that they could win a prelim? And I think that's, as you say, like these are the maturity tests that, because they'll always, they'll finish top four, it looks like, I presume. So basically, you just have to win one final when you're in a prelim.
And usually, let's say they lose the first week and, you know, unless you go straight sets, you're usually going to beat up a banged up side in the semifinal and before you know it, you're in a prelim. And I think that's where they're at definitely at the moment. I would just like to see just another level, like you said, Gerard, and that's what this weekend is an opportunity for.
They don't travel super well. It's not like their forte, but this seems as though like all the ducks in a row for them to come in and take care of business.
There's a lot to look forward to. Phil, great to pick your brain as ever. Enjoy your week, and we'll do it again next Wednesday.
Thanks, Gerard.
The eminently sensible Phil Davis. Try McCafe's Drink Strange. Let's head to the newsroom with Nathan. Nay, thank you, Daniel's text through despite the blowback publicly. But could the board canvass the membership and see what the poll is on having James Hurd as the new head coach? Is that too simple or will it provide too much chatter in the social sphere? The tail will wag the dog.
If the board don't appoint Hurd, they will go too. James Hurd's statement last night has scared off any untried or even tried coaching hopeful. Very smart by Hurd and maybe shows his coaching now since his statement has ruined a fair process to genuinely search far and wide. That's from Richo and Chris from Port Melbourne.
For all the commentary around Essendon and Hurd, Ken Hinckley has made more sense and had more knowledge than any. 0-4-3-3-9-8-11-16. The 40 Wings temper text. The difference is temper. Kenny's art of coaching with an eye toward Essendon in particular is on the podcast to take in as your morning unfolds. Barats Andresen is about to join me next. The IPL finals have started.
Australia is about to begin its tour of Pakistan. White ball cricket being played from Saturday night. Now, back to Whiteley. The IPL finals are underway. Australian cricketers are deep in that. The Australian team is in Pakistan for some white ball games. Josh Inglis is going to be appointed captain when the team returns to action on Saturday night.
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