News Crows 5 Year Plan: AFL Premiership by 2027

[Scorpus]

So because the members can't vote, it would be better to not have a plan and stated objectives?

I'm quite happy that they've targeted, among other things, a flag by 2027. It means that the decisions they make can be held up against that objective. The members may not be able to vote, but public pressure has instigated change at the club previously (recently), so they will be subject to scrutiny.

We've only heard commercial objectives in the past from our board and admin, it's good that they've set on field success as a target. I don't know what many people here would have been happier with, but I suspect nothing.

I don't think having a public plan, at least this public plan, helps us to achieve success. Because:

1) Like with many other clubs that have made unrealistic 5 year plans in the past, nothing happens if you miss the stated objectives, especially at a club that has no mechanism to easily replace the board.

2) The goal of a flag in 5 years is unrealistic and setting the club up to fail, even if we make good or acceptable progress within the next 5 years

3) The club would already have internal goals to win a premiership as soon as feasible



My main issue is the plan is far too ambitious. We could do everything right over the next 5 years, go from a bottom side to making finals consistently as expected in a rebuild, but still not win a premiership yet or make a grand final. By the writing of our plan we have failed, even though we've improved and are on the right track to success. Does that mean we should be angry the plan failed, or happy we're on the up?

Supporters will be rightfully angry at the club if we don't improve regardless of whether we have a plan or not. They were angry after the club destroyed itself in 2018 and 2019 and demanded and got change. No 5 year plan required. It's meaningless

 

[DJ75]

I have no issue with stating that we want a flag in 5 years. It's ambitious in terms of timeline sure, but it's not impossible.

I'd much rather this that Trigg's 'make finals each year' and 'increase website clicks'.

 

[AFC979810]

Huh? Basically the same list had gone to the prelim the year before and nearly knocked off the Hawks

Same list? Look at our goalscorer in 2012.

Callinan - 39 goals in 2012 - gone at end of 2013.
Tippett - 39 goals in 2012 - gone in 2013.
Walker - 60+ goals and did his ACL in 2013.
Jason Porplyzia who kicked 39 goals in 2012 and was on his last legs in 2014 (played 4 games before retiring in 2014).
Graham Johncock - 19 goals in 2012. Retired at end of 2012.

So 3 of our top 6 goalscorer weren't there. One of our top 6 was coming off an ACL. One of our top 6 goalscorers (porps) was old and injured and played 4 games.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Ian Callinans departure slammed closed the premiership window.

 

[cleanhands]

my 5 Year plan to coincide with this, if significant progress isn’t made I’m off fishing no radio,and more Harley rides *AFC

 

[Dangarman]

Do more than 5 clubs plan to win a premiership in 5 years? If so, someone's going to miss out...

 

[Slippery Pete]

1) Like with many other clubs that have made unrealistic 5 year plans in the past, nothing happens if you miss the stated objectives, especially at a club that has no mechanism to easily replace the board.

Interesting that nowhere in the plan is an endeavour to make the board fully member elected.

We’re serious about success. Just not that serious.

 

[jackster83]

Yeah I don't see how we're going to get a premiership contending quality midfield with guys picked in the 40's and 50's in the draft as well as DFA's.

The fact that people still use Rory Sloane

9

Rory Sloane

Age

34

Ht

183cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.7

5star

K

11.7

4star

HB

11.9

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

6.6

5star

CL

5.7

5star

D

15.3

4star

K

7.3

3star

HB

8.0

4star

M

1.3

1star

T

3.3

4star

CL

4.2

5star

D

22.2

5star

K

8.6

4star

HB

13.6

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

6.0

5star

CL

4.6

5star

as an example (ie. a player drafted 15 years ago) shows how uncommon it is to find quality mids with late picks.

Coaches can be replaced but it takes time to develop players into A grade midfielders.

We need to throw the absolute kitchen sink at getting an elite midfield talent. Either a top three pick in the draft or a semi established player such as Hollands. Use our 2023 and 2024 firsts and throw in a player or another pick if we need to.

 

[Truck25]

WW2 general Omar Bradley once said:

”Amateurs talk about strategy. Professionals talk about logistics.”

Okay, I’ll admit, I just wanted an excuse to post that, but it does have a lot of relevance in the corporate world.

Anyone who’s worked in a professional environment knows that strategic plans are 95% corporate wank.

What matters for success is having the right talent in the right positions and then making sure they have excellent morale.

You can have all the strategy in the world, but if you aint got the above, all you got is…


View attachment 1619130

Oh god so true, I am in Middle management for an international company and I hate it when they announce a new round of "strategic planning" meetings where we can come up with new goals and statements, all it is, is somebody justifying their position. Just give me the right people and allow me the room and flexibility to work with them, and I'll get them to hit your targets. Slogans mean Jack, keep them happy and they'll do the work for you.

 

[Peter Doherty]

Think some are reading too much into this and over complicating things.

Also, I'm as patient as anyone but I don't really subscribe to the idea a rebuild has to take a decade.

 

[jenny61_99]

Think some are reading too much into this and over complicating things.

Also, I'm as patient as anyone but I don't really subscribe to the idea a rebuild has to take a decade.

It is what it is. Companies set goals and have mission statements all the time. The good ones, deliver. The s**t ones don't. If they achieve their goals, we'll all be happy. If they don't, we'll want action. At least we know what they are aiming for and the KPI's are easily identifiable.

 

[Golumless]

Good on them for having a goal, but it seems more an exercise to sell hope at this point, seeing we likely still have another two-three years of catchup.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Yeah this is fine. Sets a standard for the club that goals have to be met, otherwise changes will be made

Seem to be serious about coming out of the rebuild either this year or next, which is good

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Good on them for having a goal, but it seems more an exercise to sell hope at this point, seeing we likely still have another two-three years of catchup.

Is this just their goal now or did they have it before? If it was always their goal, what is the point of this announcement? If it wasn't their goal before, wtf have they been doing all these years?

Aside from the HQ stuff, none of the other points are unique to the Crows. Every club wants flags and good membership numbers. Why do they think this requires clarification?

 

[Golumless]

Is this just their goal now or did they have it before? If it was always their goal, what is the point of this announcement? If it wasn't their goal before, wtf have they been doing all these years?

Aside from the HQ stuff, none of the other points are unique to the Crows. Every club wants flags and good membership numbers. Why do they think this requires clarification?

I suspect always, and probably the point is we're just about done with tanking part of the build.

I imagine the AFL would start pretending they care about tanking if a club said "yeah, we're aiming to win a flag in 2033".

 

[Jbudds]

How do you get more members than seats at the ground?

 

[Ciao Giacomo]

i never looked at it in the Trigg days, pretty sure it's in our current constitution among a few other missions. Or maybe it was in a recent annual report. I'll chruck.

Is it in the same annual report that you “discovered” that our auditor had declared that we were “An Ongoing Concern” ?

Or the annual report that you assured us that we were unable to payoff our debt and “There is no way that a bank will provide us with a loan to build new facilities”?

Keep on digging, Bored Member from Port McDonnell **

**Yes, I remember that you were a “Board Member” on a huge Not for Profit / the local golf club.

 

[davos44]

Do these sorts of announcements ever work out? Don't they usually backfire and give opposition supporters more material to work with?

It never worked until Ben Gale went on Footy Classified in 2010 and said they want to have 3 premierships in 10 years with 80k+ members. Everyone laughed but it came true, now every club thinks that its like "The Secret" or something.

 

[feenix67]

The time needed to draft, and develop a premiership calibre midfield precludes us winning a flag in the next five years.


That big fish we've been talking about for 20 years is about to land

Yeah Jordy and Izak are just role players...

 

[Hodgy]

I don't think having a public plan, at least this public plan, helps us to achieve success. Because:

1) Like with many other clubs that have made unrealistic 5 year plans in the past, nothing happens if you miss the stated objectives, especially at a club that has no mechanism to easily replace the board.

2) The goal of a flag in 5 years is unrealistic and setting the club up to fail, even if we make good or acceptable progress within the next 5 years

3) The club would already have internal goals to win a premiership as soon as feasible



My main issue is the plan is far too ambitious. We could do everything right over the next 5 years, go from a bottom side to making finals consistently as expected in a rebuild, but still not win a premiership yet or make a grand final. By the writing of our plan we have failed, even though we've improved and are on the right track to success. Does that mean we should be angry the plan failed, or happy we're on the up?

Supporters will be rightfully angry at the club if we don't improve regardless of whether we have a plan or not. They were angry after the club destroyed itself in 2018 and 2019 and demanded and got change. No 5 year plan required. It's meaningless

Sydney finished bottom 4 in 2019 and 20 and were in a grand final in 2022. How can this plan in any way be unrealistic? If anything it’s too loose for my liking.

I fully expect this side to play finals this year and given that, a premiership should be our aim in 2024.

People rarely exceed their goals and/or ambitions. If the club and players don’t actually believe they can win a flag in the next 5 years then they sure as hell won’t.

 

[Carmo]

I'm oft accused of being too blindly optimistic, so here's one for the negative archives...

However, I will qualify it with that I'm on the record already saying I do think we have quite a talented squad at the moment, are still drafting talent well above the afl average and we are also developing those players quite good again (after a several year lull) and I expect us to be playing finals again, at minimum, in two or three years.

All I know is that the stronger the degree to which organisations put out these sorts of plans, the stronger the degree to which they're likely to be mediocre or poor performers.

You can already see it in some of their comments. They talk about training in state of the art facilities. Well that's great, but I wouldnt mind betting that successfully arguing for if you finish top, that the grandfinal being played at your home ground would have far more effect than the state of the art facility on winning a premiership (not being a merely very good side). Do you think they'll argue for that though? They haven't so far. Already being pissweak and F.O.S.

 

[jenny61_99]

How do you get more members than seats at the ground?

I'm a full member (Gold) and have never had a seat at Adelaide Oval (on account I live in QLD). There's lots of us out here.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Yeah Jordy and Izak are just role players...

Is either within the league's best 50 players currently?

They're good pick ups, and a happy result of the go home. Good stuff.

 

[weekend at bernies]

Why are all these plans by team so cringy

 

[Ciao Giacomo]

One of the few things that I have in common with the Tools and Trolls is that we have not ruthlessly targeted premierships and have been content with always being “competitive” (until recent years).

We were not the Best Team in 1997 and 1998 and this clearly influenced our “make the Eight and anything can happen” approach.

Since the end of 2019 we have embarked on a total rebuild.
1) We have turned over most of our list

2) We have drafted a heap of youngsters (some good, some not so good) and we have a record (for us) of top 15 draft picks on our list

3) We have not traded in anyone over 25 years of age.

4) In the last 3 years we have player DOUBLE the AFL average for sub50 game players. We have played nearly 40% more Kids than the second team on this list (Essendon).

5) We have traded in two potentially elite players who will be with the club for many years.

This doesn’t mean we will win a flag in the next 5 years but you can’t argue that we are giving it a crack.