News Football Department: Chris Dixon appointed Head of Player Engagement

[The Plowking]

Beams won’t be happy

Back to Brisbane for a first round pick a fringe player etc?. Can't loose.

 

[WalterBlaknWhte]

Kudos to Ed

He has chaired a renewal I thought was beyond him

He listened, acted, and held his nerve

 

[Pie eyed]

Totally!

We haven’t really heard any explanation for the on-field turnaround apart from Buckley cuddling puppies a bit more and Ed telling us time and again that we should be genuflecting to Peter Murphy (which I’m happy to do, I’m just curious why I’m doing it)

I thought "we had an extensive review and Buckley has enthusiastically embrace the recommendations in the review", with a few events like people being moved on and others coming in as recommended in the review was a reasonable explanation.
Do you want to read the review?
I don't think these things are made public, for reasons such as people reading things into them which are not there, something the media and we on Bigfooty are pretty good at.

 

[Roverjg]

Nick Maxwell has also received lots of kudos from Ed and particularly the players for helping rebuild the connection between the players, club and past players. Nick has had a past player come in each week to attend one of their meetings and speak about his experiences. Current and past players have apparently absolutely loved this and it has led to some connections being formed (outside of football) between past and current players and helped reformed bonds between the club and its past players (Past players had felt disconnected from the club over the past 20 years).

 

[Vicky Park]

Nick Maxwell has also received lots of kudos from Ed and particularly the players for helping rebuild the connection between the players, club and past players. Nick has had a past player come in each week to attend one of their meetings and speak about his experiences. Current and past players have apparently absolutely loved this and it has led to some connections being formed (outside of football) between past and current players and helped reformed bonds between the club and its past players (Past players had felt disconnected from the club over the past 20 years).

This is terrific stuff. What an excellent idea. Maxy is the glue at the club.

 

[TradeDraft]

Maybe the real story is that he’s no longer GM of VFL and he will be focusing on this full time?

Good Possibility

 

[jonbe54]

This is terrific stuff. What an excellent idea. Maxy is the glue at the club.

As far as the club is concerned Maxy has always worn his heart on his sleeve - he seems to have picked up quite a bit from his time with Bellamy

 

[76woodenspooners]

I thought "we had an extensive review and Buckley has enthusiastically embrace the recommendations in the review", with a few events like people being moved on and others coming in as recommended in the review was a reasonable explanation.
Do you want to read the review?
I don't think these things are made public, for reasons such as people reading things into them which are not there, something the media and we on Bigfooty are pretty good at.

People get moved along, and new people come in every year. This season isn’t the first that Buckley has said that he needed to change his approach.

Apart from the change of the CEO (and possible reduction of club media) we, the fans, have seen no explanation for why the results of this year would be any different to any other year.

I’m not complaining ... I’m thrilled that the club have turned it around and done well. I just thought the club would provide some kind of insight behind it.

And yeah, I take your point about folks reading too much into it ... but when the club is winning then it doesn’t really matter - the players could have formed tighter bonds through interpretive dance and nobody would care nor complain.

 

[jackcass]

People get moved along, and new people come in every year. This season isn’t the first that Buckley has said that he needed to change his approach.

Apart from the change of the CEO (and possible reduction of club media) we, the fans, have seen no explanation for why the results of this year would be any different to any other year.

I’m not complaining ... I’m thrilled that the club have turned it around and done well. I just thought the club would provide some kind of insight behind it.

And yeah, I take your point about folks reading too much into it ... but when the club is winning then it doesn’t really matter - the players could have formed tighter bonds through interpretive dance and nobody would care nor complain.

Aaaaahhhhhh! Now I understand the Spidey lad's recent lamp gif post.

 

[76woodenspooners]

We now have a new GM of women’s teams: Jane Woodlands-Thompson. She’ll be looking after the netball team, the AFLW team and the VFLW team.

I think that represents a bit of a restructure? IIRC Geoff Walsh was in charge of all the footy programs and Emerson was in charge of the netball? It probably now means that Walsh focuses purely on the AFL program.

 

[Quicky]

We now have a new GM of women’s teams: Jane Woodlands-Thompson. She’ll be looking after the netball team, the AFLW team and the VFLW team.

I think that represents a bit of a restructure? IIRC Geoff Walsh was in charge of all the footy programs and Emerson was in charge of the netball? It probably now means that Walsh focuses purely on the AFL program.

That's a good thing. It's three additional teams and two sports. Walsh would be spread too thin. It's a big job for Jane and she is probably lucky the AFLW season is so short because if it was as long as the mens it would be difficult. Is this the first female in a high level footy department position at our club?

 

[76woodenspooners]

That's a good thing. It's three additional teams and two sports. Walsh would be spread too thin.

I don’t think netball has ever been under Walsh. I’d also imagine there’d probably be a few less 3am calls involving the girls getting themselves into trouble.

Also, I think the VFL has always had their own GM? So it would seem curious that Walsh looked after AFL, AFLW and VFLW but not VFL?

I don’t know, it could be a case of allowing Walsh to focus on the lads. Or it could be a case of giving the girls more attention.

One interesting aspect of this is that it unifies the AFL and netball programs. I think until now they had been completely separate which to me implied that they were making it easy to cut off the netball program if it wasn’t working out. This maybe indicates that the netball program is working out for the club which IMO is a good thing (but respect it’s not everybody’s cup of tea)

It's a big job for Jane and she is probably lucky the AFLW season is so short because if it was as long as the mens it would be difficult.

It’s probably only a matter of time before the AFLW and VFLW overlap.

TBH I don’t really understand what that GM role does? Man-manage the coaches and medicos and fitness staff. Be the headmaster/headmistress that the players go to when they’re in trouble? Represent the club in any correspondence with the leagues?

Is this the first female in a high level footy department position at our club?

We had Met Hutchings before, but that maybe was a lower level role?

I actually found out about this from the netball mailing list. The announcement definitely said her role includes the AFLW / VFLW programs.

 

[Vicky Park]

There’s a vid up on the Pies website, welcoming our new AFLW recruits to the club. Jane speaks towards the end - very impressive. She also provides some insight into her role.

I’m on my phone, otherwise I’d provide the link.

 

[barrackers]

We now have a new GM of women’s teams: Jane Woodlands-Thompson. She’ll be looking after the netball team, the AFLW team and the VFLW team.

I think that represents a bit of a restructure? IIRC Geoff Walsh was in charge of all the footy programs and Emerson was in charge of the netball? It probably now means that Walsh focuses purely on the AFL program.

Allan was the last to oversee all women’s programs. In 2018 we had Netball General Manager (Jennifer McIntyre) and AFLW Footy Ops Manager (Mathew James). The latter role was previously held by Meg Hutchins in 2017. James has left, not sure about McIntyre.

 

[barrackers]

Another teacher

https://outline.com/H5LsvV

“My role will provide strategic direction for the women’s programs at Collingwood,” Woodlands-Thompson said. “They are in their infancy and it is an exciting time for women’s sport at the club.

Former Adelaide Thunderbirds coach Jane Woodlands-Thompson.

“I appreciate Collingwood giving me this opportunity and I’m really looking forward to getting to work to help drive the Magpies to become leaders in women’s football and netball.”

Woodlands-Thompson took the Thunderbirds to the trans-Tasman crowns in 2010 and 2013 and was also high performance general manager for Netball SA from 2007-15.

Her qualifications include a master of applied science and bachelor of physical education and she is a member of the SA Football commission and AFL women’s football advisory group.

https://au.linkedin.com/in/jane-woodlands-thompson-89073a20

 

[Vicky Park]

Another teacher

https://outline.com/H5LsvV



https://au.linkedin.com/in/jane-woodlands-thompson-89073a20

Sounds like she may be the most qualified appointment we have made to the AFLW management team.

 

[Bored_Pie]

He's basically just there for players who might have issues offield ect. He's there to sort as much of it he can.

 

[Trickster]

We failed with Mooney

Wow, totally forgot about Caolan Mooney until you mentioned him.

 

[piesaregreat]

That's interesting and a great concept. There was a recent interview with Tim Kelly and his wife. Wife claims that once Tim was recruited they were expected to fly over from WA and be in Geelong in days (of being recruited) with 3 young children at the time under the age of two. She claims they have had no assistance from the club whatsoever, in a different state, with no friends or family. Something all clubs with interstate or overseas players should consider

As soon as i read this I thought of Kelly and the lack of support for his family
Great move by the club

 

[Jasper84]

Head of Player Engagement is the bloke who organises the end of season trip.

And makes sure that Jack Watts gets to go swimming.

 

[motr]

One of the biggest worries for the club are young players with massive salaries running around with nothing outside football to engage with. It’s a recipe for disaster. Get them studying, working with the community, growing as a whole human being and preparing themselves for a life beyond football.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

That's interesting and a great concept. There was a recent interview with Tim Kelly and his wife. Wife claims that once Tim was recruited they were expected to fly over from WA and be in Geelong in days (of being recruited) with 3 young children at the time under the age of two. She claims they have had no assistance from the club whatsoever, in a different state, with no friends or family. Something all clubs with interstate or overseas players should consider

Maybe Tim Kelly needs to find a better club.

Hang on.......he tried that.....