Galvanising a list

[Rockford]

We've all heard the stories, after losing to North and going 2-3 in 2007 a few home truths were levelled at the playing group by members of the playing group. It lead to the honesty sessions, which the players in that season's Flag winning side (and in the Premierships that followed) identified as being a significant reason for the club's turnaround and sustained success.

When we look at the clubs that played in this year's GF we see two squads that were out there playing for their mates. The Crows were galvanised by the death of their coach. A once-off, freak event.

Hardwick has galvanised his list with these "Hardship, Highlight, Hero" sessions. It happens weekly. There's a really good article on it if you haven't seen it already. It's not a one off event, it's a regular part of their routine along with training skills, endurance etc.. and is essentially comradery training.

We've been fortunate enough to witness a team that played _for_ each other. They were consistently dominant. Now we have a team that, on their day, appear to be able to beat anyone but bring that intensity haphazardly. And I wonder if that's an indicator of a lack of unity. Those slow starts and poor games strike me as players turning up for work as opposed to players going out there to win with their mates and only when enough of them get emotionally invested in the game (through their opponent antagonising them) do they "turn it on".

I think we need a list "galvanising" session. As per the Tigers. We should just use their model for want of a better system, it works. It would be incredibly humbling for Chris to stand in front of the group and tell them we're going to do what the Tigers did, and then share a personal hardship. Then Joel. And the tone is set. And, hopefully, we build the sort of comradery that sees 30+ of the playing list show up to a rookie's birthday party out in country Victoria (happened for the Tigers) and bring that intensity every game from the first bounce.. because you owe as much to your mates that are out there with you.

 

[Deep]

Sack Scott and bring in Caracella or Dew as the head coach and watch shit get done

 

[Daniel McL]

Sack Scott and bring in Caracella or Dew as the head coach and watch shit get done

Of course it's all Scott's fault...
Apparently we'd win 10 Premierships in a row if we got rid of him...

 

[dazbroncos]

This thread is not the CS coaching thread. Keep the discussion to galvanizing the team and how to do that or expect your posts to be deleted or possibly ibfracted

Go Catters

 

[Larry Donohue]

Do not make low ball offers pre or during finals ever. Also dont do it post finals unless the incoming players are dead certs.

 

[Spearman]

I agree something like those meetings should be done. But for me it just seems like the leadership group is too vanilla, too clinically professional. All 'nice guys'. Maybe they did go hard at Clark, but can they really influence a whole team and instill a culture of ruthless efficiency. I was impressed by a small blurb about McVeigh at the Swans. Some young player muffed up a pre-game drill and continued on, McVeigh told him to go back and do it right because that's the Swans way, or Hodge famous on field coaching clip, "What's our rule?" I may have said before, Buckley's main message has been 'playing for each other' and you can see once they get some holes filled they will be tough.
We need more mongrel in the leadership, on and off the field. Balme must have been a bit intimidating. Harley and Ling had Scarlett, Milburn, Mooney behind them. Its all good to say "Let's go boys" with passion, but some of it needs to be enforced.
Also with seemingly so many new mature recruits coming it, is there that bonding that they would have gotten had they played together as rookies? I really hope the young players they have got are bonding that way. That will be the future success of the club.

 

[iameviljez]

I can't remember who it was who I heard it from (but it was said of Clarkson and Allan Jeans) that one of the hardest things about coaching is that you can't bring that 110% effort, 100% of the time. That's not to say that accepting mediocrity is the way to go, but that often those things that peak a team in terms of teamwork lose their sting over time.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

The majority of the list in 2007 had been playing together for at least 5 seasons. We are trying to import players in on a yearly basis and just expect things to click based on perceived talent. We saw even in 2008 and 2010 that the most talented list can be undone if the structures can be exploited - Clarko's cluster and Malthouse's phone booth both undid us when it mattered. Galvanizing a list is 50%, using that list in a strategically successful way is the other 50%.

 

[iameviljez]

The majority of the list in 2007 had been playing together for at least 5 seasons. We are trying to import players in on a yearly basis and just expect things to click based on perceived talent. We saw even in 2008 and 2010 that the most talented list can be undone if the structures can be exploited - Clarko's cluster and Malthouse's phone booth both undid us when it mattered. Galvanizing a list is 50%, using that list in a strategically successful way is the other 50%.

I'll be really interested to see how the other clubs try and unpick Richmond next year. Grant Thomas is right - it's the least talented group to win a flag since at least Sydney 2005, so kudos to the coaches - and so that question of what worked so well will be interesting to see.

 

[you pick one]

This thread is not the CS coaching thread. Keep the discussion to galvanizing the team and how to do that or expect your posts to be deleted or possibly ibfracted

Go Catters

Surely the coach has a major role in galvanizing a team,I can't see how you can have the discussion and exempt him totally,but I do understand what you are trying to avoid and I support that.But any suggestion that don't involve the head coach won't fly.

 

[cynical]

cant galvanise the list when there is no clear game plan, structures or recruiting

everything is just scattergun

need to build a core up for a few years with a gameplan and structure that can win a flag, then recruit players for specific roles

at the moment its just land of the giants, a crappy zone and bomb it long to hawkins

until the club gets back to basics and admits this list cant win a flag nothing will change

 

[Rockford]

Do not make low ball offers pre or during finals ever. Also dont do it post finals unless the incoming players are dead certs.

So is there a "role" at the club that is missing at the moment. Do we need another Neil Balme type again? Or purely a welfare/comradery coach who instigates this type of "training" for want of a better word. Personally, I think that needs to be the head coach at some level. He's the one asking them to go out there and do a job on game day. Maybe he could have someone assist him in that role once he gets the ball rolling.

 

[Spearman]

Was it Enright who revved them up before Richmond at KP while CS was crook?

 

[joe444]

Yep, honesty sessions played a major role in 2007, but you can only play that trick once.

It worked for us and it worked for them.

But you can't do it again. You can't manufacture the circumstances.

 

[year of the cat]

Are you suggesting an option would be for someone to knock off the coach in order to galvanize our list? Can think of a few posters on this forum prepared to put their hands up for the task!

 

[dazbroncos]

Surely the coach has a major role in galvanizing a team,I can't see how you can have the discussion and exempt him totally,but I do understand what you are trying to avoid and I support that.But any suggestion that don't involve the head coach won't fly.

Correct - The coach should be invovled in that discussion - but as several cant get past more than "hes shit" and not adding any reasoning behind it, the parameters for reasonable discussion have to be narrowed.

So bring CS and the coaches into by all means, but do so constructively - and that includes clearly listing the failings and more importantly the ways to correct them.

And Im glad you also see what we are trying to avoid.

Go Catters

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Hardwick was crap and they all wanted him gone last season. And Blake Caracella...thats hilarious. The Tigers faithful hated Caracella last season. Had to get rid of him. He was useless. Look at them now.

 

[Rockford]

Yep, honesty sessions played a major role in 2007, but you can only play that trick once.

It worked for us and it worked for them.

But you can't do it again. You can't manufacture the circumstances.

It wouldn't be the same though, or a trick. The Tigers didn't use it to talk about their deficiencies on the field, my understanding it was more personal than that. I think if it's done sincerely and you get the buy-in from the players then it could work. The idea wouldn't be to convince the players they're doing it for any underhanded reason, just tell them outright that the aim is to get to know each other better and develop a level of comradery between _every_ player, not just the cliques as they exist. I'm keen to hear other suggestions for how it could be done, that 2007-2009 team especially I felt like they all had a great deal of love for the club and for each other.

 

[Spearman]

Listen to the interviews on Talking Footy's podcasts. Ling and Bartell talking with coaches and players. Fascinating and fun. That group were special.

 

[Vdubs]

I'll be really interested to see how the other clubs try and unpick Richmond next year. Grant Thomas is right - it's the least talented group to win a flag since at least Sydney 2005, so kudos to the coaches - and so that question of what worked so well will be interesting to see.

I keep reading how this team is low on talent. But they took more contested marks than Crows, and kept Crows to a very miserable score, while scoring more than 100 themselves.
Just because we have not seen them much, and have not heard of their names, it seems unjustified to question their talent.
I still go back to Richo on 360 (Saints Coach) just before finals, who said they were the best team they'd played this season.
Talent is not lacking. Recognition maybe is.

 

[supahoops]

Adelaide didn't look particularly galvanised yesterday. Maybe they just had a bad game. It happens..

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Something like this has to come from the players. It can be helped along, but it must be organic.

The Bulldogs tried it. Copied our system. But they had a different team, different dynamics. It was a disaster.

 

[David the Cat]

Adelaide didn't look particularly galvanised yesterday. Maybe they just had a bad game. It happens..

Quoted for accuracy....100 times over. Players are not robots, and a multitude of events can/may happen that affect performance. We in the blogosphere have, in reality, no idea whats happening in house.

 

[Moggy]

Peggy Neal was asked on radio about the big changes that led to the Richmond turnaround, she said that it was a lot of little changes and good decisions that were made.

I don't think there is a silver bullet for us.

Three things I think would help are
- implementing a game plan that is going to stand up under pressure
- picking a balanced side that suits the game plan (and vice versa)
- a healthy list

Re the game plan, perhaps some fresh blood and fresh ideas in the coaching panel would help.

The Ablett question has me totally conflicted. I love the romantic aspect of it, but it could really set us back if it doesn't work out. Maybe it's too much of a fairytale to succeed. Without emotion I would say avoid it.

 

[selwoodsbandage]

Listen to the interviews on Talking Footy's podcasts. Ling and Bartell talking with coaches and players. Fascinating and fun. That group were special.

Links?