Mod. Notice First web interview....Questions here please!

[Lach72]

Ok.
Here we go.
After speaking to Luke Morfesse again today, he kindly provided me with the contact details for Ben Allan.

As the first captain of our club, it's kind of appropriate that we start this series (or what I hope to be a year long series) with Ben.

He has agreed to the interview and will give consideration to all questions, and time allowing, will answer whatever he can...
We aren't an accredited media organisation, so have no pull or can make no demands, so if not all questions get answered, well, we'll still have a whole lot more than we had before.
This is a chance for you to have direct contact with people at the club, without the filter of journos with agendas, (or less knowledge than you, Dwayne Russell, I'm looking at you).

So keep it respectful but if you want answers to the hard questions put them in here. Ask about the early days, his time as club captain, his time as coach, whatever...

*There is one area off limits: As a current board member, all board deliberations or info is off limits, as Steve Harris is the only one who can speak for the board. Don't like this? Tell someone who cares! *

I am going away for a few days, but would like to forward the questions to Ben over the weekend so it's all yours. Make it worth while

 

[estibador]

I'd like to hear his perspective on the 'culture shock' of coming from a powerhouse established club to a new entity like Freo.

Things like the difference in professionalism, intensity, facilites, etc, and whether he thought the club was set up and equipped well enough to compete with the others in the AFL.

 

[Nodgey]

I'm interested to hear about his time as caretaker coach.

As I recall, he volunteered to take on the role because he knew the club was struggling and he felt a sense of duty to the club he loved. (My words, not his.) So I would like to know more about how he officially got the role.

1. Was it really as simple as just asking for the job?
2. Or did someone else actually ask him to apply?
3. The club was a mess both on the field and off, so does he feel he was given the role more for financial reasons (i.e. he wouldn't cost much) than his footballing pedigree? (i.e. premiership player, captain, clearly an intelligent individual.)
4. Seeing as he never coached again, did this experience turn him off it forever? Or was it a poisoned chalice and he never stood a chance again?

On field, I remember when Ben Allan got the job and he immediately said he would reinstate Brad "Skinny" Dodd into the 18. Brad kicked a quick goal or 2, but unfortunately he did his knee shortly afterward and IIRC he never played again.

5. So what were Ben's thoughts in that first game? Was he thrilled to see that the Dodd move was a success? And knowing Ben's own injury issues with his knees, how did he cope with seeing one of his players suffer such a terrible injury?

 

[purpleblood29]

I'm wondering when while he was playing at the club. How the culture and thread of the club was. In other words, how strong was it on and off the field in mental and personal terms?

 

[Dormammu]

Did his role as captain differ from what he'd observed at other AFL clubs (e.g., any extra responsibilities such as input into coaching, assisting in marketing, negotiations to get other ex-Claremont players across, advice on helping in the relocation of interstate players etc)

A brief overview of his coaching victory against his old club.

The process by which he was appointed interim coach.

Why he never sought to establish a coaching career in the AFL.

His opinion on whether the appointment of the South & East Freo presidents (Gloede and Hitchin) to the inaugural FFC board would have helped stabilise the club sooner in its critical early years.

What he considers the next significant evolutionary step in the way the game is played (e.g., larger bench, composition and size of playing list, creation of geographic conferences a la the NFL etc)

Thanks in advance

 

[silverscope]

Thanks heaps Lach! You're doing an awesome job!

Alot of what has been asked above are very good questions.

My question:

Was it a hard decision to leave hawthorn? Or because of you're ties with perth (being born there) it was more of an opportunity to go home and play football for a brand new club?

 

[Freo Big Fella]

If he was in Neeshams's position in 1995, would he have done things differently?

 

[Rubber Pants]

I'd be interested in hearing his opinion of our list heading into the future. After some not so great drafting and trading in the mid 2000's (we might as well write off 2006 once Tarrant is retired) does he feel our recent luck in drafting and particularly finding some gems in the rookie draft will see us compete with other clubs stacked with young talent (aka Melbourne and as much as I hate to say it West Coast) for future premierships.

 

[Rubber Pants]

Oh and is his body fat <8% and RMI greater than 200

 

[enoenoeno]

1. I would like to know what he thinks the current culture of the Fremantle Football club is?
2. If he thinks stronger ties should be made between where the footballl club is now and the past ie. jumpers, club songs etc
3. And if he still has an original 1995 Fremantle tartan tie, as designed by his Grandmother?

Thanks

 

[theGav56]

My Question;

If you could only give better resourcing to one of either Drafting or Player Development over the history of the Dockers, which would he give the priority to?

 

[The Purple Sox]

Having coached immidiatly prior to Chris Connolly, what do you think of the job that Chris did with the team, and the club?
What would you have done differently?

Thanks Ben
(And thanks lach)

 

[ballanFYNE]

Id like to here what the pressure was like after coming form hawthorn being the inaugural Capt. and then freo finishing 13th

 

[bigkev bleeds purple]

Fantastic stuff Lach!

My question will cut close to your 'no board questions' stipulation, but it appears the motto of this venture has been "don't ask, don't get." As such, Lach, I completely understand if you are unable to pass this question on and Ben, if you are reading this, if you cannot answer, that is perfectly reasonable and understandable.

Have you (Ben) ever approached (or been approached by) the WAFC in regard to becoming a WAFC appointed board member, rather than having to go through the member's election every two years? Is there some sort of stumbling block preventing this from happening?

 

[JamieJohnstone]

Will be very interested to read this. Benny Allan was always one of my favourite non North players.

 

[dockers_bengals]

Apart from injuries and losing was there anything else you struggle with or hated playing at the highest level?
Is there much difference in the amount of free time players had when you played to now?
How do you think you would of gone playing now compared to then?

 

[Dormammu]

A further question re possible future developments.

Over the last few years it seems that the majority of activity now takes place on the coaching side of football grounds.

This IMO is because Aussie Rules is the invasion-type sport with the highest amount of interchange rotations over the course of a game (can't honestly think of anything else that gets close). Activity has therefore tended to gravitate more and more towards the flank that the benches are located.

Could not a further interchange area be located on the opposite flank? I realise that this would require additional monitoring officials, and possibly an increase to the number of interchange players plus a slight restructuring of the boundary line, but it would greatly help to open up the game, especially in the central corridor.

 

[Lach72]

Surely you people have more than this to ask?

 

[4n20]

OK, heres my contribution.

What are his responsibilities as a Freo board member?

I know its not his job but does he ever provide advice on skills or tactics to players?

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

Surely you people have more than this to ask?

ok, try these if you can

1. did ben feel he had his best footy ahead of him when he came to freo? or did he feel he had made his mark.

2. where does he see the club in 3 years with the looming retirements of legends like pav

3. does he believe the club has moved away from accepting mediocrity, and why was it accepted in the past?

4. does ben believe we are on the track towards building a geelong like juggernaut

 

[Belnakor]

4. Seeing as he never coached again, did this experience turn him off it forever? Or was it a poisoned chalice and he never stood a chance again?

1. Further to this, i heard the story was you were promised a job as assistant coach for the next year, but when Cuddles got in, he decided he wanted his own people, not you.

2. I would also like to hear your comments about him being a "member elected" board member when essentially as a past legend of the club you were always going to win an election on that basis. I believe the club asked you to stand for that position.

2b: How did you represent the wishes of the "outsiders" (ie: the members) when you were infact part of the "inner circle"?

3. Who is the most talented athlete he has seen at the club in his opinion? who is the best footballer?

4. Do you have any regrets from your footballing career? Moving to Freo?

5. People talk about organisational culture effecting the team on the field. Do you feel like Freo has struggled in the past off the field, and that in turn has caused problems on the field?

5b. Do you think in the past there has been some elements of group think in both the coaching and boardroom level strategies and decisions?

6. Is the club working on building a positive culture, and has there been any significant changes since Scwabby finished "feathering his own nest" at Harvard and defected to Melbourne?

6b. Does the club regret some of the actions that happened in that era?

6c. Has there been any organisational change efforts made under the new leadership, or is it more a "steady as she goes" approach?

7. continuing on the culture front, it was said that in the past Fremantle took a liasefare approach to training? Has this changed recently, and when do you think significant changes were made in this regard?

8. Were you around during the Bell/Connolly feud era, and could you shed some light on the situation there, especially in regards to the infamous "player revolt" over training methods in 2005.

9. Where do you see yourself in 10 years in regards to football?

10. Do you think the new Subiaco stadium plan was a good one? Where does Fremantle football club stand on the possible construction of a new stadium, considering it doesn't really affect us too much, and indeed having a larger stadium may increase overheads.

 

[Belnakor]

This IMO is because Aussie Rules is the invasion-type sport with the highest amount of interchange rotations over the course of a game (can't honestly think of anything else that gets close). Activity has therefore tended to gravitate more and more towards the flank that the benches are located.
.

off topic, but rotations were copied from Hockey.

 

[Dormammu]

But I gave already!

OK, we need to make sure this first interview is a bolter, so here's another one.

How regularly is the quality of the training and medical facilities reviewed? And by whom?

I ask this because of the flurry of new facilities built over east and because this is an area where we need to always stay extremely competitive.

Therefore shouldn't the review be done by someone who's independent and at the cutting edge of these two areas (from o/s?)?

 

[Dormammu]

2b: How did he represent the wishes of the "outsiders" (ie: the members) when he was infact part of the "inner circle"?

The REAL Lionel Hutz would never think to ask these sort of questions!

 

[Dormammu]

off topic, but rotations were copied from Hockey.

Agree, (I'm assuming you mean ice hockey - go Flyers!) but from the games I've watched they don't seem to have the same frequency of rotations that footy does.