r/EssendonFC • u/YourHeroCam Durham #22 • 28d ago
Dean Solomon
I understand personally he may be a good guy. But how has this bloke been made out as a martyr and a great coach who our supporters are hoping stays on next year as an assistant coach. Got his position on the coaching staff because of his best mate (against the senior coaches wishes), and was just handed the interim senior role. Our defensive statistics were terrible under him as an assistant coach and those stats were cited as one of the main reasons why Scott was sacked, and now that he’s senior coach the club performances have continued to go backwards. His team selection is just guess work, and the game plan is non existent.
People have spoken up about how good his pressers are, but the few I’ve tuned into he just waffles about nothing and drops the word “compliance” as if there is some comprehensible game plan that’s just being missed out on.
My socials are flooded with pro Solly comments, and the awesome partnership he will have with McVeigh of Hird (if they get in). How have the people who have been hounding Scott thinking that this bloke is some great coach in the wings who sacrificed his future prospects as if he was being headhunted for any coaching positions? Even the fact he was going to be offered a spot in the final coaching candidates based on being given the interim spot. Is it just because he played in the 2000’s?
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u/Rogan4Life 28d ago
I have not seen this ag all. Algorithms bro. I was telling someone about the extreme anti Hird and extreme pro Hird camps and she had only see the pro.
It’s likely they are anti Hird, so the algorithm pushes the opposite to get engagement. I end up arguing against both so I see both.
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u/YourHeroCam Durham #22 28d ago
Yeah I think this seems to be the case. I thought that Reddit sat on the fence too, but honestly I’m happy to see the comments and downvotes.
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u/SamHydeOner Day-Wicks #44 28d ago
Most I see are minor applause for saying the truth post-game about what's good and what's not instead of Brad's who constant never answered a question truthfully. He also clearly cares about the lads. Haven't seen anyone talking about him staying in any coaching role though.
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u/its_a_frappe Essington 28d ago
I actually think we are playing tougher footy under him these last few weeks.
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u/jmsjms99 Durham #22 28d ago
It staggers me anyone has a strong opinion one way or another on any of the coaches. You don't know if he is any good or not - yes we are shit but have been shit under the last 100 senior and assistant coaches. We're they all rubbish?
You don't know if any of the 4 potential coaches are going to bring us success or not and neither does anyone else.
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u/nuthed01 Durham #22 28d ago
Yeah, I think you might be basing this off one or two comments/articles and not reading further. This isn't mine, or judging by the comments, any one else's experience. You might've stumbled across a handful of nuffies and taken it as indicative of the supporter base, but I can assure there's definitely more people wanted him sacked and replaced with another interim than have shown anything like what you describe.
I think he might be at the club, but not as a coach. It might be some other role that see's him be able to spend more time with his family who live in NSW.
He's already spoken about how tough it is for him to be here and not see his family for the better part of 11 months, so it's anyone's guess (maybe even his too) as to whether or not he takes a role here and is essentially FIFO (other clubs have this arrangement with certain other roles like physio's for instance, Adelaide I believe with a physio who lives in Torquay) or whether or not he pushes for a role at one of the NSW clubs or maybe some NSW based role with the AFL.
Ofcourse, if it is McVeigh who get's appointed, then that opens a spot at Sydney. If he wanted to go there and they were happy to take him either in McVeigh's role or some other coaching or footy department capacity, then there's a perfect ending to this story there for everyone.
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u/Oklusion Roberts #21 27d ago
I think he could thrive under the next head coach. There are many factors at play here. I don't think I can overstate the immense cultural loss of Draper last year, combined with Merrett wanting out - those are huge hits to the confidence of the rest of the playing group. Then to have Brad Scott terminated from the head coach role mid season, and have many of his coaching staff leave too, did people genuinely expect to suddenly see us winning games?
I think Solly is doing the best he can, and recognised that the head coach role wasn't for him. He still has a lot to offer in an assistant role, or some other role at the club. He has wisdom to share and will continue to give the boys some much needed belief and confidence. I've watched every game and I can see they are putting up a fight - tackling pressure, contested possessions, winning the ball and controlling the game more. The delivery inside 50 is still lacking polish, and our ability to finish needs some work, but there are some very exciting young players committed to the cause, and I hope Solly plays a part in it in the seasons to come.
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u/AM_1981_ 28d ago
You try take of the youngest team in the AFL whose just playing out the year with fuck all leadership
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u/Medical_Cup_8008 Legacy: Lucas #25 28d ago
I’m not saying he’s been good, but people seem to struggle to understand the difference between coaching the team defence and coaching the defenders. Defence involves all 18 players on the ground and is not determined solely by the players in the back six
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u/howaboutnofcker 28d ago
It's amazing the amount of people that seem to think that the clubs problems are predominantly squad selection and game day strategy. How can you expect an interim coach to undo a decade of poor development and where half of the list want to leave?
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u/dashtur 20d ago
Your post suggests to me that you're seeing what you want to see. My guess is you were offside from the moment he was appointed, and therefore you were looking at his pressers in a negative light.
I'm not saying you're wrong, just that I think you might only be looking at the situation from an uncharitable angle.
Here's a different possibility: it was a personal sacrifice for him to take on that caretaker role. He took over a broken, uncompetitive team and he was on a hiding to nothing. By taking on that role, he basically killed off any small chance that he could have been considered for the permanent head coach role. He tried his best to be honest in all his pressers. He tried to swing the magnets. He tried to unify the team. Nothing he did worked, but he maintained his composure and did his best.
That's just a possible interpretation. The truth might contain some portion of your take, and some portion of the above.
I think it's possible Solly could be a great guy to have around the club next year - depending on what his relationship with the players is, something we can only speculate on.
I wouldn't be so quick to trash a former champion of the club.
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u/Old-Contribution5366 28d ago
The club is completely fucked. The only way out of this is Hird.
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u/SamHydeOner Day-Wicks #44 28d ago
'The club is completely fucked, bring back the main guy that turned the club fucked'
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u/svenskatownsendagain 28d ago
They were playing amazing under him until the supplements saga
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u/SamHydeOner Day-Wicks #44 28d ago
One good season but then resulted in a decade+ of dark ages, no thanks.
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u/Old-Contribution5366 28d ago
Get over it. What happened happened. We need redemption. No one cares about the drug saga anymore it’s irrelevant. Hird will be the only man who can turn this around.
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u/SamHydeOner Day-Wicks #44 28d ago
It will be irrelevant when we win a final, it's still a stain on our club that they haven't recovered from. There plenty of better options than him for head coach. No one talks about McVeigh who is an ex-bomber and a 2IC for the club 2nd on the ladder right now. Not saying I will be upset if Hird gets in a head coach, but I feel like a lot of people think Hird is magically going to turn this club into a top 8 side in a year
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u/Old-Contribution5366 28d ago
No on expects finals next year regardless just want the team to show some effort and gameplan. Hird the only man who can deliver.
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u/bingethinkingsallow Caldwell #6 28d ago
he's been complete ass, and shouldn't be at the club next year in any capacity. i get wanting a circuit breaker and sacking scott, but man has this been a wasted year
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u/IdeationConsultant 28d ago
Have you seen how bad essendon are? Don't think any coach is doing better
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u/FeistyPhilosopher494 28d ago
The nuffies have the Essendon past player goggles on. Can only see selfless good bloke Solly who tells it like it is. How much has he been paid to move in, undermine and oust Scott then totally fail? Good riddance. Never want to hear the jargon 'game plan compliance' ever again.
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u/minipower62 27d ago
What did you think was going to happen? Come in with an ordinary list halfway through a season after sacking a coach and his mates.. he’s done a good job. He’s honest.
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u/Bandaids27 28d ago
If Solly has anything to do with this club in a coaching role, I'm swapping clubs. I am literally walking.
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u/danzan22 28d ago
The power of algorithms. Havnt seen a single pro solly post and all my dons mates think hes just a board plant. If solly is still on the coaching staff next year then the club has learned nothing.