What if Cahill was the Crows first coach...

[MW]

what a horrible hypothetical to think about!

[MUNGO JERRY]

Even if he was the 1st coach I'd still dislike them but at least he had a bit nowse? about him compared to that 1/2 wit Cornes.

[am Bays]

Mungo you don't like the Bays do you??????

[McAlmanac]

Mungo you don't like the Bays do you??????

After the last three threads I've read - I would come to the same conclusion!

[Blue Boy]

Very Interesting topic - not bad TM

Here's one though - What if the crows had of let Cornes coach one more year ???

[Wedgie]

Very Interesting topic - not bad TM

Here's one though - What if the crows had of let Cornes coach one more year ???

Probably would never have won a flag.
It was the recruiting under Shaw that got them the players to win in 97 and 98.

[am Bays]

Very Interesting topic - not bad TM

Here's one though - What if the crows had of let Cornes coach one more year ???

We would have got both the Cornes boys under the father and son rule!!!!

And if he lasted another year it would have been when we recruited Edwards, McLoed, Connell, Vardy etc players whow ere key members in addition to Rehn, Ruccitio, Robran Hart, etc

Would we have won a flag I don't know as Blight introduced a degree of hardness and simplicty into the game plan that produced results where as the happy handballers of the Cornes era was too easy to breakdown by the experienced AFl clubs.

Shaw didn't recruit the players, he wouldn't have involved in the negotiation to trade Groom for the #1 draft pick . and he wouldn't known about Edwards being picked up in the PSD of 95 (I think) having only been in town for five months......

[sturt1]

October 1990 and their was two candidates for the Crows first coaching job, Cahill and Cornes. History shows Cornesy got the gig and a lot of Glenelg sponsors, board members, players and match day staff followed him (as REB so eloquently pointed out on another forum ).

If Cahill got the gig and his loyal leutenents from Port followed him (e.g. Tredrea & Fairclough), he showed similar bias to Port players that Cornes did to Glenelg players i.e. M Williams, Ginevar and Fiachi (George made the SOO team in 89) made the list of 52, and Port sponsors followed him diluting the Magpies $$$$....

I wonder if:

1. Would the Magpies have been as dominant in the 90s as they were, given some of their core players from the early 90s would have been with the Crows?
2.Would Port Power have got in or would it have been Norwood in 97?
3. Would Glenelg have slid as much as the Bays people and sponsors would have more likely stayed "home"
4. Would the Crows been more successfull with the Port culture in the 90s?
5.WOULD CAHILL HAVE TAKEN HODGES OFF IN THE 93 PRELIM FINAL AGAINST ESSENDON

I'm after some serious replies here, hence why it is in the history forum, because the history of the SANFL and Adelaide's AFL clubs in last 17 years could have been much different if Jack was the Crows head honcho in 1991......

[/b]

[sturt1]

Very Interesting topic - not bad TM

Here's one though - What if the crows had of let Cornes coach one more year ???

Probably would never have won a flag.
It was the recruiting under Shaw that got them the players to win in 97 and 98.

The coach in 97 and 98 had something to do with it!

[sturt1]

1. A little less dominant. Much of Port's dominance was a direct result of the club's push to control the next AFL side. Assuming that this still would have taken place, it stands to reason that Port would remain strong. However if Cahill had gone to the Crows the Darren Smiths and Scott Hodges etc would have rarely played with the Magpies. Hence Port would be less dominant.

2. If Port had seriously bid for the next AFL license, it would have still been successful. By 1997 Cahill would have long departed from the Crows, probably not by his own choice.

3. Yes, though they might have remained stronger for a little longer, at least until the end of Cornesey's tenure. I am sick to my guts of hearing Glenelg people blame the Crows for the club's slide from top (well, perennially second) to bottom. This is the sort of loser mentality which has seen Glenelg remain on the bottom. Port lost almost as many players as Glenelg yet remained top. The difference is that Port set its sights firmly on the next AFL license and moved on. Glenelg was quick to blame others for its own failings. Thankfully Glenelg finally seems to have become accountable for its own future. Shame it took a decade and a half to get there.

4. No. While Cahill walked on water at Port, his record at other teams was average at best. Getting '80s-era Collingwood to third once was not a huge achievement, given the club's record in the late '70s and early '80s. Cahill did jack (pun intended) at Westies. His record coaching SA teams is particularly woeful; he couldn't even knock of the Tassies ferchrissakes - and that was with a team featuring a large number of Port Magpies and several other Port people in support positions. The Crows upon their formation were essentially a state team. It is therefore obvious why Cornes was chosen, given his then blemish-free record of coaching the SOO team against the Vics.

And a footnote: it would have been far preferable, IMO, if the Crows coach had come from outside SANFL ranks. The Crows coach would have been free of the anti-Glenelg sentiment which came to the fore ("Cornes for Columbia", anyone?) when the Crows hit a bad patch. On a personal level, my mob would have held onto its premiership coach and the player/staff drain would have been slightly lessened.

Dont forget John Cahill has been wrong before, but cornes has never been wrong. Just ask him.

[Hondo]

I reckon it would have made very little difference ... Cahill would have faced the same challenges as Cornes did. John Cahill and Port Adelaide seemed to be one of those magical mixes that turned out gold every time. His record outside Port was just oK. I seem to remember that Cahill was keen on the Crows job at the time. Cornes' state of origin efforts in the late 80s won him lots of brownie points in high places and Cahill was associated with the 'enemy' so I doubt he ever had a chance.

Even if Cahill was coach I think Port would still have got the second AFL license in SA. I don't think there was ever any serious alternative considered by the SANFL and AFL. Just a matter of waiting for a licence to become available and Fitzroy's demise in 1996 gave them their spot.

Scotty Hodges may have felt more comfortable under Cahill but his main issue seemed to be a separation anxiety from missing the Port Adelaide FC and his old team-mates. This would have happened even if Cahill was Coach. I always felt that Hodges could have done a lot more at AFL level if circumstances had worked out better, bit of a shame for him. His effort in the 1994 Grand Final is part of SANFL legend. His best bet for success in the AFL was that 1990 Port side going in, with him in it.

Port definitely were gearing up for AFL entry throughout the 90s and seemed to use their imminent entry as a carrot to attract recruits and finances which helped build one of their most successful eras. Between 1988 and 1999 they played in 10 grand finals (in 12 years) and won 9!!! An amazing record.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

1990 SANFL Grand Final...
Let's forget about that, shall we?
Obviously fuel added to the fire!