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Universal Love Keith Thomas

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Maybe he'll bring Rick Neagle in as a physio. ;)

Given Rick's role with Dignity for Disability it covers our building social capital base as well.
 

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KT tonight casually helping out making tomorrow's banner, what a champion. (courtesy of "It Starts Here" The Power, The Creed, Since 1870's Facebook page)

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Powerstufff said:
So where were the rest of you?
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Was stuck at a family dinner I couldn't get out of. So kept myself busy with Bigfooty/Facebook & watching the game, being antisocial whilst they do stuff that doesn't really interest me.

Mainly posted it to show that's what a great bloke does for the club he loves, you'd never see Trigg/Chapman doing stuff like that.
 
Seanybruz said:
Was stuck at a family dinner I couldn't get out of. So kept myself busy with Bigfooty/Facebook & watching the game, being antisocial whilst they do stuff that doesn't really interest me.

Mainly posted it to show that's what a great bloke does for the club he loves, you'd never see Trigg/Chapman doing stuff like that.
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The chardonnay set get their hands dirty? Sif, too busy devising ways to cheat.
 
He is a real peoples CEO. Saw him yesterday in the standing room area underneath the eastern stand mixing with the supporters there. Was happy to shake your hand or pose for a photo. Much respect.
 
rubberman said:
He is a real peoples CEO. Saw him yesterday in the standing room area underneath the eastern stand mixing with the supporters there. Was happy to shake your hand or pose for a photo. Much respect.
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Keith Thomas will stop and happily talk to anyone who wants to talk. And he remembers people. And he doesn't just behave this way because he feels it's part of his job, he does it because he genuinely enjoys the whole football club environment and genuinely enjoys mixing with fans from all walks of life. I've seen him cornered by fans who's ramblings would certainly test my patience within 60 seconds, but Keithy is unflappable. He listens, looks people in the eye, gives them his full attention, he smiles and laughs.

Long may he remain at the club.
 
rubberman said:
He is a real peoples CEO. Saw him yesterday in the standing room area underneath the eastern stand mixing with the supporters there. Was happy to shake your hand or pose for a photo. Much respect.
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Saw Keith walking through under the Eastern stand when I headed up there at half time. He always has a bit of a smile happening, like he's happy to talk to you and everything is under control. Stay Calm and Leave it to Me. ;)
 

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Seanybruz said:
KT tonight casually helping out making tomorrow's banner, what a champion. (courtesy of "It Starts Here" The Power, The Creed, Since 1870's Facebook page)

10277676_852566414758698_2716627685001666788_n.jpg
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Keith does things like this quite genuinely without seeing them a PR opportunity. Says a lot about the character of the man. Also sends a strong message to everyone inside and outside of the club.

Reminded me of Sando's PR stunt last year when he offered a lift to the 100 year supporter who was waiting at a bus stop. It had PR stunt written all over it. And the crows tried to pass it off as a genuine random act of kindness on Sando's part.
 
I've said before and will probably say again I've seen KT serving at the bar at Alberton when the Power post-matches were held there, and I've seen him carrying bags of ice to drinks stalls on Magpie game days.
 
finbarr said:
Keith Thomas will stop and happily talk to anyone who wants to talk. And he remembers people. And he doesn't just behave this way because he feels it's part of his job, he does it because he genuinely enjoys the whole football club environment and genuinely enjoys mixing with fans from all walks of life. I've seen him cornered by fans who's ramblings would certainly test my patience within 60 seconds, but Keithy is unflappable. He listens, looks people in the eye, gives them his full attention, he smiles and laughs.

Long may he remain at the club.
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The man gave me a fistbump while on his phone FFS.
 
The thing about KT is that he doesn't treat the job like "I'm the top man here and you're all beneath me", he treats it like he's been entrusted to take care of the place and he's on exactly the same level as everyone. We all play a part and his part just happens to be a pretty huge one. he doesn't look for plaudits or shoulder slaps, he just gets it done.
I remember hearing in interview with Kane Cornes recently where he said "It gives you a huge lift every day when you turn up for training and Keith Thomas's car is already there and has been there since 6am".
pastmyprimus said:
Keith does things like this quite genuinely without seeing them a PR opportunity. Says a lot about the character of the man.
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KT reminds me so much of that scene in Moneyball where Billy Beane and Peter Brand are working away at Billy's desk with the A's game playing on the background tv.
The commentators start praising Art Howe as being the mastermind of Oakland's amazing (to that point) 7 game winning streak to the stunned amazement of Brand, who turns to Billy and says "Did you hear that?".
Billy half raises his head and says "All I heard was 7 in a row", and returns to his work.
KT is our Billy Beane. As long as the job gets done he doesn't care who takes the plaudits.
 
KT is a great CEO because he played footy at a great traditional club and knows what makes footy clubs tick and the people associated with them. He was a senior executive in radio, so he has business nous and he gets the entertainment business - which sport is in, but music like sports requires the understanding of great passion by both performers and audience to understand why these things capture peoples hearts and fans go over and above normal life activities.

As I have written before, the speech he gave back at Alberton mainly directed at the players after we lost to Essendon in Rd 16 2012 when we were a few points down at 3/4 time but capitulated in the last quarter and we had done the same thing the previous few weeks, could only have been made by a 200 or 300 gamer, not a corporate background CEO. In very simple non threatening way, he said we asked for an effort for 4 quarters, the first 3 were good but that's not good enough. Some of you haven''t delivered and it wasn't just today and you wont be around next year.

At the post match after the last home game against Brisbane in 2012 I had a chat to KT as it was winding up, thanked him for giving so much of his time during the year and said that I felt for him and wished him all the best, as he had a tough job over the next few weeks, as he had to dismiss a lot of good people if we were going to improve. He gave me this look and held his hands up as if to say that's my job, and he said I know. But as we shook hands and said goodbye I was confident that as hard as it would be, he would make the tough decisions.
 
finbarr said:
KT reminds me so much of that scene in Moneyball where Billy Beane and Peter Brand are working away at Billy's desk with the A's game playing on the background tv.
The commentators start praising Art Howe as being the mastermind of Oakland's amazing (to that point) 7 game winning streak to the stunned amazement of Brand, who turns to Billy and says "Did you hear that?".
Billy half raises his head and says "All I heard was 7 in a row", and returns to his work.
KT is our Billy Beane. As long as the job gets done he doesn't care who takes the plaudits.
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Off-topic Moneyball fact:

The song 'Just enjoy the Show' sung at the end by Beane's daughter was originally recorded and performed by Lenka Kripac, an Australian singer/actress who among other acting credits, appeared in the ABC snorefest G.P. and hosted Cheez TV.
 

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pastmyprimus said:
Keith does things like this quite genuinely without seeing them a PR opportunity. Says a lot about the character of the man. Also sends a strong message to everyone inside and outside of the club.
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THIS!!!

Club culture and values starts at the very top, from the first day he was in the job he demanded EVERYONE follow his lead of club first!!!

The transformation in attitude of the players is amazing - those who head down to training would see the players going over to the sidelines to get a drink rather than demand one being brought to them, they pick up their own balls and give them back to Merv, they take off their boot and put them in the bucket for Alfie rather than just take them off and leave them all over the change rooms, when they take their tape off they put it in the bin... plus many more things!!

I watched the replay of the match when I got home last night and noticed the interview with Boaky, he finished his Gatorade and took the empty bottle off with him - I have seen in the past players just leaving it on the oval for a trainer or anyone else to pick up after them like spoilt little brats!!!


These little thing may not seem like much, but it is what keeps young AFL "stars" grounded and is one of the reasons why we very rarely get ahead of ourselves!!!
 
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Boxx said:
The transformation in attitude of the players is amazing - those who head down to training would see the players going over to the sidelines to get a drink rather than demand one being brought to them, they pick up their own balls and give them back to Merv, they take off their boot and put them in the bucket for Alfie rather than just take them off and leave them all over the change rooms, when they take their tape off they put it in the bin... plus many more things!!
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Credit Hinkley for this.
It was a rule he established from day one, summer pre-season 2013.
No player got brought water from the sidelines, as obviously happened under Primus.
If you're dying of thirst go get your own water, but don't bloody dare interrupt training to do so. Die first.
 
Plus Hinkley told players to wash their dishes after meals, not leave them for "Mums Army" to wash up.
 
Since he's been installed he has engaged, consulted and informed all stakeholders involved in major decisions, several of which have been very delicate situations. He is particularly adept in making people/entities feel as if they have been listened to and considered, while advancing PAFC's position in all cases. You will never see this guy deliberately try to piss someone off. Absolute master class.
 
I think it was in the movie "Remember the Titans" (Gridiron movie) one of the lines that came up as they were integrating the players was 'Attitude Reflects Leadership' and this has been what I've seen in the last 18 months. Every time I see comments like those above, I remember that line from the movie.
 

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