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“There’s been doubts in our employees … a lot doubt forged on so many people. That is what retains us going,” he says.
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On what may have been a quiet Monday this week, with no observe scheduled and the subsequent sport 4 days away, Alouettes common supervisor Danny Maciocia as a substitute carried out a personnel assembly along with his employees, already making ready for the 2025 season whereas nonetheless within the midst of this one.
“We’re always attempting to work, not solely on the subsequent sport however the subsequent week, month and season,” Maciocia advised The Gazette. “We wish to ensure we keep forward of the curve.”
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Heading into Friday evening’s sport at Saskatchewan, the defending Gray Cup-champion Als had a CFL-leading 8-1 file, with just one defeat in 17 video games, together with playoffs, courting again to final Sept. 15. That loss, July 11 in opposition to Toronto, got here throughout a sport wherein beginning quarterback Cody Fajardo was injured, changed by a struggling Caleb Evans, or Montreal may nonetheless be undefeated.
The Als reached the midpoint of their schedule — the opportune time to take inventory of issues — final weekend, in opposition to Hamilton. If Montreal’s championship final season was sudden, contemplating the exodus of free brokers in February and the shortage of possession till March, the group has confirmed it wasn’t a fluke.
However that takes nothing away from the crew’s and group’s accomplishment, contemplating these heights have been reached with out injured gamers Fajardo, Reggie Stubblefield, Tyler Snead, Kaion Julien-Grant and now Tyson Philpot — to not point out suspended rush-end Shawn Lemon, who has now missed six video games, and counting, for playing on CFL contests throughout 2021, together with one wherein he performed, whereas with Calgary. Montreal has 14 gamers on the six-game injured checklist.
Highway to the Cup
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The Als’ success comes all the way down to quite a few contributing components and people. Whereas the crew’s depth and skill to beat accidents can’t be neglected, head coach Jason Maas has supplied super management, his profession salvaged in Montreal following an earlier stint as Edmonton’s head coach and being fired because the Roughriders’ offensive coordinator following the 2022 season.
Maas’s quarterback that season? Fajardo. He, too, seemingly had reached a useless finish after Saskatchewan plucked former Alouettes starter Trevor Harris as a free agent. With few choices, Fajardo signed with Montreal, led the crew to a title and was named the Gray Cup’s most precious participant.
The Als group is crammed with coaches, gamers and entrance workplace members who have been neglected by different groups; reclamation initiatives which have flourished. And none extra so than Maciocia himself. The 57-year-old from St-Léonard was Edmonton’s head coach from 2005-08, its GM and director of soccer operations from 2008-10, when he was fired regardless of having led the crew to a Gray Cup in 2005. Now, greater than a decade later, Maciocia admitted he wasn’t prepared for the problem.
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“There’s been numerous doubters, not solely my earlier stint as a GM, however Jason’s earlier stint as head coach and his final cease earlier to coming right here,” Maciocia stated. “Cody’s story additionally. There’s been doubts in our employees … a lot doubt forged on so many people. That’s what retains us going. We did it a selected means, with explicit folks. That’s what retains us humble, retains us grinding each single day.
“We understand we’re on a selected run, however we all know how shortly it may finish.”
It took Maciocia a full decade earlier than he returned to the CFL, fulfilling a lifelong dream when he was employed because the Als’ GM in 2020. At his lowest level after being fired, Maciocia took a volunteer place as offensive coordinator at CEGEP André Grasset. In 2011, he was named head coach at Université de Montréal, the place he wore quite a few hats — coach, father determine, recruiter and architect of a soccer program. Inside three years the Carabins gained the Vanier Cup, dropping two extra earlier than his departure.
Maciocia now was prepared for the Als and a return to the CFL, though he was pressured to attend a 12 months when the 2020 CFL season was cancelled resulting from COVID-19.
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“I do know I can do that at a excessive stage, however there’s no GM’s guide,” Maciocia stated. “I’m a soccer coach that has to stability the books. And while you’re a coach, you all the time maintain your gamers.”
To this present day, Maciocia retains in weekly contact with Wally Buono, the legendary former CFL head coach and GM, amongst others, in search of steering and recommendation. Maciocia has change into extra affected person with time, capable of establish his strengths and weaknesses, hiring those that make him and the group stronger.
“I perceive the buck stops right here; I’m properly conscious of that,” he stated. “I’m going to sit down round and inform folks to problem me. I wish to know what all people has to say and don’t wish to encompass myself with sure folks. That means, they could decide up one thing that I neglected.
“I don’t stroll round saying we’re Gray Cup champions. I don’t reside that means. It sucks up all the nice vitality.”
The Als gained’t relaxation on their laurels, figuring out there’s a lot left to perform. It’s when issues are going properly, Buono advised Maciocia, that it turns into extra vital to push the envelope, holding the gamers hungry. Maas, who has the heartbeat of the crew, will do that and gained’t tolerate complacency. And with all of the accidents, Maciocia believes the Als have but to peak.
“Life isn’t what you accomplish, it’s what you overcome,” Maciocia stated. “That by far is the factor I’m most grateful for and tremendously completely happy about. This is a corporation that, for the primary time, is aligned and has super chemistry.”
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
twitter.com/HerbZurkowsky1
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