zedman wrote:jugs: bourke only looks good because hes taken half of fitzroy to a grade 3 below where he was, did they make the GF in div 7 last year? no? ..who says he can coach better than mitchell? i am sure all of us can drive a tram..its not hard..
I think this is un called for.
There is far more to it than just game day coaching, which I think Jugs was alluding to. Bourke has attracted I think 9 players directly from Fitzroy in 2 years...first year it was only 3 (Hollamby, S Smith (though I think he had already retired 1 year previous?) and Roberts) and thats when Glenunga failed to make the GF. Yes disappointing in the end, but a fantastic turn around from where we were!
This year he had 6 more Fitzroy players wanting to join (Karvelis *2, Fuller, S Buss, Daziani and Foley). He has also attracted around 25-30 other new players in the two years (not from Fitzroy!) (D Buss, T Smith, Simper, Britton, Wanganeen, Carr, Newchurch *2, Cooper, Apos, Jarett, Alexander *2, Caputo *2, Getgood, Selway, D Bourke, A Smith...etc...etc.) Some of these X players returning of course, and some completely new, but when they were looking for possibly a new club in the last couple of years they were very happy with what they saw in Bourke and the club atmosphere down at Glenunga when they came to a training, their decison made to dedicate themselves to the club. Point is that Glenunga have gone from a player base of 40 tops to a base of 65-75 in 2 years. And thank goodness, because we were rock bottom.
So there is a hell of a lot more to it than driving a tram... He has inspired some out of retirement and to train more than they have in years, (Cooper, Apos, Smith *2). S Buss and Co are training far more than they ever did at Fitzroy (I am told), and reaping the rewards. Club functions were very well attended last year for a change, and assuming that will continue with many events planned.
There is a discipline and professionalism at training and in the club that I have not seen in many years before his arrival. Because of this I feel the need to point such details out when I read a post like this Zed. For no-one to do so would be disrespectful to both Bourke and the club, which are both only trying to go in the right direction! Hence happily accepting going up to Div 6, despite the supposed easy flag we may have gotten in Div 7 (not my thoughts). Perhaps his "coaching" is still to be valued/tested/judged. So maybe you are right when you say he may not be a better coach than Mitchell, but his ability to bring a club together has been phenomenal, part of "coaching" at amateur level in my opinion. Mitchell seems to have driven Fitzroy apart from my understanding.
Many of us could drive the tram on game day................but way too much happens leading to game day that is overlooked however. I think few would do these as well as Bourke has, especially when I think back to our situation just 24 moths ago.
one eyed wrote: Bourke a former player to pillage an old side is that good form ??
My understanding is most were unhappy with their treatment at Fitzroy and approached Bourke, a previous mate, now coach. What would be bad form is for him to turn them away from a club crying out for good lads like these!!! I think quite a few of the 9 were mostly B grade at Fitzroy, hence dissatisfied!
The reason for naming all the above players is to show that it has not just been a "poaching" of Fitzroy players, they have come from all over! and over 2/3rds not from Fitzroy. I named so many because I did not want replies saying the figures were made up so I went back and edited it and made it fact. There may be slight errors but I believe it to be accurate.
Strange that this ends up in Div 5 forum, where neither Glenunga or Fitzroy are this year, but these are the 2 posts I felt the need to reply to.
OK. I'll go back into my corner now.
You should know this by now...
Of course they are the ones helping us!
