Universal Love Keith Thomas

[PA88]

I like KT's endeavour over the years to engage supporters with the club but he appears too passive and looks to camouflages it with good spin. Just look at our negotiations with the sanfl and how KT spun the promise of the academy. It was bloody obvious we were handed a rotten egg and he and the board just copped it.

KT's interpretation of Port Adelaide is obviously from the perspective as a player of the arch enemy but in some ways he shows a misunderstanding of it. For example the notion that 'we're at our best when our backs are against the wall' and the way to show that 'Port Adelaide arrogance' that he experienced when playing against us is by tweeting messages to the crows midweek and endorsing messages on the showdown banners that take digs at them. I've heard him explain this viewpoint. Stuff like this creates a cultural shift.

KT will be taking questions at the club next Thursday night in the bistro. If anybody does go it would be good if you can report about it on BF. I'd like to know how it goes.

 

[PA88]

not gonna lie, bringing back the sole captaincy to win back some favour will probably work on me

I'm too far gone. If they do drop dual captaincy they may select a guy that will struggle captaining. Though I can't imagine them keeping Hinkley but stripping him of his wishes to have dual captains after one season.

 

[Janey]

You could be correct. We are not in great shape leadership or culture wise. He is the top guy and he needs to get outside of his office and build a winning culture

One thing KT does do is get outside his office, makes himself very accessible to supporters, always prepared to stop and chat at club functions and generally around the Port Club.

 

[rogerjames]

Received a response from KT early this morning on the back of responding to his email sent to members last night. I feel for him. He's made some ordinary decisions and misplaced his faith. His biggest failure is believing Ken's bs.

But that is poor as it was obvious Ken wasn't up to it

 

[afl2004]

good person who tried his best , did the j mac situation with class but appointing hinkley and then re signing him is unforgivable , the last 5 years and the 2 before that minus a few finals and fitness comebacks have been a disaster.

Players careers have died without a shot because of hinkley (tall players)and more importantly boak and gray have wasted there once in a generation football talents because of hinkley and now will be only "he was a great footballer for a few years" instead of hall of famers and premiership players like they deserve.

Good luck post port kt

 

[Duck Farmer]

Yeah, a decent human being and a genuine guy who has made some misguided decisions in backing Hinkley who will no sooner walk over his grave once he has fallen on his sword.

 

[Schulzenfest]

not gonna lie, bringing back the sole captaincy to win back some favour will probably work on me

Why? That's just fixing an obvious mistake that they made.

If I spent an hour kicking you in the balls, and then after the hour I was up I told you I wasn't gonna kick you in the balls anymore, would you thank me for stopping or would you be furious that I did it in the first place?

 

[Eddie Dingle]

Why? That's just fixing an obvious mistake that they made.

If I spent an hour kicking you in the balls, and then after the hour I was up I told you I wasn't gonna kick you in the balls anymore, would you thank me for stopping or would you be furious that I did it in the first place?

What were you wearing?

 

[DaTBird187]

What were you wearing?

 

[B0ydmental]

One thing KT does do is get outside his office, makes himself very accessible to supporters, always prepared to stop and chat at club functions and generally around the Port Club.

I've heard he's the opposite with staff/ the executive

 

[Portmanteau]

How differently would he be perceived if he was ‘Heath Thomas’?

 

[Schulzenfest]

How differently would he be perceived if he was ‘Heath Thomas’?

Really makes you think.

How differently would he be perceived if his name was 'Norwood McHitler'?

 

[Power Plus]

TALKING FOOTY | THURSDAY 8th AUGUST 2019

CEO Keith Thomas will join Barry for Talking Footy next week to provide an update on everything happening within the Club. Also a chance to ask your questions. Book a table in the bistro for a meal, or relax in our Sports Bar. Talking Footy kicks off at 6.30pm.

 

[bomberclifford]

I've been thinking about this KT thing quite a bit this week.

He's being ridiculed for an email that is essentially him taking responsibility for the malaise of the club and I don't think that's right. It's the first time he's shown real emotion in one of those emails and rather than lambast him, he should be praised. This job has obviously taken its toll on him.

I also believe that it's him letting the co-captains thing get through, against his better judgement, that he feels most responsible for.


If I was the CEO in his position, I'd be doing 3 things to re-align the course:

1. Drop the co-captains. Revert to one captain and two vice-captains. Spread the load amongst that triumvirate.
Even if that means: Jonas C, Wines and Hartlett VC. Own the mistake and rectify it.

2. Drop "make our community proud" from the motto. Relegate it to a list of brand pillars that support the one true purpose. Winning Premierships. (yes they are harder to win, but that's the frigging point of it) Community stuff is important, but it's not the core purpose of the PA brand. Community pride comes from the endeavour to win premierships.

3. Stop trying to please everyone. Collingwood are arseholes to everyone. I want my club to be like Collingwood. Piss people off. Tell it like it is. Take no bullshit. Yes you have to suck eggs every so often, but stop ****ing pretending that you're happy about it.



I'd also look at getting football people running social media. Perhaps offering 'takeovers' from responsible parties found here. Obviously there are standards that need to be met, but stop watering down our presence with shallow nothingness. (use Twitter as news release and game score updates, use Insta as social communication about life around the club for players and supporters alike, and use FB as a way of getting the message out about initiatives, partners and club activities. Stop repeating content across all channels and STOP POSTING ****ING MEMES.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Of the three Ks, KT is the last one who should be shown the door. It would be a shame.

But that letter was bizarre.
Bizarre that it was sent and bizarre that noone in the club stopped it going.

Yes of the 3 K's he should be the last one to go.

It would be bizarre if anyone checked his CEO emails and stopped it. He is the CEO, in control of day to day practices, he has been sending them out since 2012, do you reckon since 2012 he runs to the board and says here, check out my CEO email before I send it out?

The letter to me isn't bizarre, its about taking ownership of failures. It starts off with
"I suspect you wonder some days whether your footy Club is listening to you. And each time a concern or frustration is raised and seemingly ignored, the overwhelming urge is to protest louder. I think 2019 will be marked as the year of the deafening roar."

I think this is exactly what has happened. But our concerns have really been about on field stuff, not really off field stuff that the club can control, apart from the long term on going issue of getting to wear our PB jumper when we want to. There was a members' survey 2 or 3 weeks ago where the members gave it to the club, not with both barrels, but with the volley of bullets from a machine gun.

Last September in Part 2 of the Sack Hinkley thread I said there is -
No I in team, but there is in champion. We don't have enough champions at the club, across all departments who are prepared to say;

I f**ked up!

I got it wrong!

I have to do better!

I wasn't good enough!

I have to be smarter!

I have to take responsibility!

I have to take charge!

I have to improve!

I have to lead when the chips are down!

I am sick of being flaky and losing and I am going to change that!

KT's letter to me showed he might not be perfect but he is a champion and prepared to take responsibility and ownership of our failures. He might not be around for much longer but the axe has been coming for awhile, but he is prepared to take the heat. Unlike our coach(es) and players who keep coming up with excuse after excuse, year in year out for blowing close games and chances to lock in higher spots on the ladder.

Someone has to lead us out of this mess. Maybe it will be KT if he extricates Hinkley from his hip. If KT goes and a non champion like Hinkley stays, who wont take responsibility, then we are in trouble for several more years.

 

[1954]

I've been thinking about this KT thing quite a bit this week.

He's being ridiculed for an email that is essentially him taking responsibility for the malaise of the club and I don't think that's right. It's the first time he's shown real emotion in one of those emails and rather than lambast him, he should be praised. This job has obviously taken its toll on him.

I also believe that it's him letting the co-captains thing get through, against his better judgement, that he feels most responsible for.


If I was the CEO in his position, I'd be doing 3 things to re-align the course:

1. Drop the co-captains. Revert to one captain and two vice-captains. Spread the load amongst that triumvirate.
Even if that means: Jonas C, Wines and Hartlett VC. Own the mistake and rectify it.

2. Drop "make our community proud" from the motto. Relegate it to a list of brand pillars that support the one true purpose. Winning Premierships. (yes they are harder to win, but that's the frigging point of it) Community stuff is important, but it's not the core purpose of the PA brand. Community pride comes from the endeavour to win premierships.

3. Stop trying to please everyone. Collingwood are arseholes to everyone. I want my club to be like Collingwood. Piss people off. Tell it like it is. Take no bulls**t. Yes you have to suck eggs every so often, but stop ******* pretending that you're happy about it.



I'd also look at getting football people running social media. Perhaps offering 'takeovers' from responsible parties found here. Obviously there are standards that need to be met, but stop watering down our presence with shallow nothingness. (use Twitter as news release and game score updates, use Insta as social communication about life around the club for players and supporters alike, and use FB as a way of getting the message out about initiatives, partners and club activities. Stop repeating content across all channels and STOP POSTING ******* MEMES.

Good post, except that Jonas shouldn't have got anywhere near being a co captain, let alone becoming the sole one.

 

[bomberclifford]

Good post, except that Jonas shouldn't have got anywhere near being a co captain, let alone becoming the sole one.

I agree, hence the "Even if that means:"

In terms of righting the wrong, I'd prefer Jonas as sole captain than having co-captains.
Since he was the players' choice (reportedly) then that's their call, not mine.

 

[The Rubber Man]

Why? That's just fixing an obvious mistake that they made.

If I spent an hour kicking you in the balls, and then after the hour I was up I told you I wasn't gonna kick you in the balls anymore, would you thank me for stopping or would you be furious that I did it in the first place?

Would be happy it stopped yeah

 

[OneGreatClub]

TALKING FOOTY | THURSDAY 8th AUGUST 2019

CEO Keith Thomas will join Barry for Talking Footy next week to provide an update on everything happening within the Club. Also a chance to ask your questions. Book a table in the bistro for a meal, or relax in our Sports Bar. Talking Footy kicks off at 6.30pm.

View attachment 719276

Poor bugger. Still the Talking Footy crowd are pretty tame.

 

[PA88]

Poor bugger. Still the Talking Footy crowd are pretty tame.

I haven't been for ages but I've seen Curtain point bistro diners out to the visiting player or officials just to embarrass them for simply having an opposing opinion. Perhaps it's best to be tamed.

 

[OneGreatClub]

I haven't been for ages but I've seen Curtain point bistro diners out to the visiting player or officials just to embarrass them for simply having an opposing opinion. Perhaps it's best to be tamed.

Yes he is very protective of the players, coaches and club. I guess that’s how he gets them to agree to come in each week.

 

[OneGreatClub]

They reckon KT has been at the club the last 2 Thursdays talking to people and asking questions.
I guess those who are so incredibly disenfranchised with the club’s direction and he, Ken and KOchie could turn up and ask their questions there publicly. I wonder if Ilias has the guts to do so?

 

[Burton89onegoal]

Any chance at all, that the "watch this space" could partly be about Hinkley being told that he needs to select a decent forward line?

 

[El_Scorcho]

Yes of the 3 K's he should be the last one to go.

It would be bizarre if anyone checked his CEO emails and stopped it. He is the CEO, in control of day to day practices, he has been sending them out since 2012, do you reckon since 2012 he runs to the board and says here, check out my CEO email before I send it out?

The letter to me isn't bizarre, its about taking ownership of failures. It starts off with
"I suspect you wonder some days whether your footy Club is listening to you. And each time a concern or frustration is raised and seemingly ignored, the overwhelming urge is to protest louder. I think 2019 will be marked as the year of the deafening roar."

I think this is exactly what has happened. But our concerns have really been about on field stuff, not really off field stuff that the club can control, apart from the long term on going issue of getting to wear our PB jumper when we want to. There was a members' survey 2 or 3 weeks ago where the members gave it to the club, not with both barrels, but with the volley of bullets from a machine gun.

Last September in Part 2 of the Sack Hinkley thread I said there is -
No I in team, but there is in champion. We don't have enough champions at the club, across all departments who are prepared to say;

I f**ked up!

I got it wrong!

I have to do better!

I wasn't good enough!

I have to be smarter!

I have to take responsibility!

I have to take charge!

I have to improve!

I have to lead when the chips are down!

I am sick of being flaky and losing and I am going to change that!

KT's letter to me showed he might not be perfect but he is a champion and prepared to take responsibility and ownership of our failures. He might not be around for much longer but the axe has been coming for awhile, but he is prepared to take the heat. Unlike our coach(es) and players who keep coming up with excuse after excuse, year in year out for blowing close games and chances to lock in higher spots on the ladder.

Someone has to lead us out of this mess. Maybe it will be KT if he extricates Hinkley from his hip. If KT goes and a non champion like Hinkley stays, who wont take responsibility, then we are in trouble for several more years.

Agree with all of this. Great post.

The key part of the email for me was KT taking personal responsibility for the state of the club, and also the line where he says they need to stop talking and start acting.

That suggests he's actually going to do something (or alternatively step down). I'll give him the opportunity to right some wrongs, but we'd want to have a pretty good offseason, sacking Hinkley aside. Whoever is in the CEO position over the next year or two has a huge opportunity to the club around a bit with some easy fixes and a tightening of standards.

If in 6 months it turns out that email was more empty platitudes, then i'll be at the front of the queue calling for him to be sacked as well. He's nailed his colours to the mast.

 

[PowerLil]

I haven't been for ages but I've seen Curtain point bistro diners out to the visiting player or officials just to embarrass them for simply having an opposing opinion. Perhaps it's best to be tamed.

Baz is as pro Hinkley as you can get. There is no way the conversation will be steered into any controversial areas in that regard.