The sacking of Alistair Edwards by Tony Sage was the very disappointing, but seemly inevitable conclusion to this sorry saga of disquiet, dischord and perceived nepotism that has rocked Perth Glory.
The power of a tragedy according to Aristotle is when a misfortune befalls a flawed man like us. Aristotle’s idea of what makes a tragic hero is a man “whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty.” He is virtuous and “one who is highly renowned and prosperous” but one who is not “eminently good and just” due to his flaw.
Alistair Edward’s fatal flaw as a coach was to love his sons so much he decided to recruit them to come to Perth Glory on loan. His downfall, has been slowly and tragically working it’s way out since then.
Let me just say at the start that Alistair Edwards is a great coach, and Cameron Edwards and Ryan Edwards are good players and definitely A-League standard.
I wish them all well, particularly Alistair, as he’s been doing some good work at Glory, and seems a genuinely decent guy.
However, the decision to bring his sons back to Australia on a loan deal and sign them to play for his team was always going to end this way.
Whilst it might be understandable as a man to have your sons with you, as a coach of a professional team, it is always going to create resentment. Whether nepotistic or not, it looks that way. Whether his team selections were unethical or not, it looks that way. And whether I would have sat Jacob Burns off, and I probably would have, given the fact that the rebellion he has led does not seem to be spur-of-the-moment, the image of sitting off your captain and one of your most experienced players, while sending your boys on, galls the egalitarian instincts of every player.
There is a reason why Tony Sage wasn’t keen on the signing of the Edward’s sons when they came. It was a ticking time-bomb waiting to go off. Sadly, the other day, it did. Having Dad as coach works in the Nundah-Wavell U9’s. In the A-League, not so much.
Alistair, if you ever read this, I wish you and your boys all the best. You are a good coach and I hope to see more of your coaching in the A-League again. And I’m sorry that you now know, as every other team in the A-League already did, that Jacob Burns is a bit of a jerk.
Cameron and Ryan, if you ever read this, don’t blame yourselves. As much as I don’t think Dad should have signed you, you are great footballers, worthy of a spot in the A-League.
Take the pain from this and use it to show people you are great footballers. As a coach, Dad made a mistake. But as a Dad, he obviously cares about you very much, and that is worth more than all the coaching jobs in the world.
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” – William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
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