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An Essendon era is coming to an end, even if Sheeds isn't
By Tim Watson
June 18 2003
Essendon is entering a fascinating period. Over the next 12 months the four most prominent figures at the club could be gone.
Already, Graeme McMahon has announced he will stand down as chairman at the end of the season. Peter Jackson has hinted at moving on and probably will. Modern football burns out CEOs quickly. Kevin Sheedy has one more season left on his contract and James Hird, although contracted beyond next year, is finding it increasingly frustrating to get on the field.
Anyone who read James's Diary last year will have been left with the impression of a man tormented and anguished by a body that so often defies the will of his mind.
McMahon has not always been a popular leader at Windy Hill but he has been strong and decisive. He arrived at the club's lowest ebb for 19 years and pulled the board together. He backed Sheedy to stay on, demanded the committee distance itself from the inner workings of the football department and implemented total corporate governance.
Upon his arrival, Jackson was greeted with an AFL investigation into salary cap breaches. His brief was to clean up the mess and implement new systems and business practices. To the outside world the club looked healthy; inside it was haemorrhaging. Under Jackson, the club has restored itself financially and become a model for other AFL clubs.
Sheeds has hinted at moving on; the decision, though, is yet to be made. I've learnt over the years not to second-guess him. Of all the current AFL coaches, he has the best win-loss ratio - that's after an incredible 23 years at the helm. In December he will be 56, three months younger than Carlton's Denis Pagan. There is no suggestion Pagan is running on empty, yet the football world consensus is Sheeds is nearing the end.
Sheedy doesn't appear worn out; travel weary, yes, but worn out, no. Only last week I was present when he addressed a group of business leaders. Although not delivering a message they would find in a business leadership manual, he is still profoundly sharp. He has always had and still possesses a great instinct for leading and developing talent. But it will be history and not gut feeling that he will examine.
History will tell him premierships are roughly eight years in the making; given the last one was only three seasons ago, the transformation is still in its infancy. He has nothing left to prove at Windy Hill. And in the recesses of his mind will be the internal political struggles he has had to endure between the two hours of September happiness a grand final brings.
The decisions he now has to make at Windy Hill are tough ones and I get the feeling today's Sheedy likes making them less than the young, brash man who coached the 1981 Bombers. Back then he was about smashing bridges; now he's more about building them. Breaking people's hearts, destroying and ending dreams takes an enormous emotional toll. He won't be looking forward to tapping players who helped win the 1993 and 2000 flags on the shoulder and telling them their time is up.
I have always felt he will head back to Punt Road. Romance and Kevin are on a first-name basis, and heading back to Richmond would be like returning to the arms of an old lover. If he serves out his Essendon contract he would be in his 58th year, and I wouldn't bet against him.
Injuries again have cruelled Hird's season and left him wondering on the sidelines. It is a helpless position to find yourself in, unable to lead the troops into battle. I won't be surprised if he stands down as skipper at the end of the season. With the responsibility removed, it would free him up emotionally and allow him to make decisions about his fitness and health without feeling he has to lead on and off the track.
Injuries aside, the demands of the game are wearing him down. At 30 years of age, with a young family and the desire to move into the business world, priorities change. If the club wants him to assist in the grooming of the next generation of players, it will need to give him some space; failure to do so may result in the premature end to a magnificent career.
CLARIFICATION: In last week's column, I stated that Gavin Wanganeen was dyslexic. I accept this is not the case and apologise for any embarrassment to Gavin or his family.
By Tim Watson
June 18 2003
Essendon is entering a fascinating period. Over the next 12 months the four most prominent figures at the club could be gone.
Already, Graeme McMahon has announced he will stand down as chairman at the end of the season. Peter Jackson has hinted at moving on and probably will. Modern football burns out CEOs quickly. Kevin Sheedy has one more season left on his contract and James Hird, although contracted beyond next year, is finding it increasingly frustrating to get on the field.
Anyone who read James's Diary last year will have been left with the impression of a man tormented and anguished by a body that so often defies the will of his mind.
McMahon has not always been a popular leader at Windy Hill but he has been strong and decisive. He arrived at the club's lowest ebb for 19 years and pulled the board together. He backed Sheedy to stay on, demanded the committee distance itself from the inner workings of the football department and implemented total corporate governance.
Upon his arrival, Jackson was greeted with an AFL investigation into salary cap breaches. His brief was to clean up the mess and implement new systems and business practices. To the outside world the club looked healthy; inside it was haemorrhaging. Under Jackson, the club has restored itself financially and become a model for other AFL clubs.
Sheeds has hinted at moving on; the decision, though, is yet to be made. I've learnt over the years not to second-guess him. Of all the current AFL coaches, he has the best win-loss ratio - that's after an incredible 23 years at the helm. In December he will be 56, three months younger than Carlton's Denis Pagan. There is no suggestion Pagan is running on empty, yet the football world consensus is Sheeds is nearing the end.
Sheedy doesn't appear worn out; travel weary, yes, but worn out, no. Only last week I was present when he addressed a group of business leaders. Although not delivering a message they would find in a business leadership manual, he is still profoundly sharp. He has always had and still possesses a great instinct for leading and developing talent. But it will be history and not gut feeling that he will examine.
History will tell him premierships are roughly eight years in the making; given the last one was only three seasons ago, the transformation is still in its infancy. He has nothing left to prove at Windy Hill. And in the recesses of his mind will be the internal political struggles he has had to endure between the two hours of September happiness a grand final brings.
The decisions he now has to make at Windy Hill are tough ones and I get the feeling today's Sheedy likes making them less than the young, brash man who coached the 1981 Bombers. Back then he was about smashing bridges; now he's more about building them. Breaking people's hearts, destroying and ending dreams takes an enormous emotional toll. He won't be looking forward to tapping players who helped win the 1993 and 2000 flags on the shoulder and telling them their time is up.
I have always felt he will head back to Punt Road. Romance and Kevin are on a first-name basis, and heading back to Richmond would be like returning to the arms of an old lover. If he serves out his Essendon contract he would be in his 58th year, and I wouldn't bet against him.
Injuries again have cruelled Hird's season and left him wondering on the sidelines. It is a helpless position to find yourself in, unable to lead the troops into battle. I won't be surprised if he stands down as skipper at the end of the season. With the responsibility removed, it would free him up emotionally and allow him to make decisions about his fitness and health without feeling he has to lead on and off the track.
Injuries aside, the demands of the game are wearing him down. At 30 years of age, with a young family and the desire to move into the business world, priorities change. If the club wants him to assist in the grooming of the next generation of players, it will need to give him some space; failure to do so may result in the premature end to a magnificent career.
CLARIFICATION: In last week's column, I stated that Gavin Wanganeen was dyslexic. I accept this is not the case and apologise for any embarrassment to Gavin or his family.
