New Geelong VFL coach: Matthew Knights

[red+black]

Listened to him a lot on the radio this year. Super good football brain and a good appointment. I wouldn't be surprised if he was coaching AFL again in a few years.

LOL. I always ask, what pedigree does he have? No one who has played for Richmond in recent years should get a look in at a senior coaching role.

And what prior to 2008 made us think that he was a good proposition?

Given Dean Wallis is still involved with your programme I think smirking at Geelong is a little silly.

He'll be fine with the VFL. He did such a good job at Essendon they gave him the top job.

Fair call. I so want to see Wallis out of Essendon.

Knights was given the job by an incompetent board that only wanted to hear false positives about the club, rather than realities. To needlessly extend his contract was one of the worst decisions ever.

 

[vjknight]

As a stand alone VFL team everything is filtered down from the AFL side.

The gameplan is passed down from the seniors so when it is time for the kids to step up at AFL level they know exactly what is expected from them.

It's a completely different role than what Knights had as a senior coach at Essendon.

Scott and the senior assistants will pass on exactly what is required of the VFL side. Knights just has to communicate it to the players.

The VFL side is more development focussed than results oriented.

i dont think anyone, and yes this especially means you bombers fans, have any reason to question the decisions of the GFC. knights might have been a poor appointment as senior coach, but his record at bendigo was good, his list at essendon was crumbling, he clearly got zero support in 2010 (dons fans see footage of players leaving the ground during those few wins in 2010 - players never acknowledged knights) and the GFC have decided he's moved on and ready for a job again.

whether he is capable of a top job again who knows, but he certainly is too good to be lost to the system.

 

[krisholio14]

I'm not real happy about it at this point, but i'll bow to the powers that be because they've got a fair bit right in recent years.

 

[theflea]

i still reckon if he got the support that hirdy has now things would be different.

 

[Jaymin]

Wow, with all the positive comments about Knights' coaching and how hard done by he was at Essendon, I am amazed the 6-7 AFL clubs who changed coach last year overlooked him.

 

[Black Diamond]

LOL. I always ask, what pedigree does he have? No one who has played for Richmond in recent years should get a look in at a senior coaching role.

I also lol'd at that comment by HAD. Never did I hear him say anything worthwhile. Was big on cliches and relied on stereotypes without offering any insight to the game at all.

 

[muttweed]

Wasn't he good at Bendigo?

As long as he doesn't try to manage our young players HIS way, rather than how Scott would prefer it, I couldn't care less.

 

[Zack]

Wow, with all the positive comments about Knights' coaching and how hard done by he was at Essendon, I am amazed the 6-7 AFL clubs who changed coach last year overlooked him.

Just had a look hard pressed to find anyone who said he was a good coach. Everyone basically said he took a sh*t job given Essendon sacked sheedy on the basis he was past it and they had a good list. And he achieved probably around the mark that everyone thought Essendon's list was at, except your board of directors.

After a year he culled and started to rebuild, then a few years later was removed as the scapegoat for the board making football operational decisions.

Is he really good or really bad? No idea Essendon didn't give him the opportunity to be either.

Did he have an issue with Lloyd's ego... well yeah sure plenty of people have including his teammates. He doesn't seem down their much since Hird/Bomber have arrived either. That issue is separate to his coaching ability all coaches will have issues with some players, hell Malthouses critique's for example of Buckley being a non-team player when he first arrived are well known. Made Buckley a better player as he was young, Lloyd was old and getting past it so he either had to baby him or rebuild, he decided to rebuild.

My understanding is Knights got the job (apart form telling the board what they wanted to hear) according to the selection panel was because he was so brilliant coaching 'Essendon's Reserves' according to those who selected him. You'd have to think then coaching a team in the same league, it's probably a reasonable decision by Geelong.

 

[red+black]

i still reckon if he got the support that hirdy has now things would be different.

He got far more support than he should have.

1. He was appointed coach
2. He was given a contract extension.

More than he deserved.

 

[Jaymin]

Is he really good or really bad? No idea Essendon didn't give him the opportunity to be either.

Well let's call it 3 years work experience then.

The 6-7 other clubs who overlooked him obviously didn't rate him as surely they would take him over unproven assistant coaches?

Did any of them even bother interviewing him?

 

[Boxhead_31]

Ah the token rewriting of history by opposition fans.

"Victim of internal politics"? No. He was the victim of his own incompetence. That's not petty. That's fact.

Why is he incompetent?

Because he took a young team to the finals?
Because he tried to get Lloyd to play a team first game?

Pretty sure Cook, Balme and Hocking know what they are doing all Knights has to do is follow the AFL side's game plan and develop the young players something Knights was good at

 

[GFC123]

It's actually a good appointment. He has a good football brain, was good at Essendon, and will do good for us.

 

[The Donners]

As a senior AFL coach you really shouldn't have to....

If you're Kevin Sheedy... wait, that was a long time ago.

Voss is the new Sheedy, only 10 years behind his time.

 

[The Donners]

Why is he incompetent?

Because he took a young team to the finals?
Because he tried to get Lloyd to play a team first game?

Pretty sure Cook, Balme and Hocking know what they are doing all Knights has to do is follow the AFL side's game plan and develop the young players something Knights was good at

He pushed our top 4 goal scorers of that year out of the side, including a club legend and an AFL legend.

You can call Lloyd playing CHF/Wing a team game or you can say he played him well out of position.

We took Knights on board because he was cheap and our board was a pack of tightarses.

I could go on forever, I'm over typing/speaking about Knights.

Just be thankful he isn't in charge of your senior team.

 

[boncer34]

Good on him but this thread is why I love bigfooty.

Opposition fans on Knight at Essendon: "Shit coach. Horrible. Lol at Essendon."

Opposition fans after he leaves: "Great footy brain. Hard done by Essendon. Poor bloke."

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Quick question: How many of you even know who Knights is replacing as our VFL coach? How many of you could name half the VFL coaches without looking it up? Why do you even care? I guess we should have just given a popular recently retired player with no coaching experience like Mooney the job, instead of a guy with extensive experience in the VFL and SANFL.

VFL teams should probably get rid of all their failed ex-AFL players, while they're at it.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Knights was awful, that's why they gave him a contract extension.

no,

He was brilliant, that's why they sacked him for an untried coach,

???

Was a debacle, and I think both parties are happy to have moved on.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Probably not a bad appointment. Word was always that player development was his strength so it's probably a good fit.

A good bloke too, pretty honest type.

Did a good job with our list, left it a whole lot better than he found it.

But anyone who thinks he was ever going to, or ever will be, a long term successful AFL senior coach has no idea. Just woeful regarding tactics and match day strategy.

Lot of Dean Bailey about him IMO, that's probably the best comparison I think. A good bloke who might have found his spot.

 

[vjknight]

Good on him but this thread is why I love bigfooty.

Opposition fans on Knight at Essendon: "Shit coach. Horrible. Lol at Essendon."

Opposition fans after he leaves: "Great footy brain. Hard done by Essendon. Poor bloke."

and many of us dont rate your list either.

 

[Sttew]

Knights won't be stabbed in the back and treated like shit at Geelong,. so it should be a happy marriage

 

[Jesus Baulks]

Very poor gameplan with Essendon

Remember when all the Essendon fans were hailing the gameplan as genius and vocally supporting the decision to be more attacking?

Certainly all done 360s and walked away since then.

 

[wmvaux]

Will probably do better at Geelong VFL than what Hird does at Essendon

 

[vinum coupe]

No real point commenting on the topic as it has become a bombers hate fest. But I loved these 2 comments.

The fact that Geelong, of all clubs, have confidence in him, it makes Essendon look even worse!

Quick question: How many of you even know who Knights is replacing as our VFL coach? How many of you could name half the VFL coaches without looking it up? Why do you even care? I guess we should have just given a popular recently retired player with no coaching experience like Mooney the job, instead of a guy with extensive experience in the VFL and SANFL.

VFL teams should probably get rid of all their failed ex-AFL players, while they're at it.

 

[Lightning_Rod]

good luck with that. was chased out of SA when he was here coaching the magpies in the sanfl, a **** of the highest order.

 

[Nice Guy Adam]

Let's not get carried away. It isn't a senior position, it's the VFL.

Gary Ayres is a good VFL coach. Gary ****ing Ayres.

With that as a base observation, Knights should be fine.