Sheeds may be slipping in his delivery. Last week he passed a comment about Adam Ramanauskas — the coach said he would never play again — that he regretted, having to back away from it the following day. Yesterday (30/5) his description of Collingwood supporters as "nuff-nuffs" sent Essendon's long-time media man Simon Matthews traipsing away from the media conference momentarily with a bemused look on his face.
Sheedy was trying to make the point that Essendon's crowds were second only to Collingwood's. "They've got 5000 more nuff-nuffs. The nuff-nuffs will always go, if you know what I mean. It doesn't matter. You're not going to catch them. They'll go when Collingwood are nought-nought."
It was meant to be funny but it may not be interpreted that way in some circles. When a radio reporter asked Sheedy what he meant by "nuff-nuff", Sheedy fired back: "I'm looking at one."
Just for the record, in 25 years of Sheedy coaching Essendon FC, They have appeared in 7 Grand Finals, and won 4 ('84, '85, '93 and '2000). That means Sheedy has been a successful coach in just 16% of the years he has coached Essendon.
Some more moments I'm sure he'd like to forget:
1990 Grand Final v Collingwood: On the biggest stage of all, against a hated foe, Essendon served up one of its lamest efforts under Sheedy's coaching, kicking just five goals for the game. The Dons became the butt of ridicule by allowing the Magpies to win their first flag in 32 years.As a Collingwood supporter, this my favourite football moment of all time. We beat Essendon by 48 points (Collingwood 13.11.89, Essendon 5.11.41) and we finally won another Grand Final, our first premiership for 32 years.
Hawthorn on drugs: During the 1984 finals series, Sheedy sparked a police investigation into a substance Hawthorn players were sniffing during the breaks. It turned out to be nothing more than eucalyptus, and an embarrassed club considered parting ways with its coach.
Blowing his cool: In 25 years, Sheedy has always managed to keep his composure - except after the Bombers lost by Tony Lockett's famous post-siren point in the 1996 preliminary final. Sheedy's subsequent explosion in the rooms is something the coach has always regretted.
Trading Peter Bradbury/Steve Carey: The pair had been handy defenders in premierships but past their best by 1986 with the Dons starting to hit trouble. Essendon picked up big-name pair Geoff Raines and Mike Richardson but lost two of its most popular clubmen. Morale was not the same among the list for some time afterwards.
1983 Grand Final v Hawthorn: The young Dons had surged through the finals but ran into a well-drilled Hawthorn machine on grand final day and were thrashed by a then-record 83 points. A bitter Sheedy famously ripped shreds off his players at the official dinner that night.
Derek Kickett: Not so much for his decision to drop for the 1993 grand final the dynamic Bomber favourite, who'd played every game and had kicked a bag of eight goals only weeks before, but perhaps for a lack of effort to make peace afterwards with a proud man who'd been badly hurt.
Mitchell White: The Bomber coach, angered by an incident between West Coast's Mitchell White and his own Jason Johnson in 2000, at the break strode towards the veteran Eagle yelling abuse and making throat-slashing gestures. It had him hauled before the tribunal and fined $7500.
1987 v Sydney at SCG: In a rare season out of the finals, this 163-point thrashing at the hands of the rampant Swans, who kicked 36 goals, was the nadir.
1992 v Hawthorn at MCG: One of the darkest days in Sheedy's coaching history - a 160-point thrashing at the hands of the hated Hawks, Jason Dunstall booting 12 goals. The Dons were rebuilding, but that didn't excuse this stinker of a performance.
Martin Pike: Sheedy had taken plenty of recruiting gambles over the years, most paying off handsomely, but when the rugged former Melbourne and Fitzroy player was available in the 1996 draft, he allowed the doubters to hold sway. Pike has since played in four premierships.
Steve
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