In a much anticipated move, the Melbourne board has decided to extend Dean Bailey’s contract until the end of the 2011 season. While this give Bailey a real opportunity to develop his list and implement his game style it lacks a degree of accountability for a terrible record.
Bailey is possibly the most unsuccessful Melbourne coach ever. He has collected two consecutive wooden spoons, a feat that his predecessors could never manage. With a win-loss record of 44-7 he is the least successful coach in the league at the moment. Obviously the Melbourne board either see some brilliance in Bailey that hasn’t translated in to on-field success or they are rewarding losses.
Melbourne have been fairly terrible over the last two years and ‘experimentation’ has been rife. A ramification of extending his contract is that it makes the claims of tanking more valid.
Bailey has been rewarded somewhat prematurely by the board. They didn’t have to resign him until the end of the year. Most teams would have waited until the mid-season review to decide the fate of a coach that comes out of contract that year. The board and football department obviously don’t want a contract cloud hanging over his head.
In effect the Dees have written a blank cheque for this season to Bailey. They are saying that he doesn’t need to worry too much about this year. He can continue working on game style and plans during games and will not be held accountable if Melbourne play well in 2011. I expect that a finals birth in 2011 will secure Bailey’s contract for another year but with Gary Lion set to finish at Channel 9 and finish coaching school with the AIS then it looks unlikely.
Lyon would be one of the luckiest first year coaches in history if he walks in to the job in 2012 or 2013 because Melbourne will have all their low draft picks at a good age and experience level to make a tilt for the flag. To steal that opportunity off Bailey would be nigh on criminal.
Another possible reason for Bailey’s extension is that the Demons don’t have that much money. Bailey has to be one of the lowest paid coaches in the league. He wouldn’t be earning the mega-bucks like the celebrity coaches of other teams.
Tags: Dean Bailey, Gary Lyon
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WHY???, why not wait until his contract is up for renewal at the end of the year, maybe thay are rewarding him for agreeing to tank to get top draft picks which has effected his win loss ratio.
Shane
seems crazy. Melb's performance on Sunday shows they're in with a shot to go the wooden spoon trifecta. It wasn't just the result, it was the sloppy skills and inability to even be competitive with a near full-strength side. Just imagine if they're 1-10 by the time the mid-season review comes up, surely you'd say he wouldn't deserve an extension but they've jumped the gun and it's hard to see them reversing it now given their financial inability to pay out the contract and still hire someone half decent.
he might be a nice guy and he might be able to paint a good picture of melbourne's "next premiership team" in 2013 or whatever, but surely he has to show some actual progress at some point.
I agree JJ and anon.
The club have no idea if he is a good coach or not yet. Is that a reason to give an extension?
I think people are over valuing their list, premiership 2013,they are dreaming. They have a few top draft picks in Watts, Tren,Scull and we are not sure how they are going to develop, they have zero champion players at the moment, players like Green, Bruce will be gone or on last legs by then, McDonald gone, no recognized KP players, where is the leadership going to come from, the mid range 24-27 year olds will have some average to good (Davey etc)players not greats like the last few premiers Ablett, Bartel etc, or Cox, Cousins, Judd, Kerr or Mitchell, Hodge etc. The defence is undersized and unless Watts and Jurrah become goal kicking machines they won't kick enough goals to win enough games to make the finals, let alone win a premiership
Shane
Tip them against the Lions did you expert?
I think saying our defense is undersized is just wrong. Frawley and Warnock more than stood up to Fev and Browny against Brisbane.
I think you are undervaluing our mid-aged players. Sylvia, Davey, Moloney, Bate and Jones are all solid players. We aren’t going to win a premiership of their backs alone though. Jack Watts is going to be good, I have a lot of faith in that.
Put Watts, Petterd, Jurrah, Green, Sylvia and Wonaeamirri in a forward-line and it will kick a lot of goals. Guys like Petterd, Wonna and Jurrah are going to make the game exciting too. I think there is enough striking power there.
As Carlton proved on Monday against Geelong, you don’t need a tall forward-line anyways to beat a premium side.
coaches wont win you premierships…
if melbourne are going to win a flag, they need the right list… and no, its not going to be 2013, it will be 7-8 years from now, when scully, watts and trengrove etc are 25ish… yes mcdonald etc will be gone, but really, who cares? players come and go… if u dont win a flag, you're forgotten… move over, let the next generation give it a shot…
anyone remember robbet harvey? nope, didnt think so… his store in frankston just closed, dont know what he's doing now, probably going broke, slowly…
anyway, coaching is WAY over-rated… mark thompson – dont rate him as a coach… look at all the 'great' coaches get 'traded' to other clubs with useless lists and fail…
a good coach adds to the talent, but doesnt create it in the first place. for all we know, dean bailey could be great or useless…
1 more year wont hurt anyway, they're still developing, might be good for him to stay while they develope, then get a 'gun' coach in 3-4 years time…
Believe Robert Harvey is assistant coach down at Carlton these days Alec, I doubt to many people have forgotten him either ; )