40th Street Black
Years ago

Al Westover sacked (now official)

Happens to the best of em'.

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Fizzle  
Years ago

Yes and Al 'my team was so stacked so it made me once look very good' Westover! From a personality point of view this sucks for the league, really enjoyed his timeouts!!!

Reply #306557 | Report this post


Mystro  
Years ago

Pretty harsh, a stacked team doesn't guarantee a championship.

Reply #306558 | Report this post


Fizzle  
Years ago

Not harsh....thats exactly what he had when he took over the helm, and won the championship. Now he doesnt have the talent pool and he has a 6-12 record to show for it.

Reply #306559 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

In 6 years of coaching he went to 4 championships and won 2 titles. Last year wasn't great but the tigers were hit hard by injuries so this is the first season they haven't performed. It's a terrible decision if true.

Reply #306560 | Report this post


XztatiK  
Years ago

Wow. Full credit to Daniel Eade for being right this time.

Any news on Helliwell/Devendorf?

And is Anstey the replacement?

Reply #306562 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Daniel Eade on Twitter:

Unconfirmed - Al Westover will remain the head coach of the Melb Tigers. I repeat this in unconfirmed at the moment, but it's the 1st bite.

http://twitter.com/danieleade

Reply #306564 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Fizzle, I guess losing Andrew Gaze, Mark Bradtke and Lanard Copeland and replacing them with Chris Anstey, Tommy Greer when no one knew him and Gerard Leonard who probably doesn't even play anymore, makes for a stacked team? People have no memories in sport.
Lindsay Gaze won 2 titles in 22 years, Westover did it in his first three years! They have an injury-ravaged season and one bad run and they get rid of the only coach with multiple championships. The Tigers are a joke and Seamus is the fatass telling the jokes. One tigers fan that will never return...

Reply #306565 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Did I see mcpeake say on the news he isn't makin payments and is severing contracts?! He's got more ( a lot more) ass than class.

Reply #306566 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Wow, doesn't have the talent? Let's go through their roster.

Williams- League MVP
Devendorf- Star player on big time college team
Greer- Great role player
Tragardh- Best team in last years 2nd place team
Nevill- Fringe Boomer
On the bench long time NBL players in Burston and Corletto, two good young players (Lewis and Walker) and a former Boomer (Helliwell).

Reply #306570 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

My word is that Seamus is in deep shit with the NBL over sponsorship breaches.

This could end up being a very interesting story

Reply #306577 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

It's the NBL, mate. You could go through every player in the league and make them sound good if you're using 'great role player' as a positive and jumping on the Wade helliwell bandwagon when he hasn't gotten a compliment all year. And tell me Corletto would get picked up anywhere else

Reply #306578 | Report this post


Jake  
Years ago

If you go back to the posts at the start of the season the majority of the posters on this site thought the Tigers would crash and burn.

The depth they have at the 4 and 5 spot is just crazy for the NBL considering length of our season and that we only play 40 minute games.

If Westover was responsible for the recruitment of so many bigs then he should take responsibility for the teams record and play. If it was management that put the roster together I feel sorry for the man.

Reply #306580 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

"It's the NBL, mate. You could go through every player in the league and make them sound good if you're using 'great role player' as a positive and jumping on the Wade helliwell bandwagon when he hasn't gotten a compliment all year. And tell me Corletto would get picked up anywhere else"

So you don't think Tommy Greer is a great role player? And Corletto was about to sign with the Taipans before the Tigers re-signed him.

Reply #306582 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Seems they had a board meeting tonite
and will make significant team announcements at 11am tomorrow.
Maybe they're gonna play a coupla home games in Tassie

Reply #306583 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Tommy Greer has become a great role player under the Tigers' system, but as stated he was recruited out of a division two school before anyone knew him. And the tigers problem is that they have a team full of great role players, besides homicide.
Corletto to cairns? You mean the tigers offered a contract to Daniel dillon, he turned it down to get minutes in cairns so they got Corletto instead? Because that's what happened

Reply #306584 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Seems Boden Westover 'retired' today.

Reply #306592 | Report this post


clarky  
Years ago

According to Daniel Eade on twitter just now (11:45pm) the sacking of Al Westover is official

Reply #306599 | Report this post


Mix Master Wipe  
Years ago

LOL!

He does have a good coaching record but sorry not a fan of his coaching style.
The constant whining and sending a rocket up random players for no reason is getting old.
May have worked well with a team of veterans but not so much now.

Reply #306600 | Report this post


mystro  
Years ago

The Anon is right, you can go through every team in the league and make them sound decent by bringing up players former accolades and those without labeling them "role players".
Tigers have been strong for years and then while rebuilding took a gamble that crashed and burned.
No need to sack a successful coach, just learn from this failed experiment and move on.

He'll just end up at another team and will prob do really well.

Reply #306602 | Report this post


DAn  
Years ago

disgusting move by the tigers board. Should have waited till the end of the season. Changes now isn't going to make a difference.

Maybe AL will coach Sydney next season.This is surely going to piss the fans off.

Should have got rid of helliwell early in the season. Hes a rubbish player that should stay overseas

Reply #306603 | Report this post


Jack Toft  
Years ago

There's two types of coaches:

Those who are sacked, and those who about to be sacked

Reply #306605 | Report this post


paul  
Years ago

Al is a good coach with a talented team, particularly a veteran team. This year's team is middle of the road talent wise, and since Greer and Walker returned from injury the team has performed to that level.

I agree that the way this has all been handled is a very poor reflection on the Tigers. Their small fan base has been very faithful this year (heading for close to their highest ever average attendance at the Cage), but I imagine this will test a few if true.

Reply #306606 | Report this post


Scotty G  
Years ago

Totally agree with Dan.
Here is a majority owner who makes decisions based on emotion rather than logic and common sense. Anybody who regularly attends board meetings knows that you park your emotions to one side and work through the process. Be interesting to know who the board members are?
Also whats the point in sacking the coach if you dont have a replacement.Remember the assistants were appointed by the Head Coach.

Reply #306608 | Report this post


kdb_one  
Years ago

As someone who knows some tigers players very closely, Al was only a coach of the shuffle offense. He knew nothing else.

In a world where players are quicker, more agile, the shuffle is an obsolete offensive strategy. All Al ever did was swear, yell and abuse his players and never got them on side this year.

A coach is meant to motivate, instruct and lead the team and he wasn't able to do any of those things. Unfortunately, if you can't get your players to play and play for you... You are just a dead man walking.

I know a number for former tigers who became very frustrated and glad to no longer being coached by Al. By the sounds of things that I am hearing, there are a lot of disenfranchised players (bench and "role" players) who are regretting not leaving last year like DJ.

Reply #306609 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

I hope Al goes on to coach another team and has a lot of success. He's a great personality (and a really great guy to meet) and it will be a shame if he's lost to the league. To do this in the middle of a season when you've got a coaching record like he does is an absolute disgrace. Hopefully the tigers don't win another game this year.

Reply #306610 | Report this post


Big Marty  
Years ago

Here's hoping that the Bullets come back next year and old Al gets a shot up there.

Reply #306611 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Kdb_one, I'd love to know which 'players' you've spoken with because I'm guessing none. And to say the shuffle is an offense that doesn't work is ridiculous. Two years ago when the Tigers and Dragons met in the grand final both teams were running the exact same offense, as is an underrated Cairns team this year. This is the first year the Tigers haven't run the shuffle, obviously trying to utilise their bigs and homicide's penetration
and seamus admitted Westover was released for being too loyal to his players and not pulling the plug on some of the players earlier in the season. Yeah I'm sure players must hate that in a coach

Reply #306612 | Report this post


BigD  
Years ago

Tigers do still run the shuffle, that's why people were calling for the Tigers to drop it. It doesn't work to the same effectiveness for the Tigers anymore.

Reply #306613 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Then the people who were calling for them to drop it, most likely people from forums like these, don't understand the shuffle because the Tigers have not used it since the second game of the season.

Reply #306616 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

If the bullets are back their coach is already decided- he's personal friends with the investor.
You don't want to get caught up in the fallout when that ship predictably goes down as everybody in the whole thing will get burnt.
Maybe Sydney will take Al, Moose had his run it seems.

Reply #306617 | Report this post


LC  
Years ago

For mine, Al is a very good coach of veteran players, but is too one dimensional and has an unhealthy reliance on one style of offence - the shuffle.

As a coach, I do not think he is past his use by date just yet, but he has definitely put a lot of his current players off side and he does need to take responsibility for recruiting the current team.

As for McPeake, love or loathe him, and most people loathe him, he is pasionate about his team and basketball.

Reply #306619 | Report this post


D@B  
Years ago

Who is going to replace him?

Reply #306620 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Not sure how passionate Seamus is about basketball, he's only been to 3 tigers games this year. Just another owner with small man's syndrome that likes the idea of owning a sports team and having the final say, easily confused for passion

Reply #306624 | Report this post


The problem for One HD of coaches swearing in time outs just went down 98%

Westover hung himself when he recruited at the start of the season. Ballsy all or nothing move.
Homocide is brought in as a cure all but is showing signs of why the Crocs passed on him.
Devendorf looks the goods all though Seamus would be thinking why they let Dillon go when they could have kept him at the 2 spot as he has shown game with Cairns.
Apparently Seamus threatened to sue a SEABL club at season start if they did not let Greer go on their presason trip, shows the character of the guy.

Reply #306626 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

It is believed either assistant coach Warwick Giddey or Darryl McDonald will be appointed interim coach for Sunday's home game against the Wollongong Hawks.

Reply #306627 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

He's an owner. a guy who gets his way in business and he transfers that to Basketball.

Just because he is passionate doesn't mean he knows what he's doing.

And the Dragons V. Tigers "shuffle-off" two years back in the Finals is correct. it's certainly not obsolete. And the Tigers started running it this season, but haven't for some time. They've tried to release Homicide and Devendorf, give them a bit of freedom.

Neither offensive strategy has worked for them this season. and the personnel decisions haven't made any sense.

What does Westover do now? he's only known Melbourne and the Tigers...might have to look for a new career...

Reply #306630 | Report this post


KB3  
Years ago

@ anon to be fair Seamus has been recuperating from a major operation this year which would have prevented him getting to many games.

Reply #306631 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

@KB3 to be fair, seamus has been to Ireland twice since his operation, which I guess is easier on the body than going to The Cage

Reply #306632 | Report this post


KB3  
Years ago

wow did not know that, in that case.

Reply #306634 | Report this post


Scotty G  
Years ago

Devendorf gone,Helliwell safe,Dmac Head Coach. Press conference to be played on SEN1116 shortly.

Reply #306636 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

It'd be a lot easier than having to sit through a Tigers game... (JK, point taken.)

I'm a bit torn on this move to sack Westover. On one hand, he's had success in his time with the Tigers to date. Walker is a good pick-up. Nevill has had his moments.

On the other, he's recruited a bizarre team, been terribly optimistic about a few things that are obvious to everyone else (Barlow as PG, Tragardh as SF) and body language on court suggested he'd lost the team. You could argue that his successful years came with pretty strong teams or rode absolutely key, top-tier players like Anstey.

Reply #306638 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

I can't believe they didn't wait until the end of the year to make these changes. I won't even start on the decision to sack Al (which is a joke) but to get rid of Devendorf who has been playing pretty well lately is unbeleivable while keeping Helliwell. Is it April Fool's day today?

Reply #306639 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

Perhaps Helliwell is cheap enough that they might as well just keep him there?

Gaze on Twitter:

I don't support the firing of Al. Great coach and even better man but can't change what has happened and hoping Dmac does well.

Reply #306640 | Report this post


Scotty G  
Years ago

Listening to the press conference, Westover was told how he was going to coach the team by the board and he said thanks but no thanks. Seamus should listen to his press conference because it is a book of contradictions.He says one thing and then contradicts it straight away.
I think it has been handled poorly and Al deserved better.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I listened to the press conference - definitely wasn't handled well. Interesting comment about Devendorf - 'he was there to shoot 3s and he didn't take the shots'. I agree - Al deserved better.

Reply #306645 | Report this post


Scotty G  
Years ago

The coach is there to coach..... so why then is the board telling the coach that he has to play young players.No wonder Al pulled the pin.Not sure Dmac is the answer??? Assistant yes,Head no.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Whos on their board??

Reply #306652 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Seamus is the board, plus a couple of his business 'yes' men

Reply #306654 | Report this post


A.W  
Years ago

As a Melbourne Tigers fan I am happy that the owner doesn't accept losing. But he needs to realise that this season is gone, making changes now isn't going to achieve anything.

I do agree that Devendorf was signed up to shoot. The first quarter against Perth at Challenge was the only time this season I have seen him not think twice about shooting, he had 10 or 12 in the quarter. He was signed to shoot the ball, he isn't doing that so I agree with him departing.

Al Westover has been great for the Melbourne Tigers, I can't believe that with such a great record he was treated this way. Getting rid of him mid season is a complete lack of respect from 'Shameless'. Fairenough not signing him up again for next season, but with this season gone, this move didn't have to be made. All the best to Al hopefully he gets a job elsewhere in the NBL.

As far as the roster goes for next season, I believe Helliwell & Nevill should be the centre combination. I like the way that Helliwell sticks to what he is good at, he defends the paint and goes to work on the low block, If he was getting some decent minutes he would be averaging close to 10 & 8. Burston needs to go, he is to hit and miss, tries to dribble in the back court and shoots to many jumpers. With Nevill & Helliwell the Tigers would have a solid combination at the 5.

Just quietley I would love to see Stephen Hoare back in a Tigers Uniform off the bench.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Figures.

Reply #306682 | Report this post


Avon Barksdale  
Years ago

kdb_one

Your comments are teriibly ill founded and are the complete opposite to the truth.

Bottom line the team that was put together didn't perform anywhere near their expectations and in spots something usually gives.

Depending on the person pulling the strings, in this case Shame-on-us, Al was thrown under the bus.
You look at the Adelaide Crows and how they stuck with Neil Craig when he possibly should've been thrown.

Wollongong have proven time and time again you don't need maximum money to win. Hindsights a bitch but Cam T made a terible decision heading south.

Reply #306683 | Report this post


steve  
Years ago

terrible decision. good luck to al - the most successful coach we've had so i'm sure he'll find success elsewhere.

kdb_one you are an idiot. if you've been watching any games this year and know anything about basketball you would know they've changed their offence from the shuffle to better suit the players they have. who are these player 'friends' of yours?

does anyone else think this whole appointment of dmac as coach and talk of chris next year as coach is a slap in the face to wazza? he's had more coaching experience than both of them and was first assistant this year. more tiger disloyalty.

Reply #306688 | Report this post


kdb_one  
Years ago

@Anon and Avon - sorry to causes a stir, my brother in law and friends have played under Al for the past 7 years before leaving recently.

A number of the "tigers" stalwarts now in the team have become disenfranchised with his treatment of them. Even in Big V his language is nothing short of abusive and had to stop taking children to the games.

His entire Big V team that won the championship have left to play for other clubs to have a break from that coaching environment.

Al, in the end, was too one-dimensional and had no plan B. Only new the shuffle and when his coaching prowess was tested when the shuffle broke down, he was exposed. Sad to see, but loyalty for an individual aside, the club comes first. The Tigers have been poor this year and someone has to be held accountable.

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steve  
Years ago

kdb_one see my comments. they have been playing more of a low post game this season, not the shuffle, to suit the players they have.

i assume the 'disenfranchised' players you are talking about are tommy and dazza? i would think they should be quite happy to have played under al this year - i thought he was quite generous with their minutes given their poor stats. now was the season for them to step up and light it up and take on more of a veteran and consistent role which they haven't done.

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Scotty G  
Years ago

Another player to be sacked in the next 24 hours according to McPeake on SEN 1116. He also said its not the first time he has stormed the changerooms!!! Good Luck to the next coach.....

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john  
Years ago

kdb_one... you're losing credibility very quickly. your brother in law played for Al for the past 7 years and left recently? Firstly, Al didn't get 7 years as the head coach of the Tigers, so it couldnt be at the NBL level, so I'm wondering who these contacts are of yours. Why don't you just name some players that have become 'disenfranchised'.
Luckily for you I am a Tigers' fan and know the Tigers' Big V team from their last championship: Ryan Bathie (got offered contract with Geelong Cats AFL), Daryl Corletto (still around), Tommy Greer (still around), Daniel Johnson (got big money in Adelaide, Tigers wouldnt match it), Adrien Sturt (left for Europe), Bo Westover (still around), Robbie Stone (still around), Tommy Stephens (trying out with Essendon FC), not to mention Moses Adepoju and Yusuf Qaafow who were both around that time, and still are.

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BigD  
Years ago

Of those players you just named john i think it's interesting how most of the players who have any talent actually left, Bo Westover is only there because his dad is the coach, and Robbie Stone because he wouldn't really get a game anywhere else. Daryl Corletto moved to Ringwood BigV and Tommy Greer has now moved to Eltham. Daniel Johnson left as you say, Adrien Sturt left. What does that say about Al Westover's coaching?

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Peter  
Years ago

Steve - I don't know Al Westover's abilities as a coach at all and am in no position to make judgements about them.

However, I wonder whether kdb_one's point might still be valid, at least semantically? If the Tigers have been playing low-post and not succeeding with it, might it be because the coach hasn't been able to coach it well enough? Which comes back to whether his strength might be in coaching shuffle really well but not being able to coach other options well enough when it doesn't work?

Reply #306705 | Report this post


john  
Years ago

Why do you think Corletto went to Ringwood, Greer to Eltham, DJ to Adelaide and Sturt to Europe? Because Seamus doesn't pay money for Big V. Corletto and Greer are getting at least $20,000 to play for those teams.. the Tigers' Big V team was on $8,000 for the whole team. Good luck keeping your stars with that pay roll.
To say Corletto would play with Ringwood to not play for Westover doesn't make any sense when he still trains with the team during the season and has played for him since he was 17. Bit of common sense, BigD, these guys aren't going to play for free

Reply #306707 | Report this post


BigD  
Years ago

So what happened to previous seasons when they were all on the team? only 2 years ago they had Sturt, Johnson, Greer, Corletto, Westover, Stone, Zunic, Barlow even filled in for a few games.

Reply #306708 | Report this post


Jared  
Years ago

Interesting comments. I used to go and watch a lot of the VIC league games before Al was the NBL coach, and I never saw the abuse mentioned here when sitting behind the bench. My feeling was that the players really enjoyed playing with Al and that he put a lot of faith in them. I remember how Erik Wickstrom would shoot the lights out, then choke the moment a Gaze set foot in the stadium.

Still, things change. I haven't been to a game for a long time now.

Reply #306709 | Report this post


john  
Years ago

What happened to what? It used to be in their NBL contracts that they had to play Big V but Seamus let guys branch out to different clubs to help build relationships with them. We know how that ended with Greer during the SEABL finals.. Nunawading were looking like they were going to go all the way and then Seamus dragged him off to China for a meaningless pre-season tournament, where he got injured

Reply #306710 | Report this post


BigD  
Years ago

You just change a NBL contract to allow players to go and play elsewhere and then drag them off to a pre-season tournament, sounds a bit fishy. What sounds more plausible? The fact that the players asked to be allowed to play elsewhere to get a break and breather from his style or to build relationships with other clubs and then get dragged off to a pre-season tournament? What about Mark Worthington leaving the team and suddenly returning to the Blaze? What about Corey Williams and Donta Smith turning down contracts originally? What about Julius Hodge and Sean Lampley turning down a contract originally? You really don't think the coaching has something to do with the situation? Martin Muursepp had to get personally convinced by Chris Anstey to play with the team, what about Daniel Dillon walking out on the Tigers? Or James Orr playing VFL football over the Tigers? and then return playing for Eltham afterwards anyway. Do you really think that none of it is due to Al Westover's style of coaching?

Reply #306713 | Report this post


john  
Years ago

I really do. If you're questioning if it's plausible that seamus dragged Greer out of the SEABL to go on a pre-season trip, you really have no knowledge on the matter because that's exactly what happened and most people in basketball know this.
Mark Worthington went to Germany to play and signed with the Blaze in the last week of pre-season because they dropped Bennett Davison to do so. The Tigers already had their roster in place and couldn't fit him in the cap.
Corey Williams was never considered until after Townsville didnt re-sign him when the Tigers did get him, Donta Smith is too expensive for any NBL team and wasn't considered until he killed it with the Dragons.
Your Hodge and Lampley comments make no sense as both desperately wanted to come back to Melbourne but Chris Anstey was very open about not wanting either back. So Martin Muursepp had to be personally convinced to play for a coach he's never met because he didn't like his style of coaching? James Orr left to play AFL, didn't make it so was in the VFL. Many have done the same.
Where are you even getting these accusations?

Reply #306714 | Report this post


BigD  
Years ago

Corey Williams was their target over TJ Campbell but he turned them down. Same as Donta Smith for the offseason just gone by, he turned them down. Lampley was wanted in the offseason of the year he actually came, but turned them down, apparently due to rumours of Westover's style of coaching. Julius Hodge was the same story before he actually came for the same reason. And Muursepp apparently heard the same rumours of Westover. James Orr was in the Tigers, got disgruntled, left to try and get AFL, but ended in VFL, then returned to basketball after a break from the sport, which was due to the pressues he had placed on him from the Tigers (Westover the coach). Daniel Dillon was a development player in the Tigers, he walked out, not playing with Cairns and a starter.

Reply #306715 | Report this post


john  
Years ago

I hate to keep correcting you, but: Corey Williams was sitting at home in America and literally got on the next flight when the Tigers offered him a contract. As I said, Donta Smith turned everyone down, he's on half a million in China. Again, your Lampley and Hodge comments make no sense as both have been dying to go back to the Tigers. James Orr trained with the Tigers for about three weeks before trying footy, not sure what those pressures were from the Tigers because he wasn't even getting paid. And Daniel Dillon was never a development player with the Tigers, you're probably thinking of the Dragons. They were the other team in Melbourne but went bankrupt after spending big and winning a championship.
I can see this going back and fourth for a while, you thinking of players' names and saying why they didn't play for the Tigers (even though all of the players you mentioned did in fact play for the Tigers, besides Daniel Dillon), but you're clearly not basing your comments on any facts.

Reply #306716 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

"Corey Williams was their target over TJ Campbell but he turned them down"

BigD your comment makes no sense. Homocide turned them down because of the coach, then joined the team........with that same coach.

Reply #306717 | Report this post


kdb_one  
Years ago

John, My contacts were from Al's days as the junior coach, the only person losing credibility is you.

This had been coming for years, many of the team were over his antics but there were other circumstances in their lives that prevented from losing, DC was going to sign with another club, but took the pay cut from the tigers because of his wife being stationed here in Melbourne.

Tommy had been injured for most of the off-season and didnt and thats not helpful to find another suitor.

Think about that, if the Tigers are such a respectful club, why the hell is everyone including all of their juniour players wanting to leave?!!! All of the junior and development players have played with Al and they're either not to NBL standard as BigD has previously mentioned.

If all the players respected and wanted to play for Al, why did he have to recruit 8 new players.

I have personally sat in a Big V game where the boys were 20+ points up in a game and in a time out use the F word 10 times in 20 seconds with about 5 kids under the age of 12 sitting right behind him. I can tell you thats why so many of the boys no longer wanted to play for him in Big V

Reply #306719 | Report this post


steve  
Years ago

if the Tigers are such a respectful club, why the hell is everyone including all of their juniour players wanting to leave?!!!

kdb_one have you being paying attention to anything that has been happening with the tigers lately?! would you want to be at a club where the owner is coming into the changerooms and yelling at players and threatening not to pay them?

i think we have to put things in perspective - the entire blame for this season can't just lay with westover. the players have to accept some responsibility too. after all, they are the ones out on the floor.

Reply #306720 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

you have a friend that played juniors for al for seven years and recently left? he hasn't coached in the juniors since taking over the NBL team five and a half seasons ago. and i find it hard to find your connection between 'all' the tigers juniors leaving and their NBL coach's 'antics'.
give the guys that play in the big v some credit, i think they can take a little swearing and don't plan on moving teams because they get yelled at. these are grown men we're talking about and the team has been much the same for three straight years.
8 new players were recruited because last year's team fell apart - 2 retired (probably should replace them), DJ left because Adelaide paid what he wanted and the rest were released because they were done, not what the tigers were looking for, or because seamus paid well under the salary cap last year and they wanted some money.

Reply #306721 | Report this post


BigD  
Years ago

Yes there grown men, but sometimes it gets to a point where it affects player's game and affects them mentally. No player should cop the amount of swearing and abuse he could give out to his players. Have you seen the way he treats the refs as well? He could do a lot with veteran players and a highly talented team, but the last 2 seasons, they've been younger and less talented, you have to be able to adjust as a coach and coach differently, motivate players differently.

Reply #306722 | Report this post


steve  
Years ago

kdb i'm pretty sure westover coached anstey in juniors. there goes your theory.

Reply #306723 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

What a joke. The guy wins two championships and also makes two GF's in his first four years as coach and 1.5 seasons later he's been sacked. People might say oh he had Anstey or whatever but Lindsay Gaze had the GOAT, Bradtke & Copeland through the 90's and he only ever won 2 championships in his 22 seasons as coach versus Westover's 2 in 5.5 seasons.

I wasn't sure it was possible for Seamus McPeake to sink any lower in the basketball public's mind but here you go.

Reply #306724 | Report this post


The Special One  
Years ago

I am going to miss his cowboy boots :)
even tho I cant stand the guy

Reply #306736 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

reading the above comments, there were many rights and wrongs. here's the truth:

-Corletto's contract were initially offered to Daniel Dillon who took Cairns contract for more money. Corletto was really without a job.

-those BigV players were PAID for those BigV games played few years ago. last season they decided to not pay anybody. the $8000 you mentioned didn't go to anybody, maybe venue cost?

-has he lost player's respect on him coaching? yes some but not as many as you're trying to make out to be. but all coaches would have dissatisfied players.

-is he stubborn and 1 dimensional? yes he could be, can he coach outside the shuffle? probably not

-was the players really trying to get out of their system? no they weren't. Barlow left cos there were rumours of club folding, there's retiring then Wortho and Kendall even trained with the team with no contract. as mentioned above, many past players actually came back to train so don't think they were trying to get out of the system, simply the case of better opportunity elsewhere.

in conclusion, everything came down to money.

Reply #306742 | Report this post


NBA agent  
Years ago

Cant be bothered reading all the post but correct me if i am wrong did eric devendorf get the flick too

Reply #306746 | Report this post


XztatiK  
Years ago

He did NBA Agent. Helliwell stays.

Reply #306753 | Report this post


drb -one. Having won a national title with Al I can assure you every player respected and liked Al a helluva lot. Sure he can let fly with a few expletives but you cannot be serious in thinking this is an issue. Perhaps your brother in law chose the wrong sport and building floats for the mardi gras is what he should be involved in. If swearing isn't your thing then maybe you should take aim at Seamus who stormed into a changeroom abusing his own players with words that tore paint off the walls. SEN got stuck into Seamus this afternoon and exposed him as a very nasty little person. Seamus putting Wazza over DMac is as rotten as a decision as any. Al's record stands alone -4 G/Fs, 2 titles in 5 seasons.

Reply #306755 | Report this post


kdb_one  
Years ago

So I like the debate thats going on because it brings out a lot of passion for the game.

For the record, as it looks like I have causes a stir with a few of you.

1. My contacts have played with Al as Juniors and as Senior NBL players. They were not the ones who were offending by his swearing but by the parents of the children in the junior Tigers ranks. In saying that many of the players were sick of being degraded, they wanted strategic instructions in games and they got none. How many times would you hear Al create and design plays in time outs as opposed to the number of time he told players they were playing crap! He lost the respect of his players, and thats why they showed no effort.

2. Many of my contacts have left because of the coaching style of Al. He was great at berating and running his offense but no time was spent on players individually assisting them in developing their skills

3. Al is not to blame for this debacle, I wholly believe that for the stability of the club he should have played out the season, but it was very clear from Seamus that he had been sacked as coach and was offered another role to which he declined. This illustrates the lack of acumen of the Tigers board.

4. Seamus is a tool and ruining basketball in Melbourne, his money has been good, but his decisions for the Tigers have been horrible and disenchanting the already fragile fan base.

5. The shuffle offense is outdated. The dragons and taipans who ran it used it for their short line ups and not a team of talls. To sign 4 7 footers to run a shuffle offense is madness. Dragons run a lot of their offense off their defensive pressure and used shuffle offensive sets to confuse defenses.

Reply #306775 | Report this post


steve  
Years ago

whose the 4th 7 footer? i can only think of neville, helliwell and burston.

i'm pretty sure the tigers won a championship with david stiff, neil mottram and anstey - 3 bigs.

al's timeouts have been televised and i've been to a few big v games. i've heard him call plays in virtually all time outs i've seen and he certainly hasn't 'degraded' or yelled at his players any more than any other coach. palyers can't expect a high five from the coach if their not playing well (which they haven't been doing). i agree with tail wagging the tiger - your brother in law sounds like a sheila, kdb. good thing he's got your sister/sister in law to go crying to.

Reply #306809 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

The shuffle is outdated but the championship-winning dragons used it to confuse defenses?
The tigers, when they were using the shuffle, had a playbook of over 100 plays all of which had names. He didn't have to 'create' a play on the spot.
My guess, besides what others have said about your 'contacts', is that either you were cut by Al in the juniors or your son was. Let your brother-in-law speak for himself

Reply #306819 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Al is sacked yet Moose continues to coach the Kings.

Reply #306820 | Report this post


BigD  
Years ago

Theres a massive difference between the bigs of Stiff, Anstey and Mottram to Tragardh, Burston, Helliwell and Nevill.

Reply #306821 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Thanks Tail wagging the tiger for assuring us Al was respected and liked in 1989.

Reply #306822 | Report this post


Cal  
Years ago

Lapband surgery for Seamus??

Reply #306824 | Report this post


skip  
Years ago

Interestingly, Daryl Corletto has just posted on Twitter that the 'Team feels like a family again'.

So perhaps there was some friction between the players and the coach.

Reply #306827 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

can't imagine helliwell feeling that way at the moment. did dazza have a bit of friction with neville and devendorf? maybe he thought he was competing with devendorf for minutes although if you look at their stats devendorf is clearly the better player. dazza gets hardly any assists for a guard, no rebounds (homicide is also a guard and rebounds) and has not been scoring much given his minutes.

Reply #306835 | Report this post


LC  
Years ago

There has been friction between the players and coach for the past 2 seasons now...

Reply #306836 | Report this post


steve  
Years ago

how is that when most of the team is new? you can only be talking about a couple of people.

Reply #306839 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

good point, steve. only two players were on the team over those two years so i'm guessing you know tommy greer or daryl corletto personally?

Reply #306843 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

who cares? dazza;s popular with some of the fans because he's been with the club for ages but he's not a good player. can't imagine the club forcing the coach out because of players of dazza or tommys calibre.

Reply #306852 | Report this post


The Special One  
Years ago

for me DMac should be next coach

Reply #306873 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

he is

Reply #306874 | Report this post


Mix Master Wipe  
Years ago

DC was used as a impact shooter off the bench for a few seasons and was fairly good at it.
During the last few years though his playing time has dropped off quite a bit so you could understand the frustration on his part.

Greer seemed to be the coaches whipping boy.
The poor guy would be on court for 1 second and at the next timeout Al would always give him a total blasting.Maybe this was his way of sending a message to the rest of team?

Reply #306883 | Report this post


tropical booz  
Years ago

maybe he gloated to much when winning his flags & shoved them in the faces of the gazes. not suprisingly they are not supporting him. the ego can be a destructive animal & the clash of heads between owner & coach over devendorf was not repairable. those who do the paying do the saying! Al loses!! D Mac will not be a good head coach IMO.

Reply #306885 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

interesting point, so i checked the NBL website and dazza's last three seasons:
2009 - 16.6 mpg
2010 - 22.4 mpg
2011 - 20 mpg
bare in mind the last two seasons have been in a 40-minute game too, so i'm not sure about your comment 'During the last few years though his playing time has dropped off quite a bit so you could understand the frustration on his part'

Reply #306889 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Andrew Gaze has been very supported of Westover and Lindsay has come out and said he voted against the decision

Reply #306891 | Report this post


steve  
Years ago

20 min per game? dazza should be having a bit more of an 'impact' then. clear the deck and let's get us a stronger force in that guard spot for next season.

Reply #306892 | Report this post


Mix Master Wipe  
Years ago

The 3 seasons prior to 2009 he averaged almost 24 mins per game and had more of a prominent role in the Tigers offense.Of late his time has been in bits and pieces with other players stepping ahead in their role within the team.

Sure his strength is the 3 point shot and those little floaters, i agree though not too much else to his game perhaps thats why his development and stats have dropped off the last 3 seasons.

Reply #306895 | Report this post


Baller  
Years ago

Interesting. Maybe some friction between dazza and devendorf? Sour grapes from dazza? Although devendorf was obviousley the better player.

Reply #306897 | Report this post


GHOST  
Years ago

Obviously certain people positing on this site have no clear idea of what they are saying.. or have not watched any Tiger games closley if so then they would of realised that Devendorf and Dazza had a good relationship on and off the court. No sour grapes, no friction between them 2 and sorry he had to go.

Reply #306904 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

Theres a massive difference between the bigs of Stiff, Anstey and Mottram to Tragardh, Burston, Helliwell and Nevill.
One big difference is that Stiff, Anstey and Mottram didn't really play as a 3,4,5 combo. Tragardh, Nevill and one of Burston or Helliwell were planned as three starters.

An issue isn't having four bigs but running three of them in your core unit. If they started Tragardh and Nevill, then had Burston covering them off the bench, that would actually make sense.

Reply #306936 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

not sure if kdb_one have a clue what he's on about

Reply #306969 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

he's gone quiet since luke nevill walked out on the tigers, coincidentally two days after westover got fired. assuming the guy that was going to be rookie of the year and is now playing at the top level in russia is a more prominent player than your brother-in-law

Reply #306989 | Report this post


paul  
Years ago

Top level in Russia is about the same as NBL. I think he is the only import at the team he is going to who are 3-7, will be interesting to see how he goes.

Reply #306996 | Report this post


Yep  
Years ago

Westover can't coach. Was bailed out by Anstey during Tigers championships.

If you watch the game and listen to his huddles, my grandmother could give the same advice he does. Never does he run plays or give strategy to stop the opposition. He just drawls and points fingers.

Besides Cowboy boots. What is the guy on.....

Reply #307070 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Reply #307150 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Russia is a higher standard than the NBL, FFS.

Guys like Khryapa would tear it up in the NBL, JR Holden would be the best PG in the league here, Siskauskas is Worthington with smarts and Langdon would be the best shooter in the NBL by some distance and that is only guys from the one team!

Reply #307152 | Report this post


GHOST  
Years ago

Anonymous welcome to the truth ,why bag corletto so much then .

Reply #307155 | Report this post


paul  
Years ago

Yes anon, but that is the best team (CSKA Moscow) that has dominated basketball in Russia for a long time. To judge the standard of a league you need to look at the whole league, not one team, and the PBL is not better than the NBL.

Out of interest, how many Russian league games have you watched?

Also, none of the guys you mentioned from CSKA has performed better than Penney internationally, and CJ Bruton completely outplayed Holden at the 08 Olympics.

Reply #307161 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

paul, please don't start this rubbish again. The NBL would be fortunate to be in the top ten leagues in the world. The Russian league is a higher standard and you know it. Yes, CJ outplayed Holden in the one game but do you really want me to go and get their stats from the '08 Olympics? Holden had a far, far better tournmament than CJ, for obvious reasons.

Reply #307165 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Goorjian had a party on Chinese New Years Eve.
Somebody said Seamus was the last to leave.

Reply #307172 | Report this post


Statman  
Years ago

Gee - that must have pissed Goorj off!

Reply #307189 | Report this post




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