Niel Craig quits

Announced today, Mark Bickley to take over for the rest of the season.

Really nowhere else to go.

Reckon the crows would have let him see the season out.

A caretaker isn't going to achieve much with so few games left. But then again the Power did it last season this way.

Huge party at my place, everyone hurry on over!!!

Think its pretty sad that the Board of the club dont have the guts to make the hard decision and sack him and instead wait for him to fall on his sword though. They seemed to have no problem sacking Ayres who was a far better coach than Craig, its been eight years, any problems that Craig had were ones that he had created for himself.

Hopefully the board gets a clean out at the Crows as well and Stephen Trigg hits Centrelink to sign on for the dole, just sacking the coach is not enough, there still has to be a reckoning for the lack of accountability and poor recruiting in the last several years.

Hopefully though Alastair Clarkson gets a call later on tonight and is able to come to good terms with the AFC on a contract and we go forward from there!

Mick's looking for a job next year, isn't he?

What chance Bassett?

Won't happen until season end, but he would have to be regarded reasonably highly being a home grown crow boy. Probably a little higher up the pecking order than Bickley. But Bickley gets his chance to impress for the next 5 weeks.

Perhaps Bassett and Craig will do a swapsy.

I honestly can't see Malthouse or Clarkson coming over here.

Anyway, to be honest I really don't care that much. Surprised I am even posting on this thread.

I hear Roos' is an option....hmmmm...

Roos is supposed to have ruled himself out, although he would hardly be the first to say that and then sign a fortnight later.

Think the Crows need to do what South have done and chase a Premiership coach that can prove they can rebuild a struggling side, names that fit this category and may be available are - Leigh Matthews, Mick Malthouse, Bomber Thompson, Alaistair Clarkson, Malcolm Blight and Paul Roos.

The next tier are Rookie Coaches - Nathan Bassett, Scott Burns, Mark Bickley, Brenton Sanderson, Shaun Rehn are a few names mebtioned so far,

Think the AFC need to aim for the first list, failing that its between Bassett and Burns for my 2c worth!

Personally, like to see a South Australian who has been an AFL assistant for a few years now.

Only 3 that come to mind - Brenton Sanderson, Scott Burns and Todd Viney. Reckon Todd could be an outstanding coach.

Talk of Rodney Eade? WTF? We'd be going from someone who in his 7 years could only take sides to Preliminary Finals to someone who has been coaching for more than twice that and can only take sides into Preliminary Finals. Sure, he got Sydney into a GF in his first year (16 years ago) but that was when Lockett had just arrived. Prefer Terry Wallace over Rodney Eade.

Don't think our Terry is the toast of wherever he goes.
Really neither would be a good fit for the Crows.

Aside from Craig's actual coaching, he has established a fairly decent set-up re: fitness, rehab and other sports science gurus around the club.

They would want to make sure whoever takes over, is somewhat like-minded in this respect.

Whether they can or want to come aside, that would elevate the stature of more local grown products like Goodwin, Bickley, Bassett etc.

People have been talking up Sanderson's abilities for quite a while now. Not sure whether he has put in for the various senior jobs going in the last 2 to 3 years, but he seems to be overlooked quite often.

He would have served a his apprenticeship by now surely, and certainly has been around a successful outfit for long enough. Whether they want and experienced coach or not, it is probably time to for someone to give him a chance.