Mathew Primus' future

has he got a future as the coach of Port or anyone else for that matter ?...imho GONE


the drums are beating loudly according to 'the experts' at the trots tonight that he's not going to be there next year


i know hindsight is a wonderful thing but surely Chris Scott would have been a better choice & i believe (known for a long time) that Chris had the job & started telling them what was going to be changed & so on & the decision was reversed as toes were going to be stepped on, now i'm not suggesting for one minute that Port would have gone top or even close but i'm sure they would be competitive & not the rabble they've been for the last 2 or 3 years

has the 20 goal grand final loss mentally ruined that franchise ?


btw how can a trotting trainer with no high level experience get a job as Ports midfield coach ? i can only think it pays for the training fees of the Mathews Primus' horses....when i asked this question tonight at Globe Derby everyone i spoke to thought it was a stupid exercise & one wise crack said ''Ryan wouldn't get a kick in a stable''

Norwood looking for a coach next season aren't they?

Hearing Saint Rucci on Triple M this afterrnoon/evening he said that Port were going keep him on next year and WAS going to sign on the 13th August but the lost to GWS may mean he is a Dead man Walking

If it is true that they were going to re-sign him, it says it all.

I can't believe that rumour though, surely?

sapaul wrote:Norwood looking for a coach next season aren't they?

My thoughts exactly. They'd have to look at Bassett surely. Or have they already spoken to him earlier in the season? Makes you wonder why Nathan declared he wouldn't be at The Parade next year halfway through this season...

Shaun Rehn to coach the last 4 games

What the ... ?

howthewestwaswon wrote:

sapaul wrote:Norwood looking for a coach next season aren't they?

My thoughts exactly. They'd have to look at Bassett surely. Or have they already spoken to him earlier in the season? Makes you wonder why Nathan declared he wouldn't be at The Parade next year halfway through this season...

Bassett never intended to coach Norwood for more than 3 years. We all knew that going in. Only time will tell if his tenure brings premiership success. The announcement made mid season was because he already had an arrangement with an AFL club as development officer and defensive coach.

This role would be perfect for Bass, but of course if a senior role came up he would not be bound by that arrangement. My personal thoughts are it would be a huge mistake to offer Bassett a senior role at this time in his career, there is so much he needs to learn, and there are many others ahead of him at this time.

Thiele wrote:Hearing Saint Rucci on Triple M this afterrnoon/evening he said that Port were going keep him on next year and WAS going to sign on the 13th August but the lost to GWS may mean he is a Dead man Walking

I just happened to catch a comment from Stephen Rowe on the radio this afternoon. I'm not sure if I heard him right, but he was saying he asked Keith Thomas a couple of days ago about Primus' contract, and Thomas said he wasn't aware of the terms of the contract and would need to find out.

Surely the CEO of the club should be aware of the terms of the Senior coach's contract, shouldn't he?

Scott Burns, another ex Norwood player was rumoured to be the one the AFC wanted if they could not get Brenton Sanderson. Burns said he needed another year to learn the role, one would think that he would be one of the first Port speak to as they go about making their decision.

Whilst sacking the Coach may give the fans some satisfaction, its my opinion that the actual problem at Port cuts far deeper than that and that several other sackings both at the board and management level as well as the Coaching staff need to be undertaken to turn the club around - which should have been done when Williams was sacked and the result is going to be the same for the next coach if things don't change.

To be honest, IMO they need someone like a Malthouse to turn it around. I'd like to see him there, but I don't think he'd leave Melbourne.

Leigh Tudor or John Blakey from Sydney Swans might be potential candidates. Both have been assistant coaches at AFL level (at different clubs too) for a while, and Tudor has TAC Cup head coach experience.

Here are some other AFL assistants that might be interested in putting their name forward:
Leon Cameron or David Flood from the Hawks
Matthew Lappin, Ben Hart or Craig McRae from the Magpies
Justin Leppitsch from the Tigers
Alan Richardson or Gavin Brown from the Blues
Blake Caracella from the Cats

would Simon Goodwin be ready ?

would they consider Mark Williams ?

Peter Germans name used to get bandied around, while from left field would he be thought of ?

would Mark Mickan be any hope if he applied ?

In Ports case I think what they really need is someone who can point to having done the job first, taken a struggling club and made it successful. Grant Thomas is one name that comes to mind.

Would they get someone without the Port Adelaide blood in them??

Surely they would have too??!!!

I actually not think even a top coach could get them out of it. There are deeper , nasty things in that club that need to be adressed first before the coach issue.

Ayres?

SOUTHERN STYLE wrote:Ayres?

I wouldn't think so. Been out of the system for a little too long, and they say in the AFL caper, you're only good enough to have stints at a max of two clubs. I tend to agree. You wouldn't give the likes of Terry Wallace, Leigh Matthews, Rodney Eade another go, would you?

Blight (North, Geelong, Adelaide) and Malthouse (Footscray, West Coast, Collingwood) are the exceptions that come to mind.

Former coaches that have only been at one club include Paul Roos, Neil Craig, Mark Thompson and Dean Laidley (although you could make arguments for the latter two...). Do any of them deserve a "second chance"? I would snap up Roos in an instant. And once again, how many are willing to pack up their families and move away from Melbourne? Laidley already tried without success.

For a 'nation-wide' competition, a lot of potential 'top people' for the job are too Melbourne-centric!

sapaul wrote:Shaun Rehn to coach the last 4 games

My thoughts exactly. We all know what the game plan will be for the last four games - 18 players behind the ball. Going to be a very ugly 4 weeks watching Port sadly.

howthewestwaswon wrote:To be honest, IMO they need someone like a Malthouse to turn it around. I'd like to see him there, but I don't think he'd leave Melbourne.

Funny you should say that - My dad a through and through power supporter says the same thing.

I too doubt he would leave Melbourne.

The problem is, Port Adelaide are in such a poor state now that I doubt they would attract a big name. It's a poisoned chalice IMO, doomed to fail unless there is also a significant change in administration and a complete overhaul of the football department.

Dark days for Port Adelaide, very dark.

Club Statement

THE Port Adelaide Football Club announces that its board has decided not to proceed with an optional third year in the contract of senior coach Matthew Primus.

Primus has accepted the unanimous decision and has chosen not to coach out the remainder of the 2012 season. The club’s longest serving assistant coach Garry Hocking will serve as caretaker coach.

Further, Brett Duncanson is standing down from his position as a director and president of the club.

Duncanson will leave his board position at the AGM in December in what he believes are the best interests of the club. He has agreed to see the year out at the request of the board.

The club also confirms it is finalising an exhaustive independent review of its football department and administration, commissioned by chief executive officer Keith Thomas.

Earlier this year, at the initiative of club directors, an external review of the board was carried out by highly respected South Australian businessman David Simmons.

Thomas said the difficult decisions were made in the best interests of the club and its progress towards being a highly competitive AFL force on arrival at Adelaide Oval in 2014.

“Unfortunately, our performances - particularly in the second half of this year - have not demonstrated the rate of progress or consistency that we expected,” Thomas said.

“Both Brett and Matthew have made enormous contributions to Port Adelaide over a very long time and the full benefits of their efforts will be seen in the years to come,” Thomas said.

“I am sure I speak for the entire Port Adelaide community in thanking them for that.

“These men have put their club first and in doing so leave us with an opportunity to build on their work as we shape our football club for the move to Adelaide Oval and beyond.”

Primus said that while he would like to have continued, he accepted the decision.

“I thank the Port Adelaide Football Club for the opportunity to play and to coach,” Primus said.

“It hasn’t worked out the way I wanted. I had a plan to become a successful team and I won’t get the opportunity to see it through.

“I love the club and I love the game, and while I won’t get the opportunity to see that through with Port Adelaide I hope that I will somewhere else.”

Thomas paid tribute to Primus, who was appointed to the role at the end of 2010 after five years as an assistant coach. Primus also played 137 AFL games with Port Adelaide between 1997-2005 and captained the club for five seasons from 2001.

“Matthew Primus is one of Port Adelaide’s finest servants and the way he has approached his coaching career is exactly the way he approached his stellar playing career - as a leader and a man with total commitment,” Thomas said.

President Brett Duncanson thanked Primus for his contribution to Port Adelaide at all levels since joining the club in its inaugural AFL year in 1997.

“Matty is a great person and a great leader who has accepted the challenges and responsibilities of his first coaching role with great passion and commitment,” Duncanson said.

“We appreciate the effort he has made in every role has filled at Port Adelaide.”

Duncanson - who has been president since 2009 - says his decision to stand down provides an opportunity for renewal as the club embraces the opportunities ahead of it.

“I have supported Port Adelaide all my life and it’s been an honour to serve as a director and president,” Duncanson said.

“I am particularly proud of the role I have played in reuniting the club, in making plans for AFL at Adelaide Oval and in reducing the club’s debt.

“But this is a chance for a fresh set of eyes and a new energy as the club enters the most exciting phase in its history.”

Thomas also thanked Duncanson for the legacy he will leave after serving as a director of Port Adelaide’s SANFL division since 1996 and at AFL level from 2005.

“Brett has always had the interests of Port Adelaide at heart and has tirelessly presided over the club at a very difficult time,” Thomas said.

“He has demonstrated unflinching commitment and played a critical role in the One Club reunification and set us on the path to Adelaide Oval, and those decisions are the foundations of our exciting future.”

Thomas said the review of the club’s on and off-field activities had been carried out by highly-regarded individuals with long experience in AFL football.

“The board took a strategic decision to keep the review private until it is complete, but it is now important for everyone to know that our performance has been under review.

“The findings and recommendations will remain confidential for now, but they will guide us towards building a program and a business that will deliver sustained success.

“This football club is filled with good, hard-working people who are passionate and determined to see the club succeed and that is a great basis from which we can grow.”

Port Adelaide will begin the search for its next senior coach immediately.

The right move on both counts.

I don't believe what has happened is Primus' fault, but there comes a point where complete change from the ground up is required.

Everything about Port Adelaide needs to be rebuilt from scratch almost. Will be interesting to see how things develop from now on.