Roy Laird’s last season coaching

[UK Fan]

A true sANFL legend

Thank you for everything Roy

https://cdfc.com.au/news/extraordinary- ... eason-end/

[Brett]

I cant see anyone ever coaching 1 club for 17 years again. I hope he gets a HUGE send off at his last game . Brilliant career and cant say im surprised.
Lets hope for a huge crowd and a win in his last game.

[Al22]

Roy is a giant of the SANFL. This will be as disciplined, respectful and considerate a change of coach as anyone could wish for.

[amber_fluid]

Well done Roy.
Could have taken the easy option years ago to be an assistant in the afl but stayed loyal to the Dogs.
A true legend of the game.

[Dogs64]

Sad day for the club. Roy has been an amazing coach over his tenure. I'd imagine one of the lowest paid and hardest working coaches over his time. He's demonstrated an amazing passion for the club over his 32 year involvement. He's shown hard work can pay off and get results- nobody could have done better in any of his coaching years. Thank you Roy.

[saintal]

A legend. In recent years have particularly appreciated his honesty when it comes to the afl interlopers and refusal to toe the party line. Much respect.

[Dogs64]

A legend. In recent years have particularly appreciated his honesty when it comes to the afl interlopers and refusal to toe the party line. Much respect.

Was just about to write the same. Pretty much a lone, "active" voice in an SANFL role against the AFL centric system and the terrible bowing to the AFL to destroy our league. Wasn't afraid to voice his honest opinion which most often was reflective of the true SANFL supporter with the future of the SANFL his concern.

[LMA]

A legend. In recent years have particularly appreciated his honesty when it comes to the afl interlopers and refusal to toe the party line. Much respect.

Can't have one SANFL thread without an AFL whinge reference, you're one to talk about interlopers you barrack for the Saints atleast we took over within our own club.

Anyway well done Roy a fine contribution to Australian Rules Football

[Brett]

A legend. In recent years have particularly appreciated his honesty when it comes to the afl interlopers and refusal to toe the party line. Much respect.

Can't have one SANFL thread without an AFL whinge reference, you're one to talk about interlopers you barrack for the Saints atleast we took over within our own club.

Anyway well done Roy a fine contribution to Australian Rules Football

Dont reply then. Cant have a SANFL thread without whinging . You only embarrass yourself. Whinge whinge whinge.

Night night . No one mentioned your whingeing back stabbing mob. lol

Took over hey ? I thought it was one club. It gets funnier .

[LMA]

[RB]

A legend. In recent years have particularly appreciated his honesty when it comes to the afl interlopers and refusal to toe the party line. Much respect.

Can't have one SANFL thread without an AFL whinge reference, you're one to talk about interlopers you barrack for the Saints atleast we took over within our own club.

A pretty poor comment I would have thought, even by your standards.

Anyway, well done to Roy Laird on a great coaching career. Forget about the premierships - merely coaching the same side for seventeen seasons is a monumental achievement and one that'll probably never happen again in the SANFL.

The amount of work he has put into Centrals whilst working full time over that period would be phenomenal. And old style coach who has earned great respect from across the SANFL.

[LMA]

A legend. In recent years have particularly appreciated his honesty when it comes to the afl interlopers and refusal to toe the party line. Much respect.

Can't have one SANFL thread without an AFL whinge reference, you're one to talk about interlopers you barrack for the Saints atleast we took over within our own club.

A pretty poor comment I would have thought, even by your standards.

Anyway, well done to Roy Laird on a great coaching career. Forget about the premierships - merely coaching the same side for seventeen seasons is a monumental achievement and one that'll probably never happen again in the SANFL.

The amount of work he has put into Centrals whilst working full time over that period would be phenomenal. And old style coach who has earned great respect from across the SANFL.

I apologise but when I opened the thread title and clicked on the CDFC link which summarises his stellar career and then see a few posts down AFL and "interlopers" mentioned, the thread had already strayed towards you know what. I should of known better, anyway like I said in my original post. A fine contribution to Australian Rules Football

[Magellan]

A legend. In recent years have particularly appreciated his honesty when it comes to the afl interlopers and refusal to toe the party line. Much respect.

Was just about to write the same. Pretty much a lone, "active" voice in an SANFL role against the AFL centric system and the terrible bowing to the AFL to destroy our league. Wasn't afraid to voice his honest opinion which most often was reflective of the true SANFL supporter with the future of the SANFL his concern.

Yep, right on. Not only a great record, but has also hung on in the less successful years when others might’ve found the going too tough. Now there’s one less true SANFL voice in the comp, and it’ll be poorer for his retirement.

[Booney]

7 premierships from 9 consecutive grand finals, the most successful post-AFL era coach and will remain so for ever, one would think.

Has changed the club he coaches for ever and has the humility to know when his time has come to an end.

Quality operator.

[Dutchy]

Great career Roy, will never forget the 2nd Semi Final in 2009, down by 20 points at 3/4 time Roy placed an extra midfielder forward of every stoppage so if they won the clearance they had an outside player free to get ball forward, it absolutely killed us and won Centrals the game. He was prepared to lose by 10 goals to win the game and despite the Glenelg fans seeing what was happening somehow the Glenelg box couldn't.

To be honest he has probably gone on a couple of years too long, but who was ever going to tell him that?

[UK Fan]

A legend. In recent years have particularly appreciated his honesty when it comes to the afl interlopers and refusal to toe the party line. Much respect.

Can't have one SANFL thread without an AFL whinge reference, you're one to talk about interlopers you barrack for the Saints atleast we took over within our own club.

A pretty poor comment I would have thought, even by your standards.

Anyway, well done to Roy Laird on a great coaching career. Forget about the premierships - merely coaching the same side for seventeen seasons is a monumental achievement and one that'll probably never happen again in the SANFL.

The amount of work he has put into Centrals whilst working full time over that period would be phenomenal. And old style coach who has earned great respect from across the SANFL.

I apologise but when I opened the thread title and clicked on the CDFC link which summarises his stellar career and then see a few posts down AFL and "interlopers" mentioned, the thread had already strayed towards you know what. I should of known better, anyway like I said in my original post. A fine contribution to Australian Rules Football

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 9922526%2F


People are referring to this LMA.

[beef]

Any early guesses as to who will take over. Believe he isn't full time so unless the club changes that i can't see anyone from within the AFL system taking it. All the "locals" will say Gowans twins or Platten but in my opinion is 0% chance of happening and would be a terrible appointment. Ex players in the coaching system that stand out would be Guerra and Thomas (but $$ will be an issue), Scott Dutschke coaching Freeling, Matt Slade coaching North Adel womens team. Personally i think it should be an outsider

[StrayDog]

Any early guesses as to who will take over. Believe he isn't full time so unless the club changes that i can't see anyone from within the AFL system taking it. All the "locals" will say Gowans twins or Platten but in my opinion is 0% chance of happening and would be a terrible appointment. Ex players in the coaching system that stand out would be Guerra and Thomas (but $$ will be an issue), Scott Dutschke coaching Freeling, Matt Slade coaching North Adel womens team. Personally i think it should be an outsider

Not all the "locals"' will say that, certainly no more than anyone else.

Lessons long learned from other clubs, and from within, that playing legends don't necessarily make the best coaches (North folk might care to back me up there), and that lesser known players can make very good coaches and leaders.

Besides recent history, Alan Stewart got the Club to our first Grand Final in the '90s. By contrast Gary Window, a Magarey Medallist, coached the club to its last spoon 18 years earlier.

[Dogs64]

A legend. In recent years have particularly appreciated his honesty when it comes to the afl interlopers and refusal to toe the party line. Much respec
A pretty poor comment I would have thought, even by your standards.

Anyway, well done to Roy Laird on a great coaching career. Forget about the premierships - merely coaching the same side for seventeen seasons is a monumental achievement and one that'll probably never happen again in the SANFL.

The amount of work he has put into Centrals whilst working full time over that period would be phenomenal. And old style coach who has earned great respect from across the SANFL.

I apologise but when I opened the thread title and clicked on the CDFC link which summarises his stellar career and then see a few posts down AFL and "interlopers" mentioned, the thread had already strayed towards you know what. I should of known better, anyway like I said in my original post. A fine contribution to Australian Rules Football

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 9922526%2F


People are referring to this LMA.

I was referring more to this type of active concern (apologise for formatting/ cut and paste)


I CENTRAL District coach Roy Laird’s fears for the future of the state league have been revealed in a passionate letter to the club’s board.

The highly respected seven-times premiership coach used the letter to lament the declining reputation of the league as well as the lack of urgency among the decision makers.

Laird is also concerned the rich history of the competition is being lost amid the huge success of the AFL.

Such was the impact of the letter on the Bulldogs’ board, it was forwarded to the SANFL commission as well as all the club directors and chief executives.

“The lack of urgency with the current plight of the SANFL is eating at me!” Laird wrote. “This treasured and history filled competition that has given me and many others decades of

memories now sits perilously close to a point of no return.

“Clubs which once were the pinnacle of sporting prowess and community pride now solemnly reflect on what once was and stare blankly into a future of dwindling supporter groups and financial stress which if not arrested right now, inevitably could lead to the demise of one of our great ‘Football Clubs’.”

Laird admits there will be those who shrug off his thoughts as scaremongering and the coach being “way over the top”, but he noted the comments of Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett on the demise of traditional Tasmanian state league clubs in Burnie and Devonport.

Kennett said he was worried about the declining health of football in Tasmania and he laid that at the feet of the previous administrators and AFL quite firmly.

“I am an admirer of sport at its elite levels,” Laird said. “The corporate juggernaut and the success of AFL is the envy of all sporting codes in this country.

“Australian Rules Football would become an even more powerful force if second tier competitions felt they were a valued stakeholder in the game.

“At this critical junction in our SANFL landscape, those in positions of power must set agendas to one side and be uncompromised in their decision making. Our clubs must think outside the square in promoting and building new revenue streams, and our supporters must do as they always have, and follow their club in our ‘Tribal Wars’ and protect our glorious history and revitalise a great competition.”

LAIRD’S LETTER
The lack of urgency with the current plight of the SANFL is eating at me!

This treasured and history filled competition that has given me and many others decades of

memories now sits perilously close to a point of no return.

Clubs which once were the pinnacle of sporting prowess and community pride now solemnly reflect on what once was and stare blankly into a future of dwindling supporter groups and financial stress which if not arrested right now, inevitably could lead to the demise of one of our great ‘Football Clubs’.

Central coach Roy Laird has last minute instructions for his players.
‘Scaremongering, and way over the top Laird’, some will idly shrug off. Recently I took particular note of Jeff Kennett’s observations following the removal of 2 traditional Clubs in Burnie and Devonport from the Tasmanian State League. ‘I am worrying about the declining health of football in Tasmania and I lay that at the feet of previous administrators and AFL quite firmly’, he said. Sound Familiar?

Our Clubs’ foyers and hallways are littered with the photos and memorabilia of heroes of yesteryear.

The 1976 shots of Sturt’s Rick Davies sparked premiership over Port, the 1973 team photo with iconic Glenelg men in Kerley, Carey and Cornes, nostalgic 1978 images of the Wynne / Oatey clash and Norwood success and the achievements of the Mick Nunan led Roosters through the 80s and 90s.

I fear a fading appreciation for their and all our past heroes based on the decreasing level of interest and reduction in foot traffic through the doors of our traditional Clubs. What a sad day it would be should our ‘walk down memory lane’ be limited to a visit to the Adelaide Oval and SANFL Museum instead of an appreciation by supporters within our own Clubs.

I am an admirer of sport at its elite levels. The corporate juggernaut and the success of AFL is the envy of all sporting codes in this country. Australian Rules Football would become an even more powerful force if second tier competitions felt they were a valued stakeholder in the game and as a result also rallied behind the AFL competition. That is certainly not the thoughts of many within State Leagues as the strong grow stronger and others are left to fend for themselves, division and AFL sentiment will continue to grow.

Over the past decade, I have had a front row seat to the challenges, disappointments and mental illness of those who have been spat out of the AFL system or missed out on their dream of an AFL opportunity. This highlights the need for a strong 2nd tier competition for these people to feel relevant in their most exciting sporting years of their lives.

Due to the increasing differential in Salary Caps and falling crowd numbers, the mass exodus of players towards lower levels of football will continue increasing the rate of our overall demise.

At this critical junction in our SANFL landscape, those in positions of power must set agendas to one side and be uncompromised in their decision making. Our Clubs must think outside the square in promoting and building new revenue streams, and our supporters must do as they always have, and follow their Club in our ‘Tribal Wars’ and protect our glorious history and revitalise a great competition - ‘WE ARE PROUDLY SANFL’ – lets hope we continue to be!

[StrayDog]

RB, Magellan, Booney, Dutchy, (and others), well done to all of you. Quality acknowledgements for a legend, great reading.

To Roy Laird:- you are a true son of the Red, White and Blue whose efforts, fortitude, spirit and achievement will not soon fade in the hearts of the CDFC faithful once this season is done. You will be missed but, as our sadly departed hard-as-nails 2000 premiership Captain said, "...We are a Club, and We will go on..."

Thank you, and all the best for the future.