Analysis The state of our Club.

[Bailey01]

Excellent summary mate!!!

 

[Schulzycrow]

Think change for the better.
Admin I'm thinking will get their shite back together quickly, hope there are some more shake-up's yet.
Football side of things well, I thought that with Sando as well so...I'll be holding off for a season or two.

It's going to be the 7-28th player that needs improving...our skills and decision making were woeful at times...that is a coaching area..does bringing in Walsh, ROK and Teague change that? Interested in who the other appointments are going to be...hope they are in the fitness, skills side of things.

 

[Bailey01]

Happy to have ROK and Teague in as it gives the club a breath of fresh air with some outsiders coming in and not "the boys" always in the chair and getting a free ride as coaches and administrators.

 

[craig crowing]

Having just got back from leaving OS on just before Sando got sacked .
It looks like a great turnaround and very good appointments with Fagan and Walsh.
The decision to sack Sando was a hard one but the correct one and shows how stupid ,which we all said at time giving him the 2 years extension for no reason.
Would have like to seen more changes in coaches box and some including fitness coach, and Clark mainly lucky to still have jobs.
When sacking Sando it was hoped they had a succession plan but obviously not , but the massive experience of Walsh and his ability was good pick up and taking from Port was nice too.
Think would have liked to picked up 1 experienced Ass. Coach , but once Walsh has own team around we should see great improvement.
Obviously the change of coach was player motivated so coach change should assist us in retaining fab 3 in this next crucial FA year and hope they sign quickly to avoid Vic propaganda rubbish.
The club has totally stuffed up over last few years with the Trigg - Tippett fiasco just the pinnacle of many disaster decisions and good luck Carlton .
Like the delistings and obviously a lot of thought gone into process especially delisting 1st year rookies which very very rarely done in past . And both were ok and not Joyce types that could not get kicks in SANFL reserves. And yes he was on main list.
So it seems intent of building squad with covering weaknesses and adding to areas needed in hopefully new game plan.
Thought we could have traded a inside mid type for a need , but least done something to assist 2 of weakest areas.
We will improve but our list long way from Ports and other top teams so we wait and see how much can improve on and off the field.

 

[Mike Smyth]

Its sad that with Trigg and Sando in charge, it was impossible to have any good expectations.

I reckon if I was a player I would be worried whether I should be addressing Phil as Mr Walsh. Whereas with Sando my only concern would have been if he was going to have a crack at my girlfriend while I was at the bar.

 

[Mike Smyth]

Another thing. I don't think **** or roo will underestimate port. They have shown with gorrengegate how low they,are willing to sink to make themselves look better than us.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I'll probably hold off on declaring that everyone at the club is fandiddlytastic and that we're really the greatest thing ever until we've actually achieved anything. This world beating regime has yet to win a game of AFL football.

Our fans are too easily impressed by Malibu Stacy's new hat. Wait to see the bloody results before you start worshipping.

I must say though that's it's nice to move from resignation to wait and see

 

[Cleric]

Middle of the road....AFC style.

 

[Mike Smyth]

Middle of the road....AFC style.

If you cant get just a little bit excited about the changes made in the last 6 months then we may as well just give up and go and support the wallabies. There is no way the old guard would have hired a guy like walsh or made 7 list changes in 1 year.

Give it time as its going to take another 2 years before the old guard is removed from the club.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Good write up.

Initially I was shocked at Sando's sacking but I think it's the right move. We played a very dumb brand of football under him and I can't honestly say we we're improving. We seemed to come out of every pre-season with new flaws.

Happy with the coaching appointments. Walsh has experience from a number of well respected clubs and comes well recommended. We also get the added benefit of stealing our cross-town rivals midfield coach. Also hoping O'Keefe can instill some of Sydney's work ethic at Adelaide. Not sure what to think about Teague. He just got let go from St Kilda. Walsh certainly rates him though and that will have to do.

I think the criticism in the media is a good thing. The Crows did an excellent job keeping it all secret until the last possible moment and you can tell this pisses off those so-called football journalists who we're kept out of the loop.

 

[1970crow]

Change is not an end, its a means. Why do so few understand this?

I'm not as clever as some, but if I could describe it kinda mathematically;

Shitness + no change = shitness (at best)
Shitness + change = ?????

People are excited about the possibility of success contained within the ??'s. As you say, we'll have to wait and see what comes from this round of decisions. If it's more shitness, then we've got to continue to make changes and that will ultimately be the test of the management groups. But I'm a lot more enthusiastic about not knowing than I was about my previous POV.

 

[Elite Crow]

I'm happy that things are changing but also bloody angry. Make no mistake Trigg has ****ed our club so much so that we need a Roo led revolution. Trigg leaves stating we are in great shape but that's just bullshit.

On the field we are coming from a mile back, we couldn't use our picks to trade in players because we needed them after 2 years of no picks. That's now 3 years of preseasons impacted by Tippett gate. Meanwhile teams that are far ahead of us can go about there business getting stronger.

Chapman has to go, he was Chairman during this fiasco, just as Trigg needed to be held to account so does he. They were both responsible for re-signing Sando after a poor year just because they didn't want the coaching scrutiny during the year, cowards.

And to some of our supporters on here, I hope you've learnt one thing, the club makes mistakes, just because they are our club doesn't mean you have to follow them blindly. Our selections have been questionable over the last 2 years and yet we were told "we don't know what the coaches know and we don't have their experience or Intel" well we now know Sando had no bloody idea and was sacked.

Enjoying the changes but we won't see a turnaround on field for years.

 

[Crow54]

When Sando took over I thought he talks the talk can he walk the walk...2012 the perfect storm and so close...from there perfect storm and the talk was exposed for what it was.

Triggy....
But he adds: “The club is in great shape. By assets we are in a strong position. We hold a good position in the competition. We are playing in one of the world’s great stadiums, there is record membership, we are making money ...
“We have been incredibly consistent and competitive on the football field. The fact there has not been another grand final or premiership in my time will always niggle because in the end that is what this game is all about.
“On reflection, I am proud of what we have achieved. But the legacy question is for others to pass judgment.”


I for one said, don't let the door hit you too hard on your way out...about 5 years too late for me.

Once he leaves all hell breaks loose...the press leaks stop....the media has to make stuff up to what is happening at the AFC...very funny stuff.
Things have changed dramatically in the time Triggy walked out with that statement that the club was in great shape. Lot's knew it wasn't, we had a good list of young talented players that on the whole seemed to be going backwards...with seemingly no real plan to improve.

We'd had two preseasons of less that fantastic results, we seemed to be on the back foot before the season had begun, our win contested possession at all cost gameplan was suspect, our defence wasn't what it had been, the players didn't seem to be playing for each other doing the team 1%ers and our skills were killing any chances of getting it to our forwards who did well enough to be 3rd best in the comp for scores. Our midfield had class, but too many one way runners. Not enough on field leadership and box leadership when the chips were down.

Roo being in the media and away from the club, probably had more of a chance to hear and see things without the AFC goggles on. There were some obviously on the board that could see where the club was going and it wasn't the direction the departing CEO gushed about as he handed over his office keys. Roo is the public face of this and I'm sure more than happy to be the face of the Roovalution.

Step one was to bone Sando...I remember listening to his last AA interview and thought whoa this guy is way out of his depth..didn't see it coming thought he might get another year with a new panel around him, but hearing the word from inside the playing group, he wasn't up to the pressures and demands of being a head coach. I think he will make it as an assistant, but these days more than ever it takes someone who knows his limitations and is strong enough to demand he gets the help he needs. Triggy I don't think did enough to help, but what's done is done.

Step 2. Fagan's appointment. The new AFC was on show for this...no leaks, not on anyone's radar and highly credentialed operator in another sport. I like Fages. Already he has connected to the supporter base in a way Trigg ever did. I like the way he comes across as wanting success and being prepared to do what it takes to getting it. Proof is still to be seen, but what he has done so far I feel like the admin will run smoother and have a more professional edge to it.

Step 3. Walsh's appointment. No leaks, wasn't even on the radar for a long time and it was surely not when he finally was. I have liked the lines coming from him have given me hope that he can be the one to harness the potential of our list. He looks sure of himself and knows his weaknesses and has gone about building a team around him that will drive his hard nosed approach and putting team above everything else.

All this change is great. I'm liking what I am hearing, I liking what I'm seeing...not going the full lindy yet, but think we are back on track. Proof is going to be with who we trade in, are we going to play it safe or take a chance-like Caleb Daniel, getting the signatures of Sloane, Tex AND Danger and next trading period having players nominating to come to the AFC after witnessing the new Walsh gameplan and the hard ruthless way the AFC is now playing their football.

Will be breaking crowd records again next season...bookmark it.

Viva the Roovalution.

Great post!

I just hope Fagan stays for a while. He seems over qualified for the job. At this stage, though, there are plenty of challenges, so maybe he'll have some incentive to stay.

 

[Cleric]

If you cant get just a little bit excited about the changes made in the last 6 months then we may as well just give up and go and support the wallabies. There is no way the old guard would have hired a guy like walsh or made 7 list changes in 1 year.

Give it time as its going to take another 2 years before the old guard is removed from the club.

I do support the Wallabies. Its unaustralian not to.
As it is we are a middle of the road team. We are not top 4 material ATM, but we have a new coach who is saying the right things. Trigg has gone, and Roo looks like he is going to push hard for success. We have some excellent players on the list, new home ground as well. Sure there are some positive things but we are still working to a premiership window. We are middle of the road at the moment but hopefully we improve next year.

 

[Cleric]

And can we stop calling him ****...that will no doubt be PAPs nickname for him.

 

[1970crow]

Great post!

I just hope Fagan stays for a while. He seems over qualified for the job. At this stage, though, there are plenty of challenges, so maybe he'll have some incentive to stay.

3-4 years I'd reckon. Turn it around, become an on/off-field power in a different sport than where started. That would stamp his as a top-notch administrator. I expect his grand plan will be to run competitions, not clubs. He may need to turn around a basket case to put the finishing touches on his CV, but he doesn't come across as a long term club CEO. Compared to Trigg who would have happily retired as CEO in 20 more years if his sucking up to Vlad didn't produce the AFL gig he saw as his next role.

 

[Crow54]

3-4 years I'd reckon. Turn it around, become an on/off-field power in a different sport than where started. That would stamp his as a top-notch administrator. I expect his grand plan will be to run competitions, not clubs. He may need to turn around a basket case to put the finishing touches on his CV, but he doesn't come across as a long term club CEO. Compared to Trigg who would have happily retired as CEO in 20 more years if his sucking up to Vlad didn't produce the AFL gig he saw as his next role.

I'd be happy with four years, providing we get a strong new CEO to replace him. I'm worried it'll be two years before he gets itchy feet.

 

[1970crow]

I'd be happy with four years, providing we get a strong new CEO to replace him. I'm worried it'll be two years before he gets itchy feet.

2 years might be enough to re-set the benchmarks. As we declined off-field during triggs reign the standard of successful operation were adjusted to meet our present level of achievement. I have no doubt that both Trigg and Chapman still think that the club couldn't have been run any better over the last few years. I hope that if Fagans term is short, then he at least shows how a success driven organisation is run. Then it's up to the board to hold future CEO's to those standards.

 

[Apsaalooke]

When Fagan and Walsh did an interview together screened on TV wearing Crow's ties, I remember thinking that a month earlier I wouldn't have even recognized either of them and now they're running the show. Talk about a whirlwind change.

When Trigg left he said words to the effect of "Don't worry Crow fans, the club is in good hands". It seems he was right but for the wrong reasons.

 

[TexFactor]

3-4 years I'd reckon. Turn it around, become an on/off-field power in a different sport than where started. That would stamp his as a top-notch administrator. I expect his grand plan will be to run competitions, not clubs. He may need to turn around a basket case to put the finishing touches on his CV, but he doesn't come across as a long term club CEO. Compared to Trigg who would have happily retired as CEO in 20 more years if his sucking up to Vlad didn't produce the AFL gig he saw as his next role.

I actually recall him saying that he enjoys running a club and preferred it to running a competition. he likes being at the 'coal face' as he put it.
he is probably a competitor and as such gets a kick out of beating others, even if its from behind a desk.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Chapman is still hanging around like a bad smell. And make no mistake, the stench at our club wasn't just B.O it was BBO (Beyond B.O).

When a former captain and the club's favourite son suddenly goes from having nothing to do with the club, to being a board member apponting a new coach and CEO within the space of THREE MONTHS, you can get an idea of just how much we stunk.

 

[weneverland]

Great OP Mattrox, you are certainly a 'glass half full' kind of guy. In the interest of balance here are just a couple of 'half empty' type considerations.

Most of the board that oversaw the last few years of mediocrity (at best) are still there and there is no indication or mechanism to show that they are leaving anytime soon.

The playing list has some gaping holes in it that wasn't really addressed this trade period and will probably take years to fix. Have we got the staff that can get ahead of the other good clubs and assemble a great list?

Although the new coach has got nearly every supporter excited (me included) and is saying the right things, he hasn't coached one game yet and could turn out to be a spud.

The new CEO is as yet untried as head of an AFL club. A lot of the changes attributed to both the new coach and the new CEO were in all probability instigated by the existing staff.

At the moment AFL footballers would regard the Crows are the least preferred team in one of the less preferred locations in the AFL. This is quite a handicap we have to overcome.

Still, things won't change unless we try to change them. I hope we succeed.

 

[Southerntakeover]

I'm not as clever as some, but if I could describe it kinda mathematically;

Shitness + no change = shitness (at best)
Shitness + change = ?????

People are excited about the possibility of success contained within the ??'s. As you say, we'll have to wait and see what comes from this round of decisions. If it's more shitness, then we've got to continue to make changes and that will ultimately be the test of the management groups. But I'm a lot more enthusiastic about not knowing than I was about my previous POV.

Absolutely.

I'm not upset that we made change. I just don't think we have a forced position between extremes. Change doesnt instantly mean we're the best, it doesnt necessarily mean we're terrible. It would be more sensible to approach it in a 'wait and see' way.

That's not to say I'm unhappy with the changes to date- its a breath of fresh air and was absolutely necessary. Still, I fear that the reform is only half done. Don't place your trust in saviours, place it in accountability. If they want to save our club, give us Members voting rights. There's no threat to them if they genuinely are the best.

 

[Huntercrow]

I think we have to remain vigilant. nothing has happened to spark too much enthusiasm beyond rearranging deck chairs.
I agree it seems to be moving in the right direction but the trading period ended strangely for me. The list managers didn't get that the club needed to show forward momentum. This was not the year to be experimenting with pick downgrades and speculative cast offs. But that's for another thread.

This season was disappointing on field. Seems we had the wrong coach. I'm not so certain he was totally to blame. The club let him down by not finding an immediate replacement for Dean Bailey.
My gut feeling is when Sando refused Walsh as an assistant the club saw no alternative. So now our former coach will have a 2 year paid holiday courtesy of the AFC. "Sandogate" may come back to bite us when our salary cap is blown out at the end of 2015 and we are paying corporate tax to the AFL.

However Some on BF believe it's full steam ahead. Get on board the roo express!

Are we that desperate that we'll hang our hat on the first newcomer to the board.
I get the "Roovolution" and I get the enthusiasm but I don't get the blind loyalty demanded by some. Loyalty must be earned. I like that a club legend has chipped in but he is a rookie board member who will make rookie mistakes. He is not the Messiah........yet!
I think in this situation as supporters of the AFC we must keep the pressure on the board to get it right. Criticise when they get it wrong and remember these people are only human so they need supporter feedback.

The clubs greatest asset has always been the supporter base. 2014 proved this beyond doubt. It continually amazed me how these people shrugged off poor results to fill AO each week. Imagine what the club could achieve during a successful year. But has the club ever understood how lucky they are in this situation? Do they understand that the hoards of human tri colors sometimes deserve a little bit more than pick downgrades and another Rookie coach to wet their appetites over the long pre season. We need our club to get us excited about the future. So far except for some promising appointments it has failed to do this.
For all of the hate from our cross town rivals and how deservedly smug they are this year, their club at board level and marketing will always be envious of our supporter base..........of course they would deny this!

I believe the role of any board is to strengthen the club foundations. The supporter base is there. The playing stocks are almost there. The football department is getting there. However Our marketing department has in the past ignored the interstate supporter base so it will be important that they get this right or risk loosing more eastern state support to the expansion clubs. The club needs a bigger footprint in NSW I know Fagan would understand this through his involvement with Union. This alone makes his a quality appointment!

As for Walsh I have to bow to Ricciuto's better judgment. We didn't get Clarko and at this point in our history It needed to be him. I have no idea if he was ever in Roo's sights. I sincerely hope so!
Sandos replacement is older than Methuselah which has both good and bad aspects. From an outsiders point of view it's just more of the same from the AFC. Importantly will he be a good coach? Unfortunately no one knows. It's another speculative coaching appointment. He may be our next Malcolm Blight or alternatively our next Robert Shaw. Rookie coaches are a lucky dip.

The bottom line for me is the coming season is the most important of our short history. We have 3 major signings to lock away and this must be a priority. What happens on and off field will have a bearing on their decisions.

For good or bad the Roovolution is here and it must produce the goods. It absolutely must do as we have so much to lose.

 

[mattymac]

If, and I know its a big if, but if we have a decent year, playing in front of stomper crowds again, make finals and shake it up in there, and if we can lure Aish and Davis to the club, which should be well within our scope, perceptions can change quickly re being a destination club.

Roo's role needs to become a bit more visible in time. I'm sure most interstaters have no clue that we are changing or that the change is driven by Roo. Once he is sitting at the head of the table as Chairman we will be perceived as a no nonsense club on a mission. I am confident this will be a big year for the club and the external perception of us by the end of 2015 will be very different to what it is now. Those that know most about us are the power, and you can tell that they are worried that we are getting our s**t together.