Dan Collins

[charles202]

Agree with this, although I imagine any head scratching/grumblings between players and/or assistant coaches are probably along the lines of:-

> Vossy recruits footballers not athletes - good plan;

> Vossy wants football brains as a priority - good plan;

> Vossy's right hand man telling us all how to do our jobs has no background in footy...

I would imagine that a lot of what a high performance manager does is universal to high performance sportsman/performers not football. Elements like preperation, controlling arousal levels and discipline are keys to anyone who wants to perform at an elite level.

The fact that these messages are coming for someone without a football background is irrelevant IMO and maybe even a good thing.

I am making the assumption that Collins is not telling players how do their jobs on football skills isssues. This of course is an assumption on my behalf.

However the term "how to play football" would obviously encompass elements of both areas, and maybe this is what the players are having issue with. Again, another assumption by me.

 

[Crimso]

Oooohh, Dan Collins, not Dan Muyphys. I thought someone was letting us know about some good cheap grog.

After reading through this I think I need some.

 

[GingerGreatness]

I would imagine that a lot of what a high performance manager does is universal to high performance sportsman/performers not football. Elements like preperation, controlling arousal levels and discipline are keys to anyone who wants to perform at an elite level.

The fact that these messages are coming for someone without a football background is irrelevant IMO and maybe even a good thing.

But he was elevated to "Chief Operating Officer" (whatever that means) wasn't he?

My understanding was that he was initially hired as "high performance manager", then "promoted" to his current right hand man role? I could be wrong.

Whatever his title though, I think we're on the same page that his lack of footballing background might be an issue if in fact, he's somehow adopted a role in anything other than the "elite performance" management expertise, that he was initially hired for.

 

[Nuggo]

Wether Dan Collins is an asset or liability will come out at the end of season review (like a few things no doubt). What I want is a united front from the Board and Coach. Lets hope that they have a very good understanding on what is happening (on all matters) and have the balls to make the tough decisions even if it means backing off from a stance they have made or actually standing down from the position they are in if they can see they are not performing with no change in sight.

(not saying that anybody in particular should sack themself....just saying).

 

[MacMum]

Collins would be implementing processes that increase the accountability of every employee at the club. This can be an unpopular process as it exposes each person's faults or weaknesses. The dead wood no longer has a place to hide and that can be confronting.

When Geelong did their review (I've been told it was brutally honest) prior to turning the club around, we didn't hear about grumblings from players, ex or otherwise..they took it all on board....and as the saying goes "the rest is history"

...if we ARE having internal problems with this guy, then perhaps he just doesn't have people skills!....that is one of the most important traights of all for a person to have IMO, regardless of qualifications..

Can achieve so much more if you can actually communicate with people..

There are a lot of highly educated, qualified people out there who wouldn't have a clue how to relate to other people..

Perhaps this guy is one of them.......whatever, this is not doing our club any good, so hopefully when he is shown the door, he takes the Paddle Pop and Bowers + co with him!..

 

[BuntonRules]

Where there is smoke............. Andrew Hamilton can't be making the whole thing up. B owers, Paddlepop, Collins, Fev, recruiting, on field performance - te whole club has a feeling of self destruct about it. I hope someone has the strength to take the bull by the horns & turn us around.

charles202

I am making the assumption that Collins is not telling players how do their jobs on football skills isssues. This of course is an assumption on my behalf.

If there is player unrest perhaps Collins is crossing that boundary.

 

[Grimreepah]

When Geelong did their review (I've been told it was brutally honest) prior to turning the club around, we didn't hear about grumblings from players, ex or otherwise..

That doesn't mean that there wasn't any. When you are brutally honest different people will react to it differently.

 

[Warwick]

How about we actually hire some coaches with a footballing background with a semblance of some tactical nous as opposed to spending our limited football department funds on a "high performance manager" who has absolutely no background in footy?

We lose a bloke like Wayne Brittain who actually had a plan A and B and understood football, and hired no-hopers like Collins, McRae and Rawlings. Voss is not strong tactically and that has stuck out like a sore thumb with no Brittain.

Our midfield is a disgrace, our skills are deplorable, and our gameplan is attrocious. Time to look at some fellas who actually understand the modern game. Move out the deadwood starting with Collins and McRae.

"High performance manager" sounds like a wanky position more likely to be seen in the NFL. Do we have an opposition and tactics coach at all?

What an absolutely horrid off season 09-10 was. It really has the potential to set us back for years unless we get some fresh blood in to turn this mess around.

 

[western royboy]

How about we actually hire some coaches with a footballing background with a semblance of some tactical nous as opposed to spending our limited football department funds on a "high performance manager" who has absolutely no background in footy?

We lose a bloke like Wayne Brittain who actually had a plan A and B and understood football, and hired no-hopers like Collins, McRae and Rawlings. Voss is not strong tactically and that has stuck out like a sore thumb with no Brittain.

Our midfield is a disgrace, our skills are deplorable, and our gameplan is attrocious. Time to look at some fellas who actually understand the modern game. Move out the deadwood starting with Collins and McRae.

"High performance manager" sounds like a wanky position more likely to be seen in the NFL. Do we have an opposition and tactics coach at all?

What an absolutely horrid off season 09-10 was. It really has the potential to set us back for years unless we get some fresh blood in to turn this mess around.

Welcome back and well said Warwick.

 

[Stocka]

At this point in time, every other club must be looking at us and taking notes on "what not to do" and considering us a case-study in how to screw up a football club.

People might say that it can take a backward step or two prior to going forward, but that implies that there is some recognised need and intention for blood-letting that is being acknowledged as part of an overall plan. That wasn't the case, and going into this season, I don't think the club was intending on us going backwards or to be bleeding like it appears to be currently. In fact, quite the opposite, if you take the club's public perception of itself as a guide. It is like as if we have gotten ahead of ourselves so far and got it so wrong and have free-wheeled into disaster.

I really have a bad feeling about how everything is going to pan out for the Lions in a lot of areas.

 

[whatboutbob]

How about we actually hire some coaches with a footballing background with a semblance of some tactical nous as opposed to spending our limited football department funds on a "high performance manager" who has absolutely no background in footy?

We lose a bloke like Wayne Brittain who actually had a plan A and B and understood football, and hired no-hopers like Collins, McRae and Rawlings. Voss is not strong tactically and that has stuck out like a sore thumb with no Brittain.

Our midfield is a disgrace, our skills are deplorable, and our gameplan is attrocious. Time to look at some fellas who actually understand the modern game. Move out the deadwood starting with Collins and McRae.

"High performance manager" sounds like a wanky position more likely to be seen in the NFL. Do we have an opposition and tactics coach at all?

What an absolutely horrid off season 09-10 was. It really has the potential to set us back for years unless we get some fresh blood in to turn this mess around.

Collins' role as COO is closer to a replacement for Gubby Allan's role than a coach's role. I don't take issue with the concept at all, nor the fact that Collins has no football background. I don't disagree that we could use more senior and tactically proven assistant coaches though.

Tangentially, I just caught a sound-bite on the news which made Voss look pretty ordinary.

It went something like:

Reporter: "There are rumours that they are uncoachable...?"

Vossy's response and body language was wishy-washy - to the point where my wife (who's fairly disengaged from footy) commented that he wasn't very convincing at all.

It may well have been out of context or misleading but it didn't look or sound great.

edit:

I misheard (that'll teach me for doing the dishes). So as way of a retraction, the dialogue was more accurately reported as follows:

Voss, who won premierships with some of the more senior members of Brisbane's list in 2001-03, was seething when asked whether players might find him not as approachable as in the past.

"I find that incorrect. Fairly incorrect actually," he quipped.

 

[John]

Extrapolating what Vossie said at this morning's media call.

The players aren't enjoying being told a few 'home truths' (by DC) about their performances of late and some have become a tad precious.

Others may read into it differently. A bit of friction between the coach and Hammo as well both claiming they weren't fully aware of their repsective roles.

No ones interested. When News Corp wants to get ya your gone. Bye Bye Dan and by extension bye bye Vossy. May as well give it away now. The local faction of News, The Bronco Pravda has spoken. It will now make all this happen even if there is no serrick of truth.

As to their respective roles I am not sure what you mean Don. Are Vossy and Hammo not aware of their respective roles? Thats easy. One to coach a football team and the other is to be a journo, the profession that has the right to be the the most critical of others but in reality is the profession of the underachiever There are people who are school teachers, doctors, nurses, charity workers etc etc, and then there is a career as a journo. Sorry to be cynical Don but I have seen you lot "make it happen" in a past life. Why should I be less cynical nowadays?

 

[whatboutbob]

Bye Bye Dan and by extension bye bye Vossy. May as well give it away now.

Fair call I'd say. If Collins goes it is only a matter of time for Voss.

 

[Cousin Jed]

I agree with what Voss has to say there. There effort has been disgraceful, someone tells them that and they turn around and say "you've never played footy - bugger off"

Players need to have a good hard look at themselves.

 

[western royboy]

I'm listening to 3AW atm and they are analysing the demise of Choco at Port (who I rate as a Coach and a bloke).

BT has just mentioned that Leigh Matthews said if he ever went back into coaching (which he is unlikely to do) he would only go in with an experienced liuetenant or group of coaches.

John

I haven't always agreed with some of your opinions but I do on this occasion with the media angle. I am not as familiar with Hamo but in the past few days we have had 3 articles on Voss from 3 different News journos. This is not a coincidence. When Crash starts doing AFL opinion pieces on you, it's trouble.

Expect the blow torch.

 

[John]

I really have a bad feeling about how everything is going to pan out for the Lions in a lot of areas.

We have had a disastrous run with injuries. That is it. We had 4 walk up starters out of our back 6 for weeks on end. I would like to see any other team in the comp get by. But News is circling because these results are useful for it to exert itself as the most important identity in national life be it politics through to sport.
It is a very clever organisation and is using its less than high brow but popular Courier Mail to attack us but then writes up on the same day an item discussing how tough we have had it due to injuries with this coming via it's more cerebral Australian. In another era Pravda and Goebbels would be proud of this. "See we really understand your problems" they can hand on heart say.

Ultimately we are screwed now. They will insidiously attack us and kill any morale that we have and this will lead to a poor season next year and headline grabbing mayhem. This helps the owners of the Bronco's no end to shore up its team in the face of AFL expansion. Hammo had better watch his beloved Swans.

Just call me a crazy old conspiracy theorist.

 

[Stocka]

John I think you're right about the way the media are handling things. However, organisations, even internally, can operate with the same degree of speculation, problem-posing and questioning even at the best of times!

My concern is more about whether or not the are going to be able to handle the recovery from this point in time. Injuries only account for part of what I see as a number of problems.

On top of that, I guess I am unhappy about decisions that I feel have lead to some of the problems that we're now experiencing. This then makes me have less trust and faith in the club's ability to reverse what is going on.

 

[Grimreepah]

I wonder if Voss ever thinks he should have taken the Dean Bailey approach - lower everyone's expectations and take the pressure right off.

 

[Stocka]

I wonder if Voss ever thinks he should have taken the Dean Bailey approach - lower everyone's expectations and take the pressure right off.

One of the things that concerned me, when Voss was initially appointed as coach, was that we'd end up having a great first year, based largely on momentum and "new energy" around the club, but that there'd be little substance to it, and that we'd end up falling significantly in following years.

 

[Monkey Daniel]

Might be slightly off topic, but if we cannot get Paul Roos, then I'll be happy enough for Choco to join as an assistant....

Somehow it all reminds me a little of 1998, when former favourite son Roger Merrett was installed as caretaker coach and then with the assistance/guidance of the AFL, Leigh Matthews came to town.

 

[Ceebee]

Speculation about speculation.
Really, no one has any idea what is going on.

 

[John]

John I think you're right about the way the media are handling things. However, organisations, even internally, can operate with the same degree of speculation, problem-posing and questioning even at the best of times!

My concern is more about whether or not the are going to be able to handle the recovery from this point in time. Injuries only account for part of what I see as a number of problems.

On top of that, I guess I am unhappy about decisions that I feel have lead to some of the problems that we're now experiencing. This then makes me have less trust and faith in the club's ability to reverse what is going on.

Doesn't matter. No amount of moaning and groaning on here will change the downward spiral. All the discussions on here that fans have about things that they know about and things that they think they know about and things they no nothing about is now rendered meaningless. For a past case in point look at Akermanis. When he opened his trap and was asked by the club to shut it the Courier used him for all it was worth and within the blink of an eye he was gone from here, News felt wonderful that they had made us the headline and a few extra papers where sold. They will use and spit out whomever if that is what it takes and if it takes a nonentity like Collins and then if they deem it profitable to hang Voss, home town hero that he was,
they will do it without a care.

They were willing to pay above the odds for Melbourne Storm to succeed and lets face reality here when has an organisation as ruthless and as profitable as them not known how it's money was being been spent. If Rupert did not have his first farthing I would be surprised. There headlines of surprise were bollocks. Pull the other one I say.

The seeds of doubt have now been sewn and if there was no truth in any of this before you will see the staff and the players react as if there was and go with the inevitable flow. It is classic divide and conquer and News will be at this point in time grateful to Hammo, may even sucker up their lap dog and throw him a sweety via a raise, ultimately they will spit him out as well if they deem it profitable.

You mark my words. If we go under big time on Saturday night on here there will be outcry from a few blaming Collins and by extension Voss. Hammo and his Courier Mail cronies, plus the Don Logans of this world, will be on here and giving each other high 5's over the destruction that they have wrought.

 

[John]

I wonder if Voss ever thinks he should have taken the Dean Bailey approach - lower everyone's expectations and take the pressure right off.

He should have. The entire comp, as rationalised by the vast majority of contributors to Big Footy and a large chunk of the footy media, are more interested in the lowest draft pick than winning. The number one draft pick is the new flag. This very prevalent line of thinking does my head in.

 

[acuguy]

I cannot believe anyone would seriously question Vossy's job.

 

[Ceebee]

Hammo would be beside himself with excitement at the moment ,waiting for his next knock down blow.
Ahole he is.