thank you chris

so the inevitable has happened and chris connolly has stepped down as coach of freo. i know the press are always in need of a good story but they really need to stop and think about what they're doing sometimes. the speed with which they've turned on chris has been despicable and there are a number of 'journalists' in perth who should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. the fact of the matter is that my mob were a laughing stock when chris took over at the end of 2001. i still clearly remember that season as i turned up week-in, week-out to watch us lose consistently. the final game against adelaide, which was the only home game we won that year, was a rare treat. the turnaround following chris' appointment was immediate. since then we've made the finals twice, including a preliminary final last season. of course, that's not enough for the vultures in the press who lick their lips at the first scent of blood.

i want to thank chris for all the work he's put into the club, for the humour he's shown and for being a simple, approachable bloke who has more integrity in his little finger than many of the 'journalists' combined. i honestly hope he gets another chance at senior level (melbourne next season maybe?) and proves just what he's capable of.

as for next year, i reckon it's time we went for a proven senior coach and therefore i'd like to see neale daniher appointed. he's been very unlucky this season with the number of injuries at melbourne and he's proven himself by coaching melbourne to a number of finals campaigns, including the 2000 grand final. he's also another coach with a great deal of integrity and knows the culture of the club after being assistant to gerard neesham.

so, good luck chris. thanks for the memories and i hope 2008 proves to be a fantastic year for you.