Decibel Daze In The Dog Box

Sun Herald

Sunday March 30, 2008

Rohan Connolly

Rohan Connolly spends a noisy afternoon with an animated Rodney Eade in the Western Bulldogs coach's box.

RODNEY EADE says he likes a bit of noise going on in his coach's box. It's just as well. Because there was plenty happening last Sunday.

A steady stream of suggestions from assistant coaches Leon Cameron, Wayne Campbell and Peter Dean ... Eade's messages to his runners on the interchange bench ... Another wave of communication between Tim Smith and the medical team at ground level ... Updates from stats man Stephen Patterson ... And the raw, high-volume angst when the best-laid plans are brought asunder by simple human error.

While there would be a fairytale ending to Brad Johnson's 300th game, the chief emotion was sheer frustration.

"Let the games begin," Cameron says at the first bounce. But they aren't much fun, from as early as 10 seconds in, when Daniel Cross handballs over a teammate's head. Eade lets fly. It becomes a recurring pattern, nothing wrong at all with the Bulldogs' effort, but plenty with their execution.

It's aggravation no coach needs with so much to deal with already. "Who's taking [Andrew] McLeod?" Eade asks, the match-up of Mitch Hahn on the Crows champion a key focus of planning during the week.

"[Nathan] Bassett's taking who?" he checks, one hand on the phone. There's to be a nearly constant call of positional and personnel switches down the line.

The condition of new ruckman Ben Hudson is a focus.

"Is he stuffed, or is that just the way he runs?" the coach asks as Will Minson is taken from a key forward post to the centre bounce to offer Hudson some relief.

There is a roll call of midfield changes, plenty made by the Dogs' midfielders themselves as they recall Eade's instruction at the pre-game team meeting to "control it yourself".

"It's a warm day," was the word. "Don't think you've got to stay on to be some sort of he-man."

When the Dogs kick the last three goals of the quarter, out goes the signal to play some tempo football.

"Push them back now, push them back," Eade bellows down the line.

At 5.4 to 2.1, things are looking good. But the errors continue.

A Dale Morris blunder lets Tyson Edwards in for an Adelaide goal. "How can you win with shit like that?" Eade asks.

Even super centreman Scott West has the odd clanger.

"Is there any danger of hitting a bloody target?" pleads the coach. "How many times are we going to turn the bloody thing over? All our mistakes are not due to their pressure."

There is trouble looming in defence, where Crow Brett Burton gives Ryan Hargrave a hard time. The poor decisions, skill errors and sloppy disposals continue.

The Bulldogs look tired, too, with Cameron and Campbell tossing up more and more potential switches and interchanges. Temperatures rise in the box and, as Adelaide slam on the last four goals of the quarter, so does the frequency of the coach's cursing.

With a handy lead turned to a half-time deficit, the Crows are looking super-fit and half-a-dozen key Bulldogs underdone.

But Eade is about to pull his best move of the day, a quietly spoken half-time address to the troops which is full of encouragement.

"Hang in there Shaggy [Hargrave]," he says. To the group: "The effort's really good, there's just too many errors. It's just a thought process, it's not about talent. We've just got to lift our concentration because when fatigue sets in, it can make cowards of us all. Every contest is vital."

When Adelaide kick the first two goals of the third term and the deficit becomes three goals plus, the words seem empty.

"No chance whatsoever," Eade declares with Cameron Wight pursuing a ball in the goal square. Then, in surprise: "Shit, he kicked it!"

Hahn adds another. Then Scott Welsh. Then Johnson. When Daniel Giansiracusa soccers one out of mid-air, perhaps a lucky break, Dean and football director Simon Garlick exchange rueful smiles.

Second-gamer Josh Hill marks and kicks truly to put the Dogs back in front. "He's been bloody good, Hilly," says Eade.

Johnson kicks his second to grab a three-quarter-time lead.

Thus begins a goal-for-goal epic, the advice, information and volume levels in the box higher than ever.

"Just punch the air out of the ball," Eade yells at his defenders. To Nathan Eagleton: "Christ, Eags, just kick the bloody thing!" Then Eags is hurt. So, too, is Dylan Addison, and Matthew Boyd and Hill begins to cramp.

Another clutch of moves. The lead changes again, with little time left.

"Oh dear ... we're bloody stiff," Eade offers. But that's before the final instalment of what is to be a fairytale. Johnson goals. And again. The Dogs are up by four points. There is two minutes 50 seconds left on the clock, and even the Bulldog forwards begin to retreat to their back half.

Eade screams down the phone: "Not too far back, I don't want them all back!" Still they retreat. "NO! NO! NO!" It is impassioned - and ear-splitting. But a few Dogs heed the call and remain forward of centre.

Johnson's third straight goal should spell "the end". But still there is time for heart attacks as Cross drops a mark to let Scott Stevens in for the Crows.

Then Welsh has three teammates free, but somehow picks up a lone Crow.

"If we lose this from here ..." Eade's voice trails off.

The gods smile. Nathan Bock's shot to win for Adelaide misses, the siren sounds and there is a huge collective sigh of relief in the Bulldogs box.

The post-game team meeting is buoyant. Eade states the positives. Nineteen goals against the AFL's best defence. Heroic efforts from the underdone key defender Brian Lake when it counted. "A real credit to you, Brian." And, of course, the fitting result in the skipper's milestone game.

But Eade is already looking ahead.

"Last year, we beat Geelong in round one, and the next week went in comfortable and got smashed by Adelaide. That's not going to happen again. It was a terrific win, a great win, but it's gone."

And so is, after a thrilling and nerve-racking afternoon at AFL coaching's coalface, my hearing.

© 2008 Sun Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home