Club History Dean Bailey - Breakfast With Bails

[Dr Whoooooooo]

A book that is probably going to be in many MFC supporters Christmas stockings this year ....

http://www.breakfastwithbails.com/

A gentle man, before his time, that stretch himself beyond a club that could offer him nothing but token support. Football can be a cruel game at times ... but one thing we can never forget ... it is only a game.

 

[stabler]

A gentleman

 

[PerfectFooty]

A decent human being with some great visions for the game, pity we didn't play finals under him and it ended pair shaped at Kadinia park, because despite the club being awfully administrated at the time he deserved it (although i'm not sure the team may have).

What really peaks my interest with this book, are the allegations that Gil threatened a life ban if he didn't claim responsibility for tanking which he was adamant he was innocent of

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

A decent human being with some great visions for the game, pity we didn't play finals under him and it ended pair shaped at Kadinia park, because despite the club being awfully administrated at the time he deserved it (although i'm not sure the team may have).

What really peaks my interest with this book, are the allegations that Gil threatened a life ban if he didn't claim responsibility for tanking which he was adamant he was innocent of

We didn't exactly play finals before him or after him either though. Not sure you can really say it's a pity.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

IMO the thing(s) he should be held most accountable for is how James McDonald and Jack Watts were handled. More so than tanking and Baileyball these are the two things which I think have really sunk the club for the past 5 seasons (the latter not so much because of JW individually but because of the precedent it set for poor talent development at the club).

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

But yes, he was a great man. I've told this story a thousand times but one of the highlights of my work experience stint at the club (about two weeks before 186, incidentally) was how honest and open and friendly he was during the media training session where we got to hold a press conference with him. Didn't mince words or hold punches, that one.

 

[Dr Whoooooooo]

A decent human being with some great visions for the game, pity we didn't play finals under him and it ended pair shaped at Kadinia park, because despite the club being awfully administrated at the time he deserved it (although i'm not sure the team may have).

Interesting opinion apart from the way it "ended" comment -

I must confess when I first got the "infamous game-plan" explained to me .... I could see its alluring qualities.

Big question was ... Would it work? Many had no idea, the rest of us lived in hope.

Think its fair to say as Bails progressed thru his tenure the infamous Blind Freddy could see the game-plan was flawed. The internal cracks started to appear ...

Then arrived "Carogate" a journalist hell bent on self promotion and selling newspapers at any cost. Sadly many MFC supporters bought it hook line and sinker .... the rest is history.

 

[stretcharmstrong]

Interesting opinion apart from the way it "ended" comment -

I must confess when I first got the "infamous game-plan" explained to me .... I could see its alluring qualities.

Big question was ... Would it work? Many had no idea, the rest of us lived in hope.

Think its fair to say as Bails progressed thru his tenure the infamous Blind Freddy could see the game-plan was flawed. The internal cracks started to appear ...

Then arrived "Carogate" a journalist hell bent on self promotion and selling newspapers at any cost. Sadly many MFC supporters bought it hook line and sinker .... the rest is history.

Not entirely sure what you're getting at, but if you are trying to imply that the club was not being run horribly during the Bails/Neeld years, you won't find many sympathetic ears. Certainly not here anyway.

 

[RatherHaveABeer]

Anyone know if this book is available in any Aussie bookstores? Wouldn't mind getting it for the old man for Christmas but paying $50 odd in express shipping from Amazon so I can ensure it's here by Christmas seems pretty unreasonable.

 

[booshboy]

Anyone know if this book is available in any Aussie bookstores? Wouldn't mind getting it for the old man for Christmas but paying $50 odd in express shipping from Amazon so I can ensure it's here by Christmas seems pretty unreasonable.

Would be baffling to think a book of this kind would not be available in aussie book stores surely...

 

[Dr Whoooooooo]

Not entirely sure what you're getting at, but if you are trying to imply that the club was not being run horribly during the Bails/Neeld years, you won't find many sympathetic ears. Certainly not here anyway.

If you are trying to imply MFC administration did not give there all - I would categorically deny that claim.

And just for the record I would not expect many here to know the truth - when your only source of information is football forums and newspapers - you have zero chance to know the truth.

 

[Tulip]

If you are trying to imply MFC administration did not give there all - I would categorically deny that claim.

And just for the record I would not expect many here to know the truth - when your only source of information is football forums and newspapers - you have zero chance to know the truth.

I know because I look at the absolute farce our club was before Jackson and Roos came aboard. We tanked, it failed. Bailey apparently didn't want to do it, but who knows if thats the case. Ultimately; Stynes should have established a clear hierarchy when he was taken ill if he didn't want to leave, McLardy should have kept his nose in check, and Schwab and Cuddles should never have been recruited. Its just facts.

 

[Dr Whoooooooo]

I know because I look at the absolute farce our club was before Jackson and Roos came aboard.

You have missed the critical changing point - the AFL intervened. Jackson & Roos where a by product of AFL intervention.

Traditionally .... CEO's are appointed by boards, boards are appointed by MFC supporters at AGM's - if you have ever been to an AGM you will fully understand what I'm saying ... "the small minority of lunatics were running the asylum."

MFC have an awesome core of supporters, loyal, resilient and have given their all for this club.

The very first thing the AFL did was withdraw MFC supporters rights to democratically vote for their own board - which IMHO was 100% the correct decision. We are now seeing the results today ... A CEO & Coach free to make decisions totally ignoring "the small minority of lunatics" - Go Dees!!!

The sins of the few affect the needs of the many.

We tanked, it failed.

Tanking is a myth - just like witches and warlocks, daleks and cybermen.

 

[PerfectFooty]

Interesting opinion apart from the way it "ended" comment -

I must confess when I first got the "infamous game-plan" explained to me .... I could see its alluring qualities.

Big question was ... Would it work? Many had no idea, the rest of us lived in hope.

Think its fair to say as Bails progressed thru his tenure the infamous Blind Freddy could see the game-plan was flawed. The internal cracks started to appear ...

Then arrived "Carogate" a journalist hell bent on self promotion and selling newspapers at any cost. Sadly many MFC supporters bought it hook line and sinker .... the rest is history.

Game plan did have it's flaws, but it worked sometimes. imagine a game plan like that with an actually talented list though

 

[stretcharmstrong]

If you are trying to imply MFC administration did not give there all - I would categorically deny that claim.

And just for the record I would not expect many here to know the truth - when your only source of information is football forums and newspapers - you have zero chance to know the truth.

Not questioning effort, couldn't possibly judge. But it was either that, incompetence or internal conflict. Probably all three. Anyway, you seem to actually agree with me in your response to Tulip's post, so never mind.

 

[TheDarkDwarf]

If you are trying to imply MFC administration did not give there all - I would categorically deny that claim.

And just for the record I would not expect many here to know the truth - when your only source of information is football forums and newspapers - you have zero chance to know the truth.

Maybe you can help elucidate to us what was "the truth".

 

[PerfectFooty]

AFL intervened because we pretty much could not manage ourselves and i think it was a wise move. AFL could have said we don't a crap and watched us fold like they did with Fitzroy.

Not saying the previous administration didn't try, but they where terrible at it. and they did some things that probably reflected their self interest when the club needs to be a team all the way down, from admins to players.

 

[Tulip]

You have missed the critical changing point - the AFL intervened. Jackson & Roos where a by product of AFL intervention.

Traditionally .... CEO's are appointed by boards, boards are appointed by MFC supporters at AGM's - if you have ever been to an AGM you will fully understand what I'm saying ... "the small minority of lunatics were running the asylum."

MFC have an awesome core of supporters, loyal, resilient and have given their all for this club.

The very first thing the AFL did was withdraw MFC supporters rights to democratically vote for their own board - which IMHO was 100% the correct decision. We are now seeing the results today ... A CEO & Coach free to make decisions totally ignoring "the small minority of lunatics" - Go Dees!!!

The sins of the few affect the needs of the many.



Tanking is a myth - just like witches and warlocks, daleks and cybermen.

What a ridiculous argument. Have you ever heard of a majority vote? Stynes came in because he was better than Gardiner, and he did a great job before he became ill. After that, it all came to this. How do a small minority elect a President?

 

[Dr Whoooooooo]

Game plan did have it's flaws, but it worked sometimes. imagine a game plan like that with an actually talented list though

All players have talent - its your ability to develop the talent that is primary. Development costs money.

What a ridiculous argument. Have you ever heard of a majority vote?

That made me laugh ... cheers. "majority vote" at footy clubs ... yeah right. Its a football club not Utopia

Not questioning effort, couldn't possibly judge. But it was either that, incompetence or internal conflict. Probably all three. Anyway, you seem to actually agree with me in your response to Tulip's post, so never mind.

A "perfect storm" is an expression that describes an event where a rare combination of circumstances will aggravate a situation drastically.

So is it possible you are overtly critical of an administration that did nothing but its best.

 

[stretcharmstrong]

It is certainly possible, and I don't claim to have any inside information.

FWIW, my impression is that the combination of people in charge at board and administration level were incompetent, very naive and somewhat arrogant in the way they mismanaged our clubs affairs.

I am very, very happy with how things are currently.

 

[Dr Whoooooooo]

I am very, very happy with how things are currently.

Yip thanks to the AFL & AD - I too am 100% happy. Sadly we had to go to the brink, the cliffs edge. We had a football club that had lost the desire to fight.

AD will go down in history as the best CEO of the AFL ever. Astute on the ball football person - new the score when it came to list management or often confused with "tanking" - it was his pet hate along with "Sports Scientists" and look what the f happened there!!!

Finally we have a CEO not answerable to the members - huge tick. A CEO who has a goal is to rebuild our brand ( that stood for nothing ) - clearly targeted at the next generation. Free of politics. We have a football club run by football people - not an old boys club .

We have a coach prepared to address our real problems - the "veil of negativity".

We are now investing in our FD department instead of the conservative approach of paying off debt - others learnt we did not. We are now appointing coaches with experience and compensating them at market rates.

The future is very positive.

 

[Dr Whoooooooo]

Maybe you can help elucidate to us what was "the truth".

The answers are right in-front of you

- MFC employed a Rookie coach ( not a mistake in its self ) whos game plan was born in the Port Adelaide University of Football - yet we did not have the finances to buy the professors when they became available ie Hartley, Williams and to a lesser extent Burgess

- the game plan was fundamentally flawed it favored youth and athletes over experience, leadership and footy smarts. It required huge investment via development, which we could not afford. Most of all it required patience - which was one thing our restless supporter base did not have.

- In a nutshell we let Dean Bailey down, failed to provide the real resources to execute the plan both on and off the field

- our recruiting department was devoid of resources by all measurements we lacked man power. There was nothing wrong with the personnel we just did not have enough of them. Time pressure leads to mistakes.

- we where not a destination club so our trading ability was near zero. You trade and develop your way to a premiership not recruit your way.

- the working conditions of our football department where an absolute joke and totally de-motivational. We had our chance to grab the now "Lexus Centre" before the Pies but our "old boys" lacked vision and failed to grasp the off-field advancements other clubs where massively investing in.

- we had toxic fans community's more interested in talking politics than helping the club. The communities focused on self gain and making money for their own survival than giving to the club. Although very vocal they only represented a very small % of our supporter base, yet as always the squeaky wheel gets the most oil.

- we had a supporter base determined to "lay blame" and determined to seek retribution for all their years of "pain" who ultimately took their own frustration out on the players and the club.

- sponsors and potential sponsors where leaving right left and centre, we did not have the resources to look after them, understand them and give them what they wanted. Who's brand names we soiled by bitterness and an ignorant minority.

- we had an experienced AFL CEO bogged down dealing with internal politics and time chewed by the lunatics I just mentioned, venting had become an art at the MFC.

- we had an administration who's future will be judged and executed by on-field results - which they had little to no control over. Again many bogged down by the "veil of negativity" vented on a near weekly basis.

- the ill health and "tragic" future of our much loved Jimmy Stynes

- Adrian Anderson a lawyer wanting to run the AFL - enough said.

- Carogate - leading AFL journalist with self interest motivated reasons to sink our CEO

A near perfect storm ...