Armstrong Chopped

On Monday 10 July 2006 I wrote the following piece for Inside Football. That day, and on Thursday I was interviewed on Tasmanian radio about developments withing the Tassie Devils Football Club.

It transpired that Ben Beams advised Armstrong that he no longer had the confidence of the senior players. I find it astounding that Beams would have the temerity to deliver such an ultimatum to the coach. Why didn't Beams go public about the impact of the 'Jonathan Hay affair' on the club and Armstrong? Now that would have been an act of bravery!

This Saturday, on the ABC telecast of the Willi v Scorpions match, we'll discuss the drama at the Devils.

A Devil of a time

They might yet make the eight but there's plenty to ponder about the Tassie Devils fall from grace. This year's team is a shadow of the side that brought big crowds to its home games and played with such spirit in 2005 it made the finals and was rated a premiership contender. When the Devils entered into an AFL alignment that involved them sharing Kangaroos players with North Ballarat most thought it would make a finals berth a certainty. With four wins from 12 matches nothing could be further from the truth. What's truly puzzling is the apparent lack of leadership and spirit in the team.

On Saturday, in the ABC match of the round against the stand-alone Frankston, the Devils, despite taking seven AFL listed players into the game, were pathetic. Three weeks has passed since the much-publicised account of Kangaroo Jonathan Hay playing against Werribee after spending some part of the previous evening at Wrest Point Casino. Hay played poorly and was disciplined by the Kangaroos, who stood him down for one match. I've never met Hay and have no doubt watching him on the weekend that he is trying hard to get a kick. As sad as it is, he isn't playing well enough to hold a place in the side. This is only part of the problem.

Because they do not have a reserves side Hay was able to return to the Devils senior team without having to do any penance. Why for example wasn't he asked to play with a local team, as any Devils player would be? No matter how much gloss you paint over football clubs, not one is immune from moments of in-fighting and fractured morale. There must surely be Devils players asking questions about the selection process and the impact of the alignment on the club.

During the telecast on Saturday I raised the question of why coach Matt Armstrong didn't try Hay up forward or do something with him that might have dragged him from the rut. Maybe he needs a new challenge. What's patently obvious is that he isn't being picked on form and that the longer this goes on the worse it is for the Devils. Hay aside, it could hardly be said that Kangaroos Brad Moran, Cameron Thurley, Joel Perry, Chad Jones and Jade Rawlings inspired the side on Saturday.

In an interview with ABC commentator Peter Donegan earlier in the season, Kangaroo coach Dean Laidley blamed Port Melbourne (their partner club last year) for ruckman Moran's slow progress. He spent too much time in the reserves at Port, said Laidley. It's no secret that the claim riled Port president Peter Saultry. Despite being a regular with the Devils, 19-year-old Moran is yet to reach the heights Laidley's criticisms of Port implied were within his reach. Twenty-two-year-old Chad Jones is another who is under achieving. On Saturday he was part of a three-pronged attack that included Jade Rawlings and Trent Bartlett. Unfortunately, the Devils players seemed incapable of choosing the right target. As a result not one of these players was significant when the game had to be won.

In previous seasons coach Matt Armstrong has exuded confidence and traded on the club's stand-alone status. Right now that confidence is missing and his side is rudderless. And before he pins this article on the wall as motivation, it must be understood that he said as much about his players on the weekend. I don't want to put too fine a point on it, but I reckon he needs to show who's running the place. If that means dropping Jonathan Hay or trying him up forward, then so be it.

While the Devils were licking their wounds on the weekend, Sav Rocca, whom the Kangaroos decreed had to play with a Victorian VFL club, banged through 8 goals for North Ballarat to clinch a thriller against the Bendigo Bombers. Maybe the Devils were wrong to think an alignment of this kind would propel them forward. Travelling to Bendigo or Ballarat might not thrill an ageing or even an aspiring player. But it's a lot less onerous than flying to Tassie every second week. Sadly, the Kangaroo contingent looks about as happy as someone on duty in Iraq. For Matt Armstrong, rekindling some spirit is the biggest challenge he's faced since taking over a coach in 2001, the Devils inaugural season.

A Famous VFA

It's heartening to see Football Victoria CEO Ken Gannon raising the issue of VFA players finding a place in Football's Hall of Fame. My only problem with Ken's comments is that every VFA player he has identified has played VFL/AFL football. That means players such as Bill Swan could never make it into the Hall of Fame. Next week I'll offer some thoughts on this question.