Laidley seethes after defeat
6:03:48 PM Sun 20 July, 2003
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
Laidley questions his players
It was a throwback to the old fire and brimstone days on Sunday afternoon as a seething Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley questioned his players’ professionalism following their shock five-point loss to St Kilda at Telstra Dome.
It was a defeat that could well cost the Roos a finals place and leaves them just half a game clear in eighth place of in-form pair Essendon and Hawthorn with just six rounds remaining.
Laidley could not contain his anger at his side’s dreadful first term when they allowed St Kilda to kick 10.1 – the second highest first quarter score by the Saints in their 100 year plus history.
That left the Roos trailing by 42 points at quarter-time, yet they were in front with a minute to go before Fraser Gehrig’s ninth goal of the game won it for the Saints with 30 seconds remaining.
In these modern days of mostly sterilised post-match media conferences – Laidley’s outburst was a throwback to the infamous days of a decade ago when a younger and more volatile Mick Malthouse was in charge of West Coast and David Parkin did not take defeat lightly when in charge of Carlton.
Laidley’s anger was there for all to see as soon as he walked into the room as he immediately launched a scathing attack on his players’ performance.
“You can’t give away starts like that, we spoke about it all week,” he said.
“You don’t play for this football club … I can understand if you don’t have the talent but they have talent and we don’t accept poor, uncontested (football).”
Laidley was furious with the Kangaroos’ match tackle count which revealed a respectable 59 for the day but only a measly nine in that lop-sided first quarter.
But what Laidley even angrier was the fact he could sense his side’s poor first quarter even before the game began.
“I could see it coming a million miles an hour,” he said.
“They started off poor at training on Friday and I called them in and spoke to them about it.
“There were guys that didn’t train hard all week and just floated through and I spoke to them about that.”
Laidley said he warned his players from last Monday to expect a fierce reaction from a St Kilda side stung by four successive losses, yet it was a message which fell on deaf ears.
“I know what we are like after losing one of two games - how are the other team going to be after losing four?
“Do they (his players) think we can just turn up and play them?”
However Laidley refused to single out individuals for the poor performance saying from ‘the least experienced to the experienced’ they were collectively responsible.
And he said there would be no retribution on the training track such as the simulated match practice which the Carlton players copped from their coach Denis Pagan last week following a club record 116-point loss to West Coast.
“We play in six days time (against Geelong in Canberra), what am I going to do – flog them?
“This game is about mental preparation - the power of the mind and I spoke to them about that all week.”
Saw his press conference and he was absolutely frothing at the mouth. The mad eyes were happening.
They showed his spray on the field after the game and you didn't have to be a lip reader to understand what he was saying.
Please spud take a leaf out of his book and call it as it is. No more lame excuses. You would earn a lot more respect that way.
6:03:48 PM Sun 20 July, 2003
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
Laidley questions his players
It was a throwback to the old fire and brimstone days on Sunday afternoon as a seething Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley questioned his players’ professionalism following their shock five-point loss to St Kilda at Telstra Dome.
It was a defeat that could well cost the Roos a finals place and leaves them just half a game clear in eighth place of in-form pair Essendon and Hawthorn with just six rounds remaining.
Laidley could not contain his anger at his side’s dreadful first term when they allowed St Kilda to kick 10.1 – the second highest first quarter score by the Saints in their 100 year plus history.
That left the Roos trailing by 42 points at quarter-time, yet they were in front with a minute to go before Fraser Gehrig’s ninth goal of the game won it for the Saints with 30 seconds remaining.
In these modern days of mostly sterilised post-match media conferences – Laidley’s outburst was a throwback to the infamous days of a decade ago when a younger and more volatile Mick Malthouse was in charge of West Coast and David Parkin did not take defeat lightly when in charge of Carlton.
Laidley’s anger was there for all to see as soon as he walked into the room as he immediately launched a scathing attack on his players’ performance.
“You can’t give away starts like that, we spoke about it all week,” he said.
“You don’t play for this football club … I can understand if you don’t have the talent but they have talent and we don’t accept poor, uncontested (football).”
Laidley was furious with the Kangaroos’ match tackle count which revealed a respectable 59 for the day but only a measly nine in that lop-sided first quarter.
But what Laidley even angrier was the fact he could sense his side’s poor first quarter even before the game began.
“I could see it coming a million miles an hour,” he said.
“They started off poor at training on Friday and I called them in and spoke to them about it.
“There were guys that didn’t train hard all week and just floated through and I spoke to them about that.”
Laidley said he warned his players from last Monday to expect a fierce reaction from a St Kilda side stung by four successive losses, yet it was a message which fell on deaf ears.
“I know what we are like after losing one of two games - how are the other team going to be after losing four?
“Do they (his players) think we can just turn up and play them?”
However Laidley refused to single out individuals for the poor performance saying from ‘the least experienced to the experienced’ they were collectively responsible.
And he said there would be no retribution on the training track such as the simulated match practice which the Carlton players copped from their coach Denis Pagan last week following a club record 116-point loss to West Coast.
“We play in six days time (against Geelong in Canberra), what am I going to do – flog them?
“This game is about mental preparation - the power of the mind and I spoke to them about that all week.”
Saw his press conference and he was absolutely frothing at the mouth. The mad eyes were happening.
They showed his spray on the field after the game and you didn't have to be a lip reader to understand what he was saying.
Please spud take a leaf out of his book and call it as it is. No more lame excuses. You would earn a lot more respect that way.
