North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley admits the fall-out from the infamous chicken sex video has had a deeper impact on the AFL club than other recent dramas.
Laidley said the Kangaroos were still mentally drained from the apology they made last week for making the video and the criticism that followed, admitting they could still be feeling the effects in weeks to come.
“They’ve been a pretty fragile group as late as Monday and Tuesday,” he said on Thursday.
“We’re still moving forward and it’s not going to take a week or two weeks, I imagine it’s going to take a while.”
Arden Street has endured its share of drama this decade, most notably Wayne Carey’s tawdry split in 2002, but also the defection of coach Denis Pagan to Carlton that year, concern over finances and the threat of relocation to the Gold Coast in 2007.
Laidley, now in his seventh season as Pagan’s successor, said the video fall-out had affected the club more.
“Yeah, I would have thought, because of the individual scrutiny that the players have been put under, and the club has been put under, and the sponsors have been put under, and the chairman, the coaches and the CEO,” he said.
Laidley said it was difficult to quantify how much the incident contributed to North’s loss to Hawthorn last Sunday, but the mood at training ahead of Sunday’s clash against Essendon appeared sombre.
North fined Adam Simpson and Daniel Pratt $5,000 for their part in making the tasteless video and reprimanded a staff member who put the production on the internet.
The Kangaroos will soon also be addressed by Sue Clark, the AFL’s respect and responsibility policy officer, and former footballer Phil Cleary, now a campaigner against domestic violence.
Laidley’s comments came as the Kangaroos dropped senior players Daniel Wells and Corey Jones, through injury and frustrating form.
A hip injury will sideline Wells, but Laidley made it clear he was not satisfied with the midfielder’s input against the Hawks, when the coach accused his players of not working hard enough.
He also said Jones had reached the crossroads of his career and needed to work hard to reach the heights of 2007, when he topped the club’s goal-kicking.
Laidley said Wells, at 24 and a veteran of 126 games, should be producing more as a seasoned player and member of the Kangaroos’ leadership group.
Equally damning, he said Wells was not the sort who coped well playing with an injury.
“Once you go across the line and you’ve flagged yourself as being fit there’s no excuses,” he said.
“Everyone’s entitled to a bad game, but there’s certain things that you need to make sure (you’re doing), that you’re up and about in your body language and you do all the team stuff like chase and tackle.”
Jones returned to the North side last Sunday, but was also down and seems a long way from the star of 2007.
Laidley brought up Jones’ axing unprompted and said it had nothing to do with the injury problems he experienced last year.
“It is make or break where we’re at and where he’s at in his career,” he said.
matta
Guest
when did the world turn into a planet full of drama queens? Firstly, the video shouldnt be that much news..It was stupid and not at all funny but its hardly as shocking as some make it out to be....but then you have the coach making even more of it by suggesting it's having a mental effect on the players. Jesus the world needs to harden the f%$k up.
Tom
Guest
I have watched the whole video. And normally I would agree that the media goes too far in reporting on the behaviour of footballers. Personally I couldn't care less about what they do in their private lives and I would certainly never hold up a footballer as a role model for anybody. But now that this video has got the attention that it has anybody with half a brain or any vestige of credibility needs to acknowledge that its a pretty revolting example of a bad joke. I have no idea why it was made or why anyone would find it funny. But its pretty clear that the end of the video is meant to show the frozen chicken getting beaten up and then run over and then screwed. Possibly the point is to show that Boris has a one track mind. I've no idea. But when they made it they intended that someone would watch it and laugh and I find that disturbing. Everything that needs to be said about the video can be summarised in one sentence. 'Violence against women, and the implication of violence against women, is not funny and can never be funny, and it would take a sick mind to think otherwise'. Unfortunately some people have talked it down and I think thats not on. And I couldn't care less if this is going in all boys high schools or on university campuses. Its wrong anywhere.
Redb
Guest
MC, Good luck with that. Go Dons! Redb
Michael C
Roar Guru
Tom - have you watched the whole video? The stupid chicken depicted hooning in a while delivery van and then running over the thawed out frozen chicken - - -now, how should we interpret that? Anyone trying to suggest that the players are seriously suggesting that to be deemed appropriate behaviour to which they aspire must be mad. Anyone trying to suggest that that depicts the real attitude of the players towards women must be mad. I just find it amazing how much some people have gone out of their way to be offended - - and after all, the video was never designed for public release anyway. Sensible people are willing to just move on the quicker the better on this issue........I'm gonna join them too - - although, I'd spent a week deliberately avoiding a video I was never intended to see - - an action that if most others had taken, they wouldn't have the chance to be offended (me thinx many 'offended' folk have not seen it anyway). Having heard and read so much about it - - seeing the full unedited video was a bit of an anti-climax. Fair enough, it's about the level I'd expect from a bunch of uni students living on campus filling in some time - - been there, seen that, takes a bit to get offended even if I rarely partook myself - and most the kids I knew were future doctors, lawyers, teachers and engineers - - - not back pocket players for North Melbourne.
Tom
Guest
Personally I don't think the Kangaroos have got a rough ride from the media. For what the video is I think it could have been a lot worse. I've been surprised by the number of football commentators who've been prepared to downplay it. The reason this would've hit the group hardest is because its genuinely embarassing for everybody. It just makes it a little bit harder to look people in the eye. And so it should. Bloody hell. The thing was disgusting.
Michael C
Guest
As my dear old neighbour used to say : "Any false sense of security in the opposition is a good false sense of security." or, was it more that "Most fences are crap when faced with a herd of elephants unless the elephants are dead", which almost translates to effectively the same thing - - CARNA ROOS, shoot them bombers down!!!!!
Redb
Guest
Boys time to move on. C'mon MC your lads need a lift. Everyone else has moved on why can't the players. I suspect a plot to lull Essendon into a false sense of security. ;-) Redb
Michael C
Guest
The thing that get's me about this video, is, it's entirely likely it was just one of a number of 'adventures of Boris the chicken' videos. In all likelihood Boris was pre-season 'theme' who was progressively becoming more stupid, more vulger and more offensive. That the players have been judged so literally on the leaking of probably the worst installment, and have been repeatedly attacked in the media - it's disappointing. The thing for Laidley and the player group is that there isn't really a positive to cling to and band together with 'pride'. Not yet. They need a win desperately.